Featured Image Credit: Netflix
Topics: The Umbrella Academy
Aisha Nozari
The Umbrella Academy’s Robert Sheehan has said he prefers to wear women’s clothing because he ‘prefers how it looks’.
The actor, who plays pansexual Klaus Hargreeves in the Netflix series, also revealed that The Umbrella Academy’s LGBTQ fanbase is ‘lovely’ and was quick to gush about the ‘meaningful’ feedback he’s received.
Aside from his Umbrella Academy role, Sheehan is perhaps best known for portraying Nathan Young in E4’s teen superhero series Misfits.
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Speaking in 2020, Sheehan told Attitude: “I really prefer how ladies’ clothes look on me, to be honest. It’s the great secret of retail: guys, get out there and go to the ladies’ side of things.”
Addressing the feedback he received after Klaus embarked on a gay relationship in The Umbrella Academy, the star added: “At the [comic] cons, you get a lot of younger people who identify in the LGBTQ bracket. Lovely, young, queer people coming up and saying lovely, meaningful things. People who are at the formative part of their lives. That’s very nice."
The Umbrella Academy has been praised for its progressive storytelling, most recently when the show expertly handled actor Elliot Page’s transition.
Viktor Hargreeves is introduced in the third series the show, which began streaming this month, following Page's announcement 2020 that he was transgender and used the pronouns 'he/they'.
In an article for Esquire, writer Thomas Page McBee explained how he and The Umbrella Academy worked to introduce 'the most high-profile transgender man on TV' through Page's character Viktor.
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McBee explained showrunner Steve Blackman was 'passionate' about incorporating Page's transition into the show, but that the scripts for the third series were already locked, with production set to start in two weeks.
As Page's character in the show had already been established over the first two series, McBee explained his transition had to come as a 'texture' rather than a defining trait of his character.
It also had to happen on the show, meaning he would have to realise his gender identity within the first episodes of the third series.
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McBee described how the creators wanted to show an 'organic' transition that worked together with the character's existing story arcs.
After discussing with Page how Viktor may discover his gender identity, Blackman and McBee used the actor's insights to come up with an 'economical narrative' which could work with existing scenes, and which echoed where Page was in the transition process while filming.
The story development was met with praise by fans, who took to Twitter to share gushing messages including: “So happy that @UmbrellaAcad allowed elliot page’s character to transition on the show. He’s an icon, we love viktor in this house!” and “I would like to share how I appreciate The Umbrella Academy for how they portrayed Elliot Page’s character.
“They showed how Vanya transitioned to Viktor and he was so loved by the characters as he transitioned. Happy Pride Month indeed!”
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