Continuing right where season one ended off two years ago, the second season of the beloved fantasy series (based on the best-selling Grishaverse books by author Leigh Bardugo) is jam-packed with heart, actions, comedy, and magic. But one of the things that fans love most about Shadow & Bone is the visibility it provides to so many people who haven't typically seen themselves in the fantasy genre before. Filled to the brim with complex women, characters of color, and queer characters, Shadow & Bone has been walking the walk when it comes to representation, and many are taking notice.
Out got the chance to catch up with several of the cast members of the series on the red carpet at the recent season two premiere in Los Angeles to talk about the show's continued efforts to make the fantasy genre a more diverse, inclusive space in television!
"Something that I've realized now, since season one came out, was how many people felt represented by the show," Jessie Mei Li, who plays lead half-Shu heroine Alina in Shadow & Bone, told Out. "It's not like in your face. A lot of these things are just, you know, there just happens to be diverse people in this world. It just happens to be that lots of the relationships are same-sex or queer and it's not a big deal. It's just how it is and how it should be. We don't have to always make a big deal out of everything, and that's the kind of representation I think is really important. It's just people doing people stuff. That's why I'm really proud of the show for that, especially."
Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images for Jazz At Lincoln Center
On Friday, Netflix quietly dropped Dave Chappelle's newest comedy special, Dave Chappelle: The Unstoppable… and in it, he talked about his controversial performance at the Riyadh Comedy Festival in Saudi Arabia. Keep Reading →
Pedro Pascal at a promotional event for Eddington during the 78th annual Cannes Film Festival in May 2025; Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams on Heated Rivalry.
In case you didn't know, Pedro Pascal has been stanning Heated Rivalry just like the rest of us, and fandoms for both the actor and the Crave/HBO Max series are now clocking his sweet and hilarious reactions to social media posts about the gay hockey show that's taken over the world. Keep Reading →
The gay author uploaded a video to YouTube where he went into more detail about his relationship with the Giant actor, who died of complications from AIDS in 1985.
Editor's note: This article contains spoilers for Heated Rivalry season 1 episode 5, "I'll Believe in Anything," now streaming on HBO Max. Keep Reading →
Bowen Yang is reportedly leaving Saturday Night Live after being on the NBC sketch comedy show for seven seasons and returning for an eighth season. Keep Reading →
Connor Storrie as Ilya Rozanov and Hudson Williams as Shane Hollander on Heated Rivalry season 1 episode 5.
HBO Max/Crave Canada
The icy and extra spicy Crave/HBO Max series Heated Rivalry has had fans losing their minds over weekly new episodes from this epic rivals-to-lovers hockey romance saga that quickly became the gay internet's greatest obsession. Keep Reading →
Ben Whishaw, best known for starring in films like Skyfall, The Lobster, and 2023's Passages, chimed in on the discourse surrounding actors coming out of the closet — more specifically, discussing why it's so tricky for out queer actors to succeed in show business. Keep Reading →
François Arnaud as Scott Hunter; Robbie GK as Kip Grady on Heated Rivalry.
HBO Max/Crave Canada
Editor's note: This article contains spoilers for Heated Rivalry season 1 episode 5, titled "I'll Believe in Anything," now streaming on HBO Max. Keep Reading →
Vivian Wilson (left), Kathy Griffin, and Frankie Grande (right) are some of the celebrities at the 2025 Out100 Celebration.
River Callaway/Variety | Frazer Harrison/Getty Images Entertainment | Frazer Harrison/Getty Images Entertainment
The best and brightest of the LGBTQ+ community came together to celebrate the 2025 Out100. Those who would like to see this year’s festivities can tune in to the 31st annual Out100 Special on Hulu and ABC-owned television stations on December 29! Check your local listing for air times here. Keep Reading →
On a miserably rainy day in New York City, the W Hotel in Union Square was the perfect reprieve from the dreariness and gray skies. In here, one of the ballrooms was transformed into a winter wonderland — just in time for the Christmas season. Once you step off the elevators onto the second floor, your eyes are treated to a visual feast: immaculately dressed Christmas trees with presents stuffed beneath them, and gigantic candy-red ornaments at least five feet tall around the room. When I walked in, Antoni Porowski — one of the stars of Netflix's Queer Eye and author of the New York Times-bestselling cookbooks Antoni in the Kitchen and Let's Do Dinner — was seated on one of the luxurious couches, next to one of the many festive decorations. Keep Reading →
Netflix's Boots was officially canceled this week, crushing every hope and dream that the cast, crew, and fans of the series had been holding onto. In fact, producer Brent Miller revealed that the overall Boots season 2 storyline had already been outlined and planned for. Keep Reading →
Matt Baumgartner is a lot of things. He's a self-described "serial entrepreneur," an animal lover, a farm owner, an experienced event planner, and now also the star of Prime Video's June Farms. Keep Reading →
Jordan Firstman as Charlie Cohen on I Love LA; Hudson Williams as Shane Hollander on Heated Rivalry.
HBO Max; Crave Canada/HBO Max
Good news: It's dead. The media feud between I Love LA star Jordan Firstman and the Heated Rivalry actors Hudson Williams (Shane Hollander) and Connor Storrie (Ilya Rozanov) — which even featured actor François Arnaud (Scott Hunter) entering the chat — has seemingly come to an end. Keep Reading →
