Tuc Watkins on gay dating after 50 in Netflix’s “Uncoupled”
Uncoupled takes a tried-and-true formula and gives it a whole new spin. Not only does the series, written and created by executive producer Darren Star and Jeffrey Richman, center on gay characters, but those characters are also all in their late 40s and early 50s.The show follows Manhattan real estate agent Michael (Neil Patrick Harris) as he dives headfirst back into the city’s gay dating pool following a devastating break-up with his longterm boyfriend.
Tuc Watkins plays that boyfriend, Colin. The out actor says he’s been trying to work with Starr ever since he wasn’t hired for the pilot of Melrose Place in the mid-90s.“Darren and Jeff have both created such great shows, and I call them great because I watch them.
So, it’s not just a platitude. I like their shows,” Watkins says.In a recent conversation, Watkins spoke to LGBTQ Nation about Starr and Richman’s latest show, its refreshing perspective, and why an LGBTQ show like Uncoupled has been so long coming.LGBTQ Nation: What appealed to you about Uncoupled—not just your character, but the perspective of the show, its themes and goals as a piece of storytelling. Watkins: Ordinarily, in a break-up comedy, the couple breaks up, the ex is a jerk and the hero moves forward and usually lives happily ever after.
But this isn’t that show. This is a little more layered and interesting. I think Darren and Jeff have created a more fleshed-out show that is populated by LGBTQ characters that we haven’t seen in the past.
