'Euphoria' Actor Eric Dane Hopes He's not 'Misrepresenting' LGBTQ+ Community; Twitter Responds

Straight "Euphoria" actor Eric Dane, who plays a gay character on the show, says he thinks his work has "lent [the LGBTQ+ community] a voice," but Twitter's response suggests the community doesn't want him as a spokesperson.

"I'm acutely aware that I'm a straight actor playing a gay character," Dane – who, before his current role, played "McDreamy" on "Grey's Anatomy" – told The Hollywood Reporter in a recent interview.

"The gay community has been super supportive," the actor went on to say. "I think I've lent them a voice in portraying this character, and I hope that everything I do is sincere because I wouldn't want to misrepresent something that's so important."

But perhaps being a straight actor in a gay role isn't the only reason Dane's comments drew ire. It could also be because his character is a sexual predator – i.e., not the kind of "voice" the LGBTQ+ (or any) community wants speaking on its behalf, especially since the character represents a dubious stereotype historically used by anti-gay people to fearmonger society.

The character Dane plays is Cal, the father of high school student Nate (Jacob Elordi). Cal has been depicted on the show as a closeted man living a double life that includes a sexual relationship with a minor, Jules (played by Hunter Schafer).

Among other things, Cal secretly records himself and Jules having sex.

Twitter took note of these story beats, expressing little willingness for Dane's character to represent the LGBTQ+ community.

Some Twitter users did, however, come to the character's defense.

"It was helpful to see the chemistry that young Cal and Derek had," Dane told The Hollywood Reporter, referring to the episode that revealed Cal's fleeting same-sex exploration as a young man. "It was really a heartbreaking moment for them."

Also "heartbreaking," Dane said, is the moment in the episode that delves into Cal's backstory that shows him returning to the bar where he and Derek kissed. "He's a man without a nation," Dane said. "He's no longer accepted by the straight community and not accepted by the gay community."

"Cal is living this double life, holding up this facade of having everything on the outside, controlled and pristine, while everything on the inside is a battle of epic proportions," Dane told THR. "I've had struggles in my past that invited me to lead that life of secrecy. I accepted the invitation wholeheartedly. ... While the circumstances specifically might not be the same, the feelings certainly are."