Posted in: Disney+, Hulu, streaming, TV | Tagged: Chad Coleman, Chad L. Coleman, exclusive, hulu, interview, The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster, The Expanse, The Orville, The Walking Dead

The Orville: Chad Coleman on LGBTQ+ Feedback, Why Fan Campaigns Matter

Chad Coleman (The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster) spoke with Bleeding Cool about The Orville, LGBTQ+ feedback, why fan campaigns matter & more.

If there's anyone who's aware of loyal fan bases in pop culture, it's actor Chad L. Coleman, who's been a part of several of the biggest TV shows, including The Walking Dead, The Expanse, The Orville, and Superman & Lois. While the actor was in the earlier seasons of TWD as Tyreese, he's built a bigger foundation on The Expanse as Fred Johnson, the Moclan traditionalist Clyden on The Orville, and the influential Bruno Mannheim on S&L. While promoting his upcoming indie horror film The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster, Coleman spoke with Bleeding Cool about fan reception to Clyden and Moclan culture, how it resonates with the LGBTQ+ community, why Clyden is a role dear to his heart, and how he can personally testify on fan campaigns.

The Orville: How Series' Moclan Story Resonates with LGBTQ+ Community

In the FOX-turned-Hulu series, the Moclans are a patriarchal humanoid society in the most extreme form. Men occupy all major facets of their society, and if one is born female, gender reassignment surgery is performed to become male. Lt. Bortus (Peter Macon) is a Moclan serving on board the Planetary Union vessel, the U.S.S. Orville, which comprises multiple species working together. While he was initially protective of his culture, he began to see how Moclan misogynistic ways conflict with his values over time, especially when it's discovered that some female Moclan babies who avoid the surgery are smuggled to the female sanctuary planet. As Bortus changes to be more accepting and values the role of women, his partner Clyden remained rigid in his traditionalist ways to the point of disowning their child Topa (Imani Pullum) for becoming female, her original birth gender. Near the end of season three, Clyden finally accepts Topa for who she is after she suffered a traumatic event and later renounces his own Moclan citizenship as his partner did before.

"Hats off to Seth MacFarlane for taking on issues people shy away from. The Clyden, Bortus, and Topa, the Moclan storyline is resonating with the LGBTQ+ community in a major way, and that is so exciting," Coleman said. "We did not know that it was going to hit in the way that it has. I can tell you it's a front-burner topic in the ever-evolving world we live in. We have inclusion, equanimity, equal space, and truth. For us to be able to take it on and it's been received in the manner that it has, has been incredibly gratifying because we live in divisive times, polarizing times. It's brave to take these things on, and we have gotten nothing but powerful, wonderful feedback. That's huge for me because this is my family; my cousin is trans, my sister is lesbian, and my nephew is bi. This is my family. I'm grateful that we're telling relevant stories that impact their lives and shine the light on their truth."

Given how many franchises Coleman's a part of, he offered, "The sheer numbers alone is going to be 'The Walking Dead' [laughs]. We want these other shows to elevate into that type of stratosphere, and we're working on that. You talk about what the universe is. It's the TWD universe. Hats off to all the other audiences, but that's a rabid fanbase right there." As far as the fate of two of his shows that are currently uncertain in Hulu's The Orville and The CW's Superman & Lois, he suggests fans to what's worked for The Expanse.

"We want everybody else to generate to that level, and that's why I tell people all the time for 'The Orville,' "How about you guys? You put a campaign together to get somebody to fly a plane around and say, Renew it," Coleman said. "How about we do a social media push where millions of people let them know? That's the thing we're looking for because it happened with 'The Expanse' when it was tangible and on SYFY. That's how it got picked up on Prime [Video] because of movements like that. Again, another rabid fan base. Come on, DC! Come on, James Gunn! 'Superman & Lois' is a wonderful show. Let's keep it going. That's my hope and wish."

RLJE Films' The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster, which also stars Laya DeLeon Hayes, Denzel Whitaker, Reilly Brooke Stith, and Keith Holliday comes to theaters, digital, and on-demand on June 9th.

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!

Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!