Nhut Le, the Vietnamese-American dynamo behind DC’s Judomaster in HBO Max’s Peacemaker, is not only making a strong impact in the second season of James Gunn’s wild superhero satire. He’s also rewriting what it means to be queer, Asian, and unapologetically proud on screen.
Le, who was born in Ho Chi Minh City and moved to the U.S. as a child, proudly confirms (via OUT), “I am gay in real life.” He is advocating for natural, layered queer representation, where being gay isn’t a character’s entire personality or storyline, but just one real and valid part of who they are.
I think because I am gay in real life and I obviously have my mannerisms go through and filter through Judomaster, that he is a certain way, and I think that’s fine. And I always like characters in media where their sexual orientation doesn’t define who their character is. It just is another layer, another page in their book. It is not, ‘This is everything the story is about’, it flavors the character.
So who exactly is Nhut Le?
Le’s performance resonates across queer and Vietnamese communities, and not just because of his fighting skills or comic timing. “It’s surreal to be able to portray one of the characters that’s in the comic books,” he adds, citing Sailor Moon, Dragon Ball, and Pokémon as childhood obsessions that sparked his love for heroes.
Nhut Le Opens Up About Being a Gay Superhero in Peacemaker Season 2
Peacemaker has never been a show for the faint of heart, but amid the chaos, absurdity, and comic-book gore, it’s also one of the most queer-inclusive shows in superhero TV history. With characters like bisexual antihero Chris Smith (John Cena), lesbian agent Leota Adebayo (Danielle Brooks), and now Judomaster, it’s safe to call it the gayest show in the DC Universe.
For Le, portraying a queer superhero wasn’t about pushing a message. It was about authenticity. He confesses in a chat with OUT:
And to be honest, after season 1, after we finished filming season 1, I was super nervous about the reception of my portrayal because he’s such a weird character, and I’m like, I don’t know if I portrayed him correctly or well enough. And if I did, are people going to even understand what this person is doing?
The fandom rallied around him, and in season two, Judomaster was given space to evolve beyond comic relief. Le adds:
Having the fans really take to Judomaster, it felt like a security blanket coming back in season 2, as like, I’ve done this once before, we get a little bit more time with Judomaster too, so let’s try to define his limitations and expand and see what we can get away with and what resonates with fans.
And resonate it did. When Judomaster saves Adebayo from a racist mob in an alternate world, a jaw-dropping scene straight out of a dystopian horror flick, he casually outs himself. No dramatic music. No slow-motion. Just a hero stating facts. “I think that’s fine,” Le says.
It doesn’t need to be special. It’s just part of life, and I love that.
His perspective on queer representation is refreshingly honest.
How Two Iconic Shows Taught Nhut Le That Being Queer Means Being Loved
Before Peacemaker, before the spandex, and long before electric pool fights, Nhut Le had his own journey to acceptance. And two shows played a pivotal role. “Showtime’s Queer As Folk was a gritty realistic look at the community, showing me all the different relationships a queer person can have,” he shares with Queerty. For him, this show, along with NBC’s Will & Grace, taught him what queerness could look like, in both realistic and lighthearted ways.
[NBC’s Will & Grace] showed me a world in which lifelong friends navigate the world through the lens of gay men and their allies. Both series highlight all the different paths a queer person can lead in life, and it was OK for me to be myself and still be accepted and loved.
These shows helped him feel seen, understood, and hopeful about his own identity and future. And that sense of belonging first took root in college. “Someone very nonchalantly asked if I was queer and I responded and it wasn’t like a needle drop, traffic didn’t halt, Hell didn’t open up. It was like oh ok cool, anyway so yeh let’s get some Chinese food on the corner?’” he recalls, adding:
It was such radical acceptance, that it made my whole body feel immediately at ease. I’m still friends with this person to this day [shout out to Danielle M].
And now? That same honesty bleeds into his acting. Judomaster isn’t just a comic book character; he’s a reflection of Le’s layered identity. Between acting gigs, he also runs 3 Circle Pottery, a ceramics business he reportedly launched in 2019. And when asked to shout out queer or allied creators he admires, he praises Daniel Minahan’s On Swift Horses: “Shot beautifully, wonderfully directed.”
So, are we looking at the next queer superhero to lead a DC series? Drop it in the comments below!
Peacemaker’s season two finale drops on October 9 exclusively on HBO Max.
