‘Queer As Folk’ stars open to reprising roles for series reboot

TORONTO — Could Brian, Justin, Michael, Ted and Emmett be returning to Toronto?

Several stars of the U.S. version of Queer As Folk, which aired from 2000 to 2005, said recently they are open to reprising their roles for a series reboot or movie.

“I would love to put on those orange leather pants again,” said Peter Paige, who played Emmett Honeycutt, at the ATX Television Festival in Austin. “They will have to be cut from a bigger cow, but I would be happy to do it.

“I would love to know where Emmett is at today. I’d love to explore the next chapter of the aging queen.”

Based upon the U.K. series of the same name –which starred Aidan Gillen (now on Game of Thrones) and Charlie Hunnam (Sons of Anarchy) — Queer As Folk was set in Pittsburgh but filmed entirely in Toronto.

Co-produced by Toronto-based Temple Street Productions, the show aired in Canada on Showcase (now owned by Global News parent company Shaw Media).

It followed a group of gay men and a lesbian couple (Michelle Clunie and Thea Gill) as they experienced ups and downs in their personal and family relationships. The series also starred veteran actress Sharon Gless.

Cast members who reunited at ATX told EW they would love to reprise their roles.

“I’m down, absolutely,” said Gale Harold, who played Brian Kinney.

Co-star Randy Harrison is also onboard. “I have no idea where Justin could be now, 10 years later,” he said.

Paige said it’s not up to the cast, though.

“There are other powers-that-be that control that material and have to put up the millions and millions of dollars and have to decide if that’s the business model they want to engage in at any given time,” he said.

Queer As Folk executive producers Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman agreed, suggesting Netflix would be a logical choice for a reboot of the series.

Paige said the actors have kept in touch since Queer As Folk went off the air in 2005.

“We all love each other and with a little bit of time even the challenges of that period have receded and we’re all able to really appreciate what it is,” he said.

“Ten years after we ended, the show is still being found and still circulating around the world. It’s just incredible.”