Maybe you first saw him play the gay character Corey in the Teen Wolf TV series or in the 2021 film Endangered Species,, but now Michael Johnston is heating up the silver screen as the beleaguered shy guy Bear in Obsession.
In the hit movie, Johnston wishes for love and gets a whole lot more than he bargained for... and many queer fans are now discovering that the handsome actor is family.
Johnston came out on social media in 2023 when he was dating his then-boyfriend, filmmaker and writer Anthony Sellitti. His ex-boyfriend is staff writer on Marvel's Emmy-nominated cartoon, X-Men '97, and it was just announced that Johnston will join the voice cast as Nathan Summers.
Last month, Johnston discussed his sexuality for the first time ā and his breakout role in Teen Wolf ā in an interview with Anthem Magazine. The 30-year-old Rutherfordton, N.C. native said playing a gay teenager when he was 19 was a "total coincidence."
"If Iām being honest, that was really scary, especially coming from North Carolina ā the Bible Belt," he said. "Before Teen Wolf, there was also another movie I did called Slash. My character in that one is questioning. Heās trying to figure out who he is and what he likes."
Johnston even revealed that he received a ton of fan mail from LGBTQ+ viewers who saw themselves in his characters.
"I did get thousands of messages and letters from fans thanking me, saying how much my character in Teen Wolf helped them. I had no idea what that representation would mean to so many people."
Two years ago, Johnston did a video with Fr Conventions in which he said his Teen Wolf role āgave me the confidence to come out, or it just made me feel really good about myself. I really didnāt ever think that it could have that kind of impact.ā
"I am very proud of who I am. But at the same time, I wasnāt sitting there thinking about how meaningful that representation would be. I approach every role with the same honesty and try to find the humanity in it. Love is universal ā thatās how I approach every role. A characterās sexuality isnāt the first thing Iām looking at. Itās more important that I connect with the story. Playing these characters has absolutely helped me to better understand who I am."
Gay Times calls him one of the breakout stars of 2026 and predicts his leading role win the horror flick has put it on track to become one of the most profitable films of all time. The film's budget reportedly was $750K.
Written and directed by Curry Barker, the supernatural horror film centers on Baron āBearā Bailey, played by Johnston. He works at a music store and has an unrequited love for his childhood friend and coworker, Nikki Freeman, played to the hilt by Inde Navarrette.
In the film, Bear breaks a mysterious toy that grants the user one wish, and Bear asks for Nikki to fall in love with him. His wish is granted, but with horrifying consequences that leave him fighting for his life.
The R-rated film has received a 94% score on Rotten Tomatoes, and this being a horror movie, there is a lot of blood, which Johnston said, caused him to form his "obsession." Check out the trailer below!
