Lukas Gage is coming into his own. In a new interview, the “White Lotus” alum reflects on embracing his sexuality as a gay man after years of hiding it.
In a previous exclusive interview with The Blast, the actor discussed writing his memoir, “I Wrote This For Attention,” in which he shares deeply personal stories about his struggles with people-pleasing, mental health, family trauma, and addiction.
Speaking with E! News, Gage, 31, said that he’s now finally able to embrace his identity as a gay man following years of hiding his sexuality. While he was open with the people closest to him, Gage said he used to be “fearful” of telling those who didn’t know him well.
“It was the people that didn’t know me that I was the most fearful about,” he said before revealing that something finally shifted in him, giving him the courage to live life on his terms.
“I don’t know what happened, maybe it’s growing older or maybe it’s just life experience,” he said, adding, “If people don’t want to work with me because of how I identify or who I have sex with, they’re probably people I don’t want to work with anyway.”
Growing Up Had An Impact On How Lukas Gage Viewed Himself
Gage, who appeared in the 2025 series “Overcompensating,” said that growing up gave him the confidence to truly embrace who he was.
“When you’re younger, it feels more intense than it actually is, or more important,” he said, adding, “but ultimately, the right people are going to find you.”
Gage explained that after making peace with himself, he realized he could “take a deep breath” and live a little. “At first, having a secret can be fun and it can feel like you’re mysterious. Then it starts to eat away at you and you just can’t keep up with it anymore,” he said.
How Being ‘Upfront’ About His Identity Helped Lukas Gage ‘Be More Free’
Gage, whose 2026 credits include “People We Meet on Vacation,” “Rosebush Pruning,” “Love Language,” and “Voicemails for Isabelle,” said coming out of the closet allowed him to “be free.”
“Just being upfront was the thing that allowed me to be more free,” he said before revealing that it also impacted how he showed up to work.
“… [Coming out] allowed my work to be better and allowed me actually to work with the right people. It aligned me in the right way,” he said.
What Gage Hoped To Get Across In His Memoir, ‘I Wrote This For Attention’
In a past interview with The Blast, Gage opened up about his memoir, “I Wrote This For Attention,” and spoke about why he believed it was important to share his personal story.
“The message that I share throughout the book is that the little boy who was desperate for attention and love and validation became a man who was also a little bit desperate for love and validation and attention,” he said. “I try to share how that manifested. And I try to put a different spin on our innate human need for attention, our desire to be seen, and show how you can do that in a positive way instead of only being seen for negative attention.”
The 320-page memoir touches on Gage’s “broken family, struggles with addiction, sex, borderline personality disorder,” and much more.
Gage Gets Real About The Importance Of PrEP And Sexual Health
Elsewhere in his conversation with The Blast, the “American Vandal” actor opened up about the importance of sexual health and why PrEP—a once-daily medication that reduces the risk of acquiring HIV through sex by about 99% when taken as prescribed—is so important for those at risk.
“I think that the way that we become knowledgeable is to have an open conversation about these things and to not live in fear and uncertainty,” he said. “The way that we just bring awareness is that we step away from the taboo and from the stigma that we have wrapped around these topics.”
Regarding PrEP, Gage said being “safe” is a vital part of his “self-care” routine, calling it “just as important as working out and eating well.”
“[Getting on PrEP] might feel like a scary step, but you just have to take the leap. And if you are uncomfortable talking to your primary care doctor, you might consider telehealth options where you can talk to someone from the comfort of your home. Regardless, there is nothing to be ashamed of. The more we talk about sex and how to have safe sex the less taboo it becomes,” Gage said.
