Van Hansis Talks About Not Being Out While Playing Luke Snyder on 'As the World Turns'

Three-time As the World Turns Emmy nominee Van Hansis is interviewed by his EastSiders co-star Kit Williamson in the cover story of The Fight magazine. Williamson asks Hansis about why he wasn't out publicly until now.

"I guess it was a combination of a lot of things," Hansis says of his As the World Turns days. "It was my first job, it was a different time back then in regards to LGBT stories being told—I mean, the Luke [Snyder] story was groundbreaking at the time. Now, I think every remaining soap has a gay storyline. I was completely green, fresh out of college, and honestly, I was scared."

Hansis, who won an Indie Series Award this year as part of the EastSiders ensemble, also shares his excitement about season two of the hit web series.

"Season two really opens those lives up—where they live, who they love, who they maybe hope to become some day. It keeps though, the heart and intimacy that was so beautiful constructed in the first season."

Hansis is about to direct his own web seires, Ms. Guidance, a "dark comedy about a woman who went to a [performing arts boarding] school like ours and upon graduation has everything going for her, but also unfortunately has an inhuman amount of entitlement. Ten headshots later, her resume is still the same and she has a nervous breakdown and is forced to return to her old school to act as an interim guidance councilor."

EastSiders is currently raising funds on Kickstarter to shoot a second season this Summer, with new cast members including New Girl’s Satya Bhabha and Drag Race alum Willam Belli. Click here to donate.