The Most Famous LGBT TV Characters of All Time

Representation on television has grown across genres and formats, giving audiences characters whose personal lives are part of the story rather than the whole plot. These figures span sitcoms, dramas, and streaming series, and their arcs include career milestones, family dynamics, and relationships that unfold over time. They appear in workplace comedies, high school musicals, prison dramas, and crime epics, which means viewers first met them in very different contexts and eras.

Many of these characters arrived through broadcast hits while others came through cable standouts and streaming originals. Their episodes include landmark moments tied to coming out, marriage, and everyday life details that were previously rare on screen. The shows listed here noted their home networks on air or in credits, which helped bring these stories to the widest possible audiences.

Will Truman

Will Truman is portrayed by Eric McCormack on the sitcom ‘Will & Grace’. The character works as a New York lawyer and shares an apartment with Grace Adler, and the series follows his friendships with Grace, Jack, and Karen across multiple seasons and a later revival. McCormack’s performance earned awards recognition that included an Emmy for Lead Actor, and the show’s ensemble frequently filmed bottle episodes set around the apartment and workplace events.

The series originally aired in prime time on NBC, reaching viewers across eight original seasons and a multi season revival. Holiday specials and live episodes were part of the run, and the reboot placed the characters back in contemporary New York with updates to their careers and relationships while keeping the original network home.

Ellen Morgan

Ellen Morgan is played by Ellen DeGeneres on the sitcom ‘Ellen’. The character came out during a two part episode commonly referred to as The Puppy Episode, which aired in 1997 and featured guest stars and a therapist scene that became one of the series’ most replayed moments. The storyline continued with episodes showing reactions from friends and family and how Ellen navigated work life after the announcement.

The show aired on ABC during the network’s comedy block and scheduled the coming out episode during sweeps. Following the event the series adjusted its storytelling to follow Ellen’s dating life and everyday routines, and ABC’s promotion highlighted both the sitcom’s humor and the character’s milestone.

Captain Raymond Holt

Captain Raymond Holt is portrayed by Andre Braugher on ‘Brooklyn Nine Nine’. The character serves as the precinct’s commanding officer and appears in cases, performance reviews, and annual competitions, often paired with husband Kevin in scenes at home. Braugher received multiple award nominations for the role, and the character’s career history references earlier postings and promotions that the show revisits in flashbacks.

The series premiered on Fox before later moving to NBC for additional seasons, with both networks airing the ensemble comedy in prime time. The network transition included a renewal announcement on social media followed by new episodes that continued the precinct’s annual Halloween competition and the team’s evolving assignments under Holt’s leadership.

Kurt Hummel

Kurt Hummel is played by Chris Colfer on the musical series ‘Glee’. The character’s arc covers school show choir competitions, friendships, and a relationship with Blaine that develops through performances and episodes set at regional and national contests. Colfer won a Golden Globe for his work and recorded numerous solos and duets that appeared on weekly soundtrack releases tied to the show.

The series aired on Fox and scheduled its musical episodes in a slot that allowed for live tweeting and next day soundtrack chart updates. Special event episodes followed major sports broadcasts and awards shows on the network, which brought additional viewers to storylines centered on Kurt’s school life and later moves to pursue performing arts.

Willow Rosenberg

Willow Rosenberg is portrayed by Alyson Hannigan on ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’. The character begins as a high achieving student and close friend to Buffy and later develops witchcraft abilities that shape key arcs. Willow’s relationship with Tara becomes central to many episodes, including musical and dorm life installments that connect directly to ongoing supernatural plots.

The show aired first on The WB and then moved to UPN, with both networks programming genre series for young adult audiences. Network promotions often paired ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ with companion shows on the same night, which placed Willow’s storylines alongside other teen and supernatural programming blocks.

Omar Little

Omar Little is played by Michael K. Williams on the drama ‘The Wire’. The character is known for targeting drug operations and appears across multiple seasons that each focus on different Baltimore institutions. Omar’s testimony scenes, courtroom appearances, and code of conduct recur as plot elements, and the show uses his arcs to intersect with investigations and turf conflicts.

The series aired on HBO as part of the network’s Sunday drama lineup and rolled out seasons with weekly episodes followed by on demand availability. HBO’s scheduling allowed the show to track long running cases and city politics across years, keeping Omar’s storyline woven through changing focal points like the port, city hall, and the newsroom.

David Rose

David Rose is portrayed by Dan Levy on ‘Schitt’s Creek’. The character is introduced as a former gallerist who relocates with his family and later opens a retail business that anchors many episodes in the town. The series documents David’s relationship milestones including engagement and wedding planning, along with career steps and partnerships tied to his shop.

The show aired on CBC in Canada and on Pop TV in the United States, with additional viewers finding it through later streaming windows. Its final season received a sweep of major comedy awards after the broadcast run, and the network partnership facilitated simultaneous premieres and coordinated series finale promotions in both markets.

Callie Torres

Callie Torres is played by Sara Ramirez on the medical drama ‘Grey’s Anatomy’. The character appears across numerous seasons that include surgical specialties, hospital transfers after a disaster episode, and a custody storyline involving her daughter. Callie’s relationships span colleagues and a long term partnership that leads to marriage, and the episodes track career steps from resident to attending.

The series airs on ABC and has maintained a long running prime time slot with season premieres and finales promoted during fall and spring. The network’s scheduling enabled crossover events with related medical series, which placed Callie in multi episode arcs that moved between shows while staying within the ABC programming block.

Sophia Burset

Sophia Burset is portrayed by Laverne Cox on ‘Orange Is the New Black’. The character is a prison hairstylist whose backstory episodes show family life, identity documents, and professional training. Cox received an Emmy nomination for Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for the role, and Sophia’s storylines include medical care access and changes in facility housing.

The series premiered on Netflix and released seasons all at once rather than weekly, which led to concentrated premieres that pushed the show’s characters into streaming home pages globally. Netflix’s format allowed episodes to place flashbacks adjacent to present day scenes, giving Sophia’s arc extended runtime within season structures.

Nomi Marks

Nomi Marks is played by Jamie Clayton on the science fiction series ‘Sense8’. The character is a San Francisco based hacker who is mentally linked to a cluster of people worldwide, which lets episodes cross cut action between cities during fights and heists. Nomi’s relationship with Amanita features throughout the series, including a courthouse scene and a finale sequence that returns to earlier plot threads.

The show is a Netflix original and filmed across multiple countries with on location shoots that were documented in behind the scenes specials. Netflix released a two hour series finale after the second season to resolve major arcs, which provided closure for Nomi and the cluster within the streaming platform’s event format.

Share the TV characters you would add to this list in the comments.