Robert Gant

Robert Gant (born Robert John Gonzalez; July 13, 1968) is an American actor. He rose to prominence through his role as Ben Bruckner on the hit Showtime series, Queer as Folk.[1]

Robert Gant
Gant at a 2009 GLAAD summer event
Born
Robert John Gonzalez

(1968-07-13) July 13, 1968
Tampa, Florida, U.S.
Other namesRobert J. Gant
Alma materGeorgetown University (J.D.)
University of Pennsylvania (B.A.)
OccupationActor, Producer
Years active1994–present

Early life and education

At age ten, Gant began acting in television commercials in Florida and became a member of the Screen Actors Guild at the age of eleven.[2]

Gant studied tap and jazz dance with The American Musical Theatre Company in Tampa. He performed a soft-shoe routine at MacDill Air Force Base with comedian Bob Hope as part of Hope's USO tour.[3]

While attending the University of Pennsylvania, Gant majored in English literature with both Shakespeare and poetry concentrations. He performed in musicals, including playing the Dentist in "Little Shop of Horrors" and Neville Landless in "The Mystery of Edwin Drood" and acted in the school's Penn Film Foundation film "Movements.".[4]

Gant attended the Georgetown University Law Center, where he was awarded his Juris Doctor (Doctor of Laws) in 1993. Gant was also a member of the Georgetown Gilbert & Sullivan Society, performing in a number of its productions.[5][6] Gant started a six-man a cappella group, The MetroGnomes, which performed in venues around Washington, DC.[7]

Gant accepted a position with the Los Angeles office of Chicago-headquartered international law firm Baker McKenzie. When the firm closed its LA office shortly thereafter, Gant decided to pursue his lifelong dream of acting and performing.[8]

Career

Gant's most well known role was as Professor Ben Bruckner in Showtime's television series, "Queer as Folk." His character was married in the first legal gay marriage portrayed on television.[9]

Gant portrayed television's first gay spy in the film, "Kiss Me Deadly," which was shot on location in New Zealand.[10] [11]

Gant portrayed Melissa Benoist's Kryptonian father Zor-El on "Supergirl,"[9] as Todd Crimsen on the Netflix series "Thirteen Reasons Why,"[12][9] and as Jim Hunter on "The Fosters" and its spin-off series "Good Trouble."[13][14][15] Prior to "Queer as Folk," Gant recurred as Principal Calvin Krupps in Ryan Murphy's first television series, "Popular,"[9][16] and as Caroline's boyfriend Trevor in "Caroline in the City."[17][2]

Gant has had guest roles on TV show "Friends," where he played one of two men Phoebe was dating simultaneously,[9][18] as well as "Melrose Place,"[19] "Becker," [2] the "CSI's,"[9] and "Criminal Minds,"[20]

In 2004, Gant starred in the short film "Billy's Dad is a Fudgepacker," an homage to 1950's educational films,[21] which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. In 2005[22], Gant was a series regular in the BBC 3-produced drama "Personal Affairs," set in London's financial sector and filmed on location in both London and Scotland. Robert was the sole American in an otherwise all British cast.[9] In 2013, he portrayed Captain Robert Norton in "Dead Space 3," the third installment in the popular Dead Space video game series released from Electronic Arts..[23]

Gant was a producing partner in the production company, Mythgarden. Its feature film, "Save Me," a drama set against the backdrop of the ex-gay ministry, stars Gant along with Judith Light and Chad Allen and premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.[9] He also co-produced, co-wrote, and starred in the Netflix-distributed period drama "Milada," the true story of Czech heroine Milada Horakova, who was, in 1950, the first woman executed in Czech history by the Communist government.[9][24][25]

Personal life

In an interview published by The Advocate magazine, Gant came out as gay in 2002.[26][27][28] He had a chocolate lab named Bodhi.[29][30] He currently resides in Los Angeles.

Activism

Gant supports such organizations as Services & Advocacy for LGBT Elders (SAGE) and Gay & Lesbian Elder Housing (GLEH).[31]

Gant has also been involved politically, stumping at presidential campaign events for Howard Dean.[32]

References
  1. "Robert Gant works it out". www.advocate.com. 2002-07-23. Retrieved 2020-02-06.
  2. "Gazette | Alumni: Profiles (Sept|Oct 03)". www.upenn.edu. Retrieved 2020-02-12.
  3. "10 Nov 2000, 78 - The Tampa Tribune at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2020-02-12.
  4. "Gazette | Alumni: Profiles (Sept|Oct 03)". www.upenn.edu. Retrieved 2020-02-12.
  5. Evans, Curtis (2017-01-11). Murder in the Closet: Essays on Queer Clues in Crime Fiction Before Stonewall. McFarland. ISBN 978-1-4766-2633-8.
  6. "Georgetown Law Students Get Big Break On Stage". WAMU. Retrieved 2020-02-12.
  7. "Gazette | Alumni: Profiles (Sept|Oct 03)". www.upenn.edu. Retrieved 2020-02-12.
  8. "Gazette | Alumni: Profiles (Sept|Oct 03)". www.upenn.edu. Retrieved 2020-02-12.
  9. "Robert Gant as Noah on Wedding of Dreams". Hallmark Channel. Retrieved 2020-02-13.
  10. "6951 - Robert Gant: The spying game - Gay Lesbian Bi Trans News Archive - Windy City Times". 2019-04-05. Archived from the original on 2019-04-05. Retrieved 2020-02-13.
  11. "Robert Gant, action man". The Bay Area Reporter / B.A.R. Inc. Retrieved 2020-02-13.
  12. DigitalCavalry (2018-09-08). "Interview: Robert Gant". The PC Principle. Retrieved 2020-02-13.
  13. Gelman, Vlada; Gelman, Vlada (2019-09-18). "Good Trouble Reunites Entire Fosters Family for Christmas Special — PHOTO". TVLine. Retrieved 2020-02-13.
  14. Umstead, R. Thomas. "Freeform to End 'The Fosters' With Three-Night Series Finale". Multichannel. Retrieved 2020-02-13.
  15. Young, Candace (2019-09-24). "Video: Robert Gant Joins 'Good Trouble' Ahead of Holiday Special". Soaps.com. Retrieved 2020-02-13.
  16. "Robert Gant | TV Guide". TVGuide.com. Retrieved 2020-02-13.
  17. Hern, Greg; ez (2008-05-03). "My interview with Robert Gant…". Out in Hollywood. Retrieved 2020-02-13.
  18. Hern, Greg; ez (2008-05-03). "My interview with Robert Gant…". Out in Hollywood. Retrieved 2020-02-13.
  19. "Robert Gant, action man". The Bay Area Reporter / B.A.R. Inc. Retrieved 2020-02-13.
  20. "Robert Gant | TV Guide". TVGuide.com. Retrieved 2020-02-13.
  21. "BILLY'S DAD IS A FUDGE-PACKER | Film Threat". 2005-02-04. Retrieved 2020-02-13.
  22. "BILLY'S DAD IS A FUDGE-PACKER". www.powerupfilms.org. Retrieved 2020-02-13.
  23. "Dead Space 3 (2013) Windows credits". MobyGames. Retrieved 2020-02-13.
  24. "MILADA | American Cinematheque". americancinemathequecalendar.com. Retrieved 2020-02-13.
  25. "Robert Gant". Noovie. Retrieved 2020-02-13.
  26. "6951 - Robert Gant: The spying game - Gay Lesbian Bi Trans News Archive - Windy City Times". 2019-04-05. Archived from the original on 2019-04-05. Retrieved 2020-02-06.
  27. Publishing, Here (2002-09-17). The Advocate. Here Publishing.
  28. Publishing, Here (2002-08-20). The Advocate. Here Publishing.
  29. "On the red carpet. I mean that literally. In flats". Dogged Blog. Retrieved 2020-02-13.
  30. "Robert Gant – Facts, Bio, Family, Life, Updates 2020 | Sticky Facts". Retrieved 2020-02-13.
  31. "Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders (SAGE)", The SAGE Encyclopedia of LGBTQ Studies, SAGE Publications, Inc., ISBN 978-1-4833-7130-6, retrieved 2020-02-06
  32. "Queer As Folk Addiction | News Archive - October 2003". www.angelfire.com. Retrieved 2020-02-13.
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