Exclusive: Mark Indelicato says LGBTQ+ issues are “explored more deeply” in Hacks season 2
Mark Indelicato has praised Hacks for its “nuanced” depiction of the LGBTQ+ experience. The HBO Max series, which returned for a second season on 12 May, has been continuously met with critical acclaim for its authentic queer representation – particularly with Hannah Einbinder’s leading bisexual character Ava Daniels, for which she was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award.
In the brand new issue of GAY TIMES, Indelicato says the show’s overwhelmingly positive reception, particularly with LGBTQ+ viewers, is down to the team’s “coincidental or conscientious” decision to cast a variety of queer actors.
As well as Einbinder and the Ugly Betty alum, Hacks also includes openly queer entertainers such as Meg Stalter, Poppy Liu, Carl Clemons-Hopkins and Johnny Sibilly. “I think the majority of the cast is queer and so I think that, whether or not they play queer characters on the show, having queer people around is also why audiences might resonate with it,” says Indelicato, who plays Damien, the personal assistant to Jean Smart’s comedy diva Deborah Vance. “One of the things that we all found so fantastic about the show is that it deals with bisexuality in a really nuanced way, mainly the generational gap between Debra and Ava, and the ways in which Debra understands sexuality versus Ava’s understanding.
Not because Debra’s a bigot, but because she comes from a different generation. “That is also something that gets explored more deeply in season two.
