The actor pays tribute to Campbell’s iconic 1996 film in the Peacock revival of ‘Queer as Folk.’
In the Peacock revival of Queer as Folk, Fin Argus plays Mingus, an openly confident high school student who finds themself unexpectedly challenged by the realities of the world. “They’re at a place where they’re already self-assured and very confident in their queerness,” the actor tells ET about the character, happy to see that the role is not stuck with a coming out narrative.
“Beyond that, I mean, they’re starting to explore their creative expression through drag,” Argus continues, noting that’s something “I’ve always wanted to do.”
In the premiere, Mingus makes their drag debut at a local gay nightclub, Babylon, where they channel the 1996 teen film The Craft, starring Neve Campbell, Robin Tunney, Fairuza Balk and Rachel True. Taking the stage while wearing a white button-down blouse and a pleated skirt with a messy, jet black wig, they very much look like Balk’s iconic goth queen, Nancy Downs, as they lip sync Grimes’ “Kill V. Maim.”
While Argus only first watched The Craft a couple of years ago, they were excited to realize that Campbell, who plays their onscreen mother in the movie, Clouds, was in the teen cult classic. “And then it just so happens, you know, that I got to do this Nancy drag,” they say.
“I actually sent her a screenshot after the trailer was released. I was like, ‘Hey, btdubs, I did this drag inspired by The Craft,’” Argus recalls reaching out to Campbell, revealing that “she was freaking out. She loved it.”
A huge fan of Campbell’s, Argus shares that they would even join Scream 6 if it meant they could reunite with her onscreen. “Sign me up,” they say. “I would love to do a Scream movie. I love them. It’s such a fun franchise.” (This, of course, being before news broke that the actress would not be returning as Sidney Prescott in the latest sequel.)
When it comes to Queer as Folk, however, Argus gets to work with another acting icon, Juliette Lewis, who plays Mingus’ mother, Judy. “I’ve had a lucky go of it with my acting moms,” Argus says, adding that “she’s so cool, she’s so talented, she is so funny, too.”
“Hanging out with her, you know, we got along super well and it was, like, immediately this mother-daughter relationship unlike anything I’ve ever played before,” they continue. “So, that was refreshing. I learned a lot from her as an actor.”
“And she dated Brad Pitt,” Argus exclaims, referring to Lewis’ brief relationship with the actor in the early ‘90s. “Gimme his number!”
While Argus is still holding out for Pitt’s number, they did explain that when it comes to Queer as Folk, it was also “very fun to play a character where I’m, like, kissing a guy. Like, that was crazy.”
“That rocked my world because I’ve never played a queer character before,” they continue. “But I love seeing this type of representation onscreen. It humanizes queer people and queer sex is a beautiful thing. And it’s hot and it’s fun.” Not only that, but they see the revival as “an invitation, if you will, to learn more about queerness in general.”
“For the people who can relate to these characters, it’ll be their first time seeing characters like that onscreen for a lot of people,” Argus says. “So, not only is it going to be fun for those people to see themselves, but all these other people are allowed to come in and learn.”
Queer as Folk is now streaming on Peacock.
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