Image Credit: Troy Hallahan for So.Gay

Comedian Athan Chekas ditched the standard Hollywood pipeline and created his own legion of millions of viewers

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So.Gay spoke to actor and comedian Athan Chekas about how TikTok empowered him create the roles no one would give him and redefined his acting career with no SAG-Aftra membership necessary. 

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Image Credit: Troy Hallahan for So.Gay

A decade ago, Athan Chekas moved to New York to pursue a serious acting career. Unfortunately, that also meant staying in the closet to avoid being typecast at best, or discriminated against at worst.

He made his way around Manhattan, participating in acting cohorts and short films while attending any and every audition that would take him.

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Image Credit: Troy Hallahan for So.Gay

Chekas did everything to fit the mold of the stereotypical struggling actor, subsisting on the hope that it would all pay off in the end. Two years passed without a glimmer of success. 

Sure, some actors might work for a decade before landing their first big role, but Chekas grew tired of extinguishing his personality and projecting who he was supposed to be just to attain a chance at stardom. 

But that was the old-fashioned Hollywood way. 

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Image Credit: Troy Hallahan for So.Gay

He decided to bring his talent into the 21st century, live his best gay life, and utilize the tools at his disposal—namely, TikTok. On a call with So.Gay, Chekas reflects that while taking the internet path hasn’t earned him an Oscar yet, he’s now acting for an audience of over 700,000 followers without holding any parts of himself back. 

From impersonating “the twink managing Kamala’s official HQ page” to “me as a guncle,” Chekas’ hilarity touches every corner of the zeitgeist and the rainbow. 

“Social media has definitely helped content creators I look up to, like Benny Drama and Megan Stalter, land movies and shows,” he says. “I’ve been creating a little comedy series with a couple of comedians called My Gay Roommates.”

The theme chorus starts: “Just three pals, livin’ in the city, two like dick and the other likes titties..” 

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Image Credit: Troy Hallahan for So.Gay

We’re already hooked. Social media didn’t just inspire Chekas to take his acting career into his own hands; it also connected him with like-minded individuals who shared his talent but lacked opportunities.

“I wouldn’t have met those actors for my series without TikTok,” he says. “It’s about two dysfunctional gays living with a straight roommate. We’re kind of making fun of and exaggerating both gay and straight cultures, blending the two worlds.”

Becoming a content creator forced Chekas to hone every aspect of entertainment, including writing, filming, and production. 

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Image Credit: Troy Hallahan for So.Gay

“It feels very empowering and like I’m in control of what I’m doing,” he says. “I have a creative say over what I want to put out, and that’s just so good and fulfilling.”

Chekas has become Gen Z’s Renaissance man. He’s also added stand-up comedy to his portfolio, bringing his pursuit of a “serious acting” career full circle.

“It’s terrifying,” he says. “You might not get any laughs, but you must find it funny yourself. You need to believe in what you’re saying and then figure out what works and doesn’t.”

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Image Credit: Troy Hallahan for So.Gay

He admits that he’s had to come out to his parents several times: first as a struggling actor, then as gay, then as a content creator, and finally as a comedian. The job titles have been considered a parent’s worst nightmare for their children—unless they make it.

As the millions of views roll in, he says they finally understand—or at least have faith in the career he’s building.

Although it’s easy to criticize content creators in an age when 90% of them regurgitate ideas and trends rather than foster originality, Chekas embodies what it once meant to pour your heart and soul into a skit and then release it for the world to judge.

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Image Credit: Troy Hallahan for So.Gay

Such as seen by the “demure” trend currently setting the internet ablaze, it stemmed from one queer creator willing to put herself out there and hopefully make people laugh. Naturally, the rest of us have to hammer it to the ground until it’s no longer funny, including A-list celebrities. 

Likewise, Chekas might draw inspiration from the world around him, but a scroll through his videos reveals an actor who never stopped acting and a creativity that is uniquely his own.

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Image Credit: Troy Hallahan for So.Gay

“I don’t have to wait for someone to hand me an audition,” he says. “I know myself, the type of work I want to create, and the roles I want to play. And I get to create all that for myself.” 

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