Naturally, their sexuality is too taboo to live openly in such a fiercely homophobic era, and thus Della and Hamilton’s friendship is also mutually beneficial: They can go out together publicly so that Hamilton in particular can evade questions about his private life, with Della posing as a romantic interest. “Hamilton has checked all the other boxes as a man in society who is powerful and white,” says Kirk, who adds that there’s fun in playing a character who has a secret.
Like Kirk, Tullock found her character’s double life exciting to play. “I’m always drawn to characters that have to hide their inner worlds,” she says. But Tullock, who is also queer, leaned into what she shared with her onscreen persona. “I’ve never done a period piece where I got to explore a gay experience,” she says — while admitting the era in which Anita lives is far different from her own generation, despite their similar identities.
“I told my therapist, ‘This is going to be great. I can pull from my own life,’ ” says Tullock. “And she rightly said, ‘Well, you’ve been gay, but you’ve never been gay in the 1930s. Don’t get ahead of yourself.’ ” This story first appeared in a June stand-alone issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To receive the magazine,