“This series wasn’t just another show — it was a refreshing exploration of the nuanced and often overlooked realities of being bisexual”
BY GINA BEVAN, IMAGE VIA IMBD
Let’s take a trip back to 2018 when The Bisexual hit our screens. This series wasn’t just another show — it was a refreshing exploration of the nuanced and often overlooked realities of being bisexual. The story centres around Leila (played by Desiree Akhavan), who is in a long-term relationship with her girlfriend and business partner Sadie (Maxine Peake). When their relationship falls apart, Leila begins to explore her attraction to men.
The Bisexual was also created by Desiree Akhavan who similarly identifies as bisexual in real life. The continued prejudice and misconceptions surrounding bisexuality were at the heart of the show, with Leila feeling increasingly alienated from her lesbian friends. This tension is further amplified when her ex-girlfriend, Leila, sees her new bisexual identity as a betrayal, a sentiment rooted in her painful experiences as an older lesbian in the 1980s when she was forced to masquerade as straight. The show celebrates sexual fluidity in a world that likes to put people in boxes and is something that queer artists are still fighting for today (think bi-queen Beth McCarthy!).
So, where are they now?
Desiree Akhavan (Leila)
Desiree is a force. Before The Bisexual was released, she had already directed The Miseducation Of Cameron Post which, like But I’m A Cheerleader, explores gay conversion therapy camps in America but in a less quirky, bubble gum sort of way.
The Iranian-American film director and actor frequently explores queerness in relation to her heritage, with homosexuality still being illegal in Iran. In 2019, Desiree was listed as part of Queery’s Pride50 alongside other queer icons such as Dan Levy and Elliot Page as “people who not only affect real change outside of our community, but also challenge it from within to inspire growth and evolution from all angles.”
Her memoir You’re Embarrassing Yourself was released today (15 August).
Maxine Peake (Sadie)
The Bisexual was not the first time Maxine Peake portrayed a lesbian onscreen. Before Suranne Jones’ version of Anne Lister in the BBC’s Gentleman Jack, Maxine played the lesbian heroine in the 2010 film The Secret Diaries Of Miss Anne Lister. Since The Bisexual Maxine has continued to star in a diverse range of projects that showcase her incredible acting, from voicing the character of Kalina in the animated Star Wars: Visions to a role in her good friend and fellow northerner Diane Morgan’s (Philomena Cunk!) Mandy.
Maxine is open about her political views and has been a longtime supporter of Jeremy Corbyn.
Brian Gleeson (Gabe)
Irish actor Brian Gleeson, who played the role of Leila’s somewhat annoying housemate, has recently starred alongside fellow Irishman Barry Keoghan in Top Boy. Like Maxine, he has a Star Wars connection and featured in the third season of The Mandalorian.
Saskia Chan (Deniz)
Saskia Chan played the no nonsense friend Deniz in The Bisexual. Since then, she has acted in the British comedy Newark, Newark, a story about a woman who manages a chip shop while grappling with a divorce and her son coming out. DIVA caught up with Saskia upon the show’s release, and you can read the interview here.
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