'Love, Victor' Star Michael Cimino Says He Got Death Threats for Playing a Gay Character

Michael Cimino is opening up about his role on Love, Victor.

The 21-year-old actor plays Victor Salazar on the new Hulu series, which follows the high-school student on his journey of self-discovery as he faces challenges at home, adjusts to a new city and explores his sexual orientation.

In an interview with Attitude, the actor discussed some of the backlash he’s received for being a straight person playing a gay character.

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“I’ve definitely had some criticism from the LGBT community for being in the role,” Michael said. “I’ve had death threats, which is horrible. But the show is important to me. The messages of hate — I came into it knowing that would happen, regardless of how good I was.”

He also shared that he had received some negative comments from members of his family about his role.

“I got some homophobic comments — I kind of expected that to happen. I didn’t expect it from my own family members, though,” he added. “Some of them reached out, saying, ‘You used to be so cool; now you’re so gay.’ I chalk it up to ignorance. People have that programming and they often don’t have to evolve and try to push past that.”

“That ignorance is often something that’s been passed on from generations prior,” Michael continued. “I always approach that [by saying], ‘These are normal people that are struggling and they shouldn’t have to struggle.’”

“That’s not how [to] be an ally, that’s not how you support LGBT rights. If you’re not an actual ally, then what are you doing?” he said, adding, “It’s an honor to play Victor, and a big responsibility. I went in with the pure intent to represent that correctly. I held myself to a really high standard to make sure everyone going through this story felt represented by the show.”

Both seasons of Love, Victor are now streaming on Hulu. You can check out the trailer for the second season here.