Dylan O'Brien Praises Director for 'Permission' to Play Gay Role in 'Twinless'

The actor appreciated the director's guidance in embracing the masculinity and femininity of his LGBTQ character.

Published on Feb. 6, 2026

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In the film Twinless, actor Dylan O'Brien played two very different roles - straight twin Roman and gay twin Rocky. O'Brien praised the film's writer and director, James Sweeney, for giving him 'permission' and guidance to authentically portray the gay character of Rocky, noting that Sweeney's insight as a gay man helped him avoid playing the role in an inauthentic way.

Why it matters

This story highlights the importance of LGBTQ representation in media and the value of having LGBTQ creatives involved in the development of queer characters. It also touches on the challenges straight actors can face in portraying LGBTQ roles authentically.

The details

In an interview, Sweeney said he wanted O'Brien, a heterosexual actor, to 'be comfortable with both masculinity and femininity' in order to portray the gay twin Rocky as an authentic, multi-dimensional character. O'Brien agreed, noting that Sweeney's guidance and 'permission' to embrace the role's fluidity of gender expression 'goes a long way' for straight actors playing LGBTQ parts.

  • Twinless premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2025.
  • The film is now available to stream on Hulu.

The players

Dylan O'Brien

An American actor who played the roles of twins Roman and Rocky in the film Twinless.

James Sweeney

The writer, director, and co-star of Twinless, who is a gay man and provided guidance to O'Brien on authentically portraying the gay twin character.

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What they’re saying

“In terms of him playing queer – I'll take credit for giving him permission and pushing him in a direction to be fluid with the masculinity and femininity. A lot of times when straight actors play gay, they don't lean into that out of fear of being vilified by the public, and are like, 'We're all the same, so I'm just going to play myself.'”

— James Sweeney, Writer, Director, and Co-star of Twinless (Dazed)

“Permission goes a long way. James is a gay man, and coming from a place I could trust. We had a similar take on straight actors playing gay parts, especially in recent years: you started seeing straight actors playing a queer role completely straight. It started to feel inauthentic. It was nice to have his insight, support, and calibration.”

— Dylan O'Brien (Deadline)

What’s next

Twinless is now available to stream on Hulu, allowing more viewers to see O'Brien's performance and Sweeney's approach to LGBTQ representation.

The takeaway

This story highlights the value of having LGBTQ creatives involved in the development of queer characters, as it can help straight actors portray those roles more authentically and avoid perpetuating harmful stereotypes. It also underscores the importance of normalizing LGBTQ characters in mainstream media.