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<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\tRelated: <\/span>LGBTQ TV Characters Who Became Icons<\/a>
\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n\t\t\tLGBTQ characters can be spotted on the small screen more often than ever before, but there was a time when representation was not only scarce but frowned upon. Ellen became one of the most groundbreaking shows in LGBTQ history when the title character \u2014 played by Ellen DeGeneres \u2014 came out as a lesbian in [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\u201cTransitioning into acting, it\u2019s bringing a lot of myself to these characters and a lot of grounded realness,\u201d he noted. \u201cBecause I have a lot of lived experience of being myself and not being a character. So I don\u2019t go into an audition thinking anything other than, \u2018What can I bring that\u2019s real to the role?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
Fans have seen McKenna\u2019s approach pay off in projects including Hulu\u2019s All Night<\/em>, Prime Video\u2019s Nocturne<\/em> and now Goosebumps<\/em>. McKenna gushed about how much freedom he had as an actor to explore a character he helped build<\/a> upon.<\/p>\n\u201cNot every set can be like this. Not every script can be like this. But Goosebumps<\/em> was a thing that was a very collaborative and very improvisational production,\u201d he said. \u201cFrom the jump, the five of us [Zack Morris<\/strong>, Isa Briones, Ana Yi Puig, Will Price<\/strong> and me] from our first tape to doing the camera reads with other actors, we were all throwing ourselves into it. And that\u2019s what the executives really loved and wanted to see on screen.\u201d<\/p>\n\n![\"Miles](\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Miles-McKenna-Is-in-His-Booked-and-Busy-Era-2.jpg?w=1000&quality=86&strip=all\")
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\n Miles Mckenna in \u201cGive Yourself Goosebumps\u201d<\/span> Disney\/David Astorga<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nMcKenna has enjoyed being given the space to make the character of James his own, adding, \u201cYou do what\u2019s on the page and then they\u2019re like, \u2018OK, just have fun with it.\u2019 And it was so crazy to see how much of our fun runs actually ended up in the show. So I really got to bring my own personality and my own sense of humor to the role.\u201d<\/p>\n
Goosebumps<\/em> \u2014 which is based on R.L. Stine<\/strong>\u2018s popular horror<\/a> novels \u2014 follows five teenagers who must work together after accidentally releasing supernatural forces into their small town. While trying to recapture the evil spirits, the group unlocks secrets of their parents\u2019 pasts.<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\n![\"Breaking](\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Breaking-Down-Every-Goosebumps-Books-Easter-Eggs-Included-in-the-Disney-TV-Adaptation.jpeg?crop=0px%2C487px%2C1333px%2C752px&resize=400%2C225&quality=86&strip=all\")
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\n\n\t\t\tRelated: <\/span>Every ‘Goosebumps’ Books Easter Egg Featured in Disney+’s TV Adaptation<\/a>
\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n\t\t\tGoosebumps proves that creating a successful TV adaptation is all about incorporating the source material while still putting an original spin on the story. The spooky series, which is streaming on Disney+ and Hulu, is the newest take on R. L. Stine\u2018s iconic book franchise. Goosebumps follows five teenagers who must work together after accidentally [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
James, for his part, spent most of the first season finding his community after initially masking how distant he felt from everyone<\/a> in the small town of Port Lawrence.<\/p>\n\u201cI love that we\u2019re playing with a role where this kid is not afraid to be himself, but he\u2019s afraid to be himself. He\u2019s dealing with an identity crisis in a way that everyone does \u2014 regardless of their sexual orientation. He\u2019s really struggling with being confident,\u201d McKenna noted. \u201cThat was something that in the auditioning process struck me as something I really wanted to be a part of. Because it\u2019s something that anyone can relate to and [can] empathize with.\u201d<\/p>\n
McKenna praised the \u201cpowerful\u201d arc for offering representation to viewers who may see themselves<\/a> in James.<\/p>\n\u201cShows try to push diversity in a really subversive way. And I love the way that Goosebumps<\/em> did it where it\u2019s not like, \u2018Here\u2019s this person, here\u2019s their label.\u2019 It was like, \u2018Here\u2019s this person, that\u2019s them,’\u201d the content creator explained. \u201cIt was really important to have \u2014 for me \u2014 an opportunity as a trans actor to play a queer character and that just be it. There would be nothing else on top of it. I just think that was what I didn\u2019t get to see growing up.\u201d<\/p>\nSeason 1 wrapped up last month but there\u2019s still plenty of stories still waiting<\/a> to be told. Some examples include James\u2019 brief connection with Sam [Aiden Howard<\/strong>] and how that plays a larger role in his love life.<\/p>\n\u201cI would love to see a real romance for [James]. I feel like what we saw in season 1 was nothing that was really tangible. He obviously gets the guy in the end, but he gets the guy by not being himself,\u201d McKenna told Us<\/em>. \u201cWe haven\u2019t really seen him crush in a way that isn\u2019t just superficial. That would be something really nice to explore, especially after everything that he went through in the first season.\u201d<\/p>\nIn addition, viewers will see James\u2019 evolving relationship with his mother. \u201c[James] just got so many more new friends and [he has a] little trauma bond with everyone in a real way, especially with his mom,\u201d McKenna explained. \u201cThat\u2019s the only family that we know of that\u2019s in the picture. So I think that he\u2019s used to just being that guy and trying to be friends with everyone. But to find someone that really knows him, I think would be super special to see on screen.\u201d<\/p>\n
Regardless of where James\u2019 journey could go, McKenna called the role a \u201cdream\u201d come true<\/a>, saying, \u201cI got to play a queer character as a trans actor, but it wasn\u2019t based on something that was traumatic and it wasn\u2019t bringing in so many different themes. We were really honing in on one, which was self-confidence. And he really had so much depth and was someone that people I think can just really relate to.\u201d<\/p>\nOutside of the Goosebumps universe, McKenna is not slowing down on his search for more projects of a lifetime.<\/p>\n
\u201cEverything that I\u2019ve been a part of has really been something so important to me. It\u2019s always been that [thought] in the back of my head, \u2018I hope that I got this role, but if I don\u2019t then I\u2019m going to be a fan of it,\u201d he continued. \u201cSo toeing the line between comedy and tragedy is really a big deal for me. Goosebumps in general was just such a surreal moment for me. It was something where I got to be comedic and really bring myself to the role. But I also got to ground it in something that was a lot of longing, a lot of pain and a lot of uncertainty.<\/p>\n
McKenna hopes to continue to help bring quality LGBTQIA+ stories to life , adding, \u201cI\u2019ve been watching Fellow Travelers<\/em><\/a> on Paramount+ with Jonathan Bailey<\/strong> and Matt Bomer<\/strong>. \u2026 It definitely has so many themes of something that I really want to be a part of. Not just showing romance in a queer setting and love and lust and lost \u2014 but also having such a real backdrop with the Lavender Scare setting. Having such an educational way to share queer media as well that\u2019s not just about the formation of someone\u2019s identity. It\u2019s also just where we are in the world and what the state of pride was at different periods of time. It is so important and I would love to be a part of.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNot every set can be like this. Not every script can be like this. But Goosebumps<\/em> was a thing that was a very collaborative and very improvisational production,\u201d he said. \u201cFrom the jump, the five of us [Zack Morris<\/strong>, Isa Briones, Ana Yi Puig, Will Price<\/strong> and me] from our first tape to doing the camera reads with other actors, we were all throwing ourselves into it. And that\u2019s what the executives really loved and wanted to see on screen.\u201d<\/p>\n McKenna has enjoyed being given the space to make the character of James his own, adding, \u201cYou do what\u2019s on the page and then they\u2019re like, \u2018OK, just have fun with it.\u2019 And it was so crazy to see how much of our fun runs actually ended up in the show. So I really got to bring my own personality and my own sense of humor to the role.\u201d<\/p>\n Goosebumps<\/em> \u2014 which is based on R.L. Stine<\/strong>\u2018s popular horror<\/a> novels \u2014 follows five teenagers who must work together after accidentally releasing supernatural forces into their small town. While trying to recapture the evil spirits, the group unlocks secrets of their parents\u2019 pasts.<\/p>\n \t\t<\/a><\/p>\n \n\t\t\tGoosebumps proves that creating a successful TV adaptation is all about incorporating the source material while still putting an original spin on the story. The spooky series, which is streaming on Disney+ and Hulu, is the newest take on R. L. Stine\u2018s iconic book franchise. Goosebumps follows five teenagers who must work together after accidentally [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n James, for his part, spent most of the first season finding his community after initially masking how distant he felt from everyone<\/a> in the small town of Port Lawrence.<\/p>\n \u201cI love that we\u2019re playing with a role where this kid is not afraid to be himself, but he\u2019s afraid to be himself. He\u2019s dealing with an identity crisis in a way that everyone does \u2014 regardless of their sexual orientation. He\u2019s really struggling with being confident,\u201d McKenna noted. \u201cThat was something that in the auditioning process struck me as something I really wanted to be a part of. Because it\u2019s something that anyone can relate to and [can] empathize with.\u201d<\/p>\n McKenna praised the \u201cpowerful\u201d arc for offering representation to viewers who may see themselves<\/a> in James.<\/p>\n \u201cShows try to push diversity in a really subversive way. And I love the way that Goosebumps<\/em> did it where it\u2019s not like, \u2018Here\u2019s this person, here\u2019s their label.\u2019 It was like, \u2018Here\u2019s this person, that\u2019s them,’\u201d the content creator explained. \u201cIt was really important to have \u2014 for me \u2014 an opportunity as a trans actor to play a queer character and that just be it. There would be nothing else on top of it. I just think that was what I didn\u2019t get to see growing up.\u201d<\/p>\n Season 1 wrapped up last month but there\u2019s still plenty of stories still waiting<\/a> to be told. Some examples include James\u2019 brief connection with Sam [Aiden Howard<\/strong>] and how that plays a larger role in his love life.<\/p>\n \u201cI would love to see a real romance for [James]. I feel like what we saw in season 1 was nothing that was really tangible. He obviously gets the guy in the end, but he gets the guy by not being himself,\u201d McKenna told Us<\/em>. \u201cWe haven\u2019t really seen him crush in a way that isn\u2019t just superficial. That would be something really nice to explore, especially after everything that he went through in the first season.\u201d<\/p>\n In addition, viewers will see James\u2019 evolving relationship with his mother. \u201c[James] just got so many more new friends and [he has a] little trauma bond with everyone in a real way, especially with his mom,\u201d McKenna explained. \u201cThat\u2019s the only family that we know of that\u2019s in the picture. So I think that he\u2019s used to just being that guy and trying to be friends with everyone. But to find someone that really knows him, I think would be super special to see on screen.\u201d<\/p>\n Regardless of where James\u2019 journey could go, McKenna called the role a \u201cdream\u201d come true<\/a>, saying, \u201cI got to play a queer character as a trans actor, but it wasn\u2019t based on something that was traumatic and it wasn\u2019t bringing in so many different themes. We were really honing in on one, which was self-confidence. And he really had so much depth and was someone that people I think can just really relate to.\u201d<\/p>\n Outside of the Goosebumps universe, McKenna is not slowing down on his search for more projects of a lifetime.<\/p>\n \u201cEverything that I\u2019ve been a part of has really been something so important to me. It\u2019s always been that [thought] in the back of my head, \u2018I hope that I got this role, but if I don\u2019t then I\u2019m going to be a fan of it,\u201d he continued. \u201cSo toeing the line between comedy and tragedy is really a big deal for me. Goosebumps in general was just such a surreal moment for me. It was something where I got to be comedic and really bring myself to the role. But I also got to ground it in something that was a lot of longing, a lot of pain and a lot of uncertainty.<\/p>\n McKenna hopes to continue to help bring quality LGBTQIA+ stories to life , adding, \u201cI\u2019ve been watching Fellow Travelers<\/em><\/a> on Paramount+ with Jonathan Bailey<\/strong> and Matt Bomer<\/strong>. \u2026 It definitely has so many themes of something that I really want to be a part of. Not just showing romance in a queer setting and love and lust and lost \u2014 but also having such a real backdrop with the Lavender Scare setting. Having such an educational way to share queer media as well that\u2019s not just about the formation of someone\u2019s identity. It\u2019s also just where we are in the world and what the state of pride was at different periods of time. It is so important and I would love to be a part of.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>
\n Miles Mckenna in \u201cGive Yourself Goosebumps\u201d<\/span> Disney\/David Astorga<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\tRelated: <\/span>Every ‘Goosebumps’ Books Easter Egg Featured in Disney+’s TV Adaptation<\/a>
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