Robert Gant

Robert Gant is an openly gay American actor and Georgetown Law graduate known for playing Ben Bruckner -- the HIV-positive college professor who becomes the long-term partner of Hal Sparks's Michael Novotny -- on Queer as Folk (2002). Before that role, he had recurring parts as Principal Calvin Krupps on Ryan Murphy's Popular (1999) and as Trevor on Caroline in the City (1995), and appeared in Melrose Place (1992) and My So-Called Life (1994). He came out publicly in 1999 before joining Queer as Folk, making him one of the few openly gay actors cast in a major queer role on American cable television at that time. He later played Zor-El on Supergirl (2015), Todd Crimsen on 13 Reasons Why (2016), and Jim Hunter across The Fosters (2013) and Good Trouble (2019), and has been involved in HIV/AIDS advocacy and LGBTQ+ outreach throughout his career.