Kit Williamson’s new series “Unconventional,” now streaming on Revry, is a vital and unapologetic force for representation
BY MARK ARIEL | PHOTO BY JONO MADISON
At a pivotal moment for queer visibility, Kit Williamson, the creative force behind the Emmy-nominated Eastsiders, returns with Unconventional.
This bold new series, now streaming on Revry, plunges into the heart of queer identity, family dynamics, and relationships with a strikingly honest lens.
Williamson himself stars as Noah, navigating the multifaceted realities of queer adulthood in his 30s—from supporting his sister’s journey to parenthood and pursuing adoption with his husband to embracing the inherent messiness of gay life.
As political landscapes shift and Hollywood continues its uneven embrace of LGBTQIA+ stories, Unconventional emerges as a vital and unapologetic force for representation.
In an interview with THE FIGHT Williamson talks about parenthood, open relationships, mental health struggles and how we can sometimes be our own worst enemies.
Given the current political climate, how do you feel about the recent premiere of such an unapologetically queer show?
We’ve seen such incredible strides in our lifetime, and knowing that there are people trying to drag us back to where we started—or worse—is disheartening. But it’s also galvanizing. If telling queer stories can help the cause in any way, I’m grateful to be in the fight.
Unconventional features your character, Noah, acting as a sperm donor for his sister and her wife while he and his husband pursue adoption. How important was it for you to depict the unique challenges LGBTQ+ individuals face in their journeys to parenthood?
As more and more of my queer friends go down the family planning rabbit hole it really struck me how little information there is out there. We’re so used to seeing the happy ending to these stories, not the struggles that people go through to get there. I hope that every LGBTQ+ person that wants to gets the opportunity to be a parent, but I don’t think it helps anyone to simplify a really complicated process for the sake of a story.
“… It may seem unfair that we have to chart our own course in life, rather than go down the beaten trail, but it can take you to the most beautiful places. Being gay isn’t a choice, but being queer is—and that’s incredibly liberating.”
The show doesn’t shy away from portraying unfiltered aspects of gay life, such as open relationships, substance use, mental health struggles, and body dysmorphia. Were there any other related topics you considered exploring but ultimately didn’t?
Unconventional covers a lot of narrative ground—all the characters are going through their own version of an identity crisis as they try to figure out who they want to be in this new chapter of their lives. I think there’s always more to unpack, and I’m interested in continuing to explore Noah’s relationship with sobriety and interest in drag—both of which are introduced towards the end of the season. A lot of these subjects, such as mental health struggles, are not resolvable—it’s a lifelong journey, and I think that’s interesting to see explored in an ongoing story.
Willam plays Arthur/Priscilla Cyben, a drag queen with a history of addiction. The show touches on sobriety. What are your thoughts on exploring the challenges of sobriety within the queer community, particularly given the social scene often revolves around bars and parties?
It’s important to recognize that everyone’s relationship to alcohol is different, and to interrogate your own relationship to it. As I’ve gotten older I get bored doing the same shit over and over again, but it isn’t easy to break out of patterns of behavior. We definitely need to find more ways to come together as a community that don’t involve drinking.
Unconventional took several years to reach the screen. During that time, did you ever consider significantly changing the plot or the overall direction of the series?
The show was originally set in New Orleans, and the nightlife and drag scene played a much more prominent role. The pandemic changed the show a lot, from shifting the location to shifting the conversations in the writer’s room. The show has always been about commitment, but I think that the ways in which relationships can become isolating was at the forefront of a lot of people’s minds coming out of lockdown.
In your opinion, what are some of the common misunderstandings or misrepresentations of queer stories that you still see in Hollywood?
I think we can be our own worst enemies, demanding queer characters to be perfect role models or expecting queer stories to represent every kind of queer person simultaneously. It’s a miracle that anything queer gets made, especially right now, and I think the more kinds of stories we have the better. Mine happen to be messy, because those are the kinds of characters I’m interested in exploring. That’s not to say we don’t deserve gay heroes—but I think we need to take some of the pressure off ourselves.
What is the primary message or takeaway you hope audiences will have after watching Unconventional?
I hope that audiences realize that there’s no one “right” way to be gay, to live your life, to find love, or to start a family. It may seem unfair that we have to chart our own course in life, rather than go down the beaten trail, but it can take you to the most beautiful places. Being gay isn’t a choice, but being queer is—and that’s incredibly liberating.
