Chris Perfetti was a seasoned theater performer and had guest-starred in many shows before landing his role as Jacob Hill in the hit series Abbott Elementary. A look through social media shows that Abbott Elementary and Chris Perfetti’s character are immensely popular. Perfetti was nominated for a Critics’ Choice Award for his role in the comedy series.
Perfetti, an intriguing and mysterious New York native, will surely become a regular on our screens following his breakout performance. As with any breakout star, fans want to know more about Chris, especially regarding his love life and sexuality.
Chris Perfetti’s sexuality is unclear; he plays a gay character in Abbott Elementary
Chris Perfetti’s sexuality is unclear: the actor refuses to address his personal life in interviews or on social media. During an interview with Interview Magazine, Micah Stock asked Chris Perfetti to talk about his dating life. “No, we’re not talking about my dating life,” Perfetti replied.
Perfetti is a supporter of the LGBTQ+ community. Jacob Hill, Chris’ character, is gay, which we learned when he introduced his boyfriend, Zach. Chris loved that the writers didn’t make Hill’s sexuality a huge plot point. He told Awardsdaily:
“That’s certainly revolutionary for network television to have an openly gay character whose function is not entirely centered on his sexuality. It’s not Jacob’s defining characteristic. That’s incredible. Writing characters like that is something that, certainly on network TV, continue in that direction.”
A decade ago, Jacob’s sexuality would likely have been the focus of the story. Perfetti views the change in the portrayal of gay characters as progress. Perfetti told the publication that the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bills in various states are a response to the strides the queer community has made. He explained:
“We can talk about queer characters and talk about how it’s not their defining characteristic, and we can talk about how these awful bills are being created in Florida and Ohio and other places.”
“The zeitgeist is changing and that encourages and invites a lot of people, and it scares a lot of people. As devastating as that is, I feel like it’s a harbinger of us getting close.”