Autism and Honesty as Being Authentic on Gay Sex on TV, 'Josh Thomas' Beyond Distraught







Josh Thomas is beyond distraught.
“Ah, fuck, I lost a suitcase! Ah, fuck! I lost my suitcase at security. Ah, shit! I’m an idiot. I have to go.”

And with that Thomas, the inventive creator, and star of Please Like Me and Everything’s Gonna Be Okay is off the line. After a bit of schedule wrangling, the interview resumes a few days later, but not without its own set of issues, this time faulty cell service in the Hollywood hills that currently serve as the boyish 32-year-old Australian’s home in America. After twenty minutes, a connection is finally made.
“I’m yours,” he laughs.
Those unfamiliar with Thomas would do well to invest serious binging time into his shows, starting with Please Like Me, which opens with Thomas informing his girlfriend that they have to break up because he thinks he’s gay. The funny, deeply felt comedy, which ran for four seasons from 2013 to 2016, and is now available on Hulu, is a stunning mix of humor and drama, as it follows a group of mopish, self-involved twentysomethings as they adjust to the daily rigors of adult life. The romances on the show — both gay and straight — are messy and real. More to the point, Thomas’ character — also named Josh — must cope with a mother who is manic-depressive and prone to bouts of suicide. It’s startling material for a comedy, and comes mostly from Thomas’ own life. Only the cataclysmic fourth season is not rooted in reality.
“The last season is not autobiographical at all,” he says, his strong Australian accent bright and buoyant. “It’s a bit weird when you start making up big life events for a character that’s based on you.” After the series ended, Thomas had second thoughts and decided to do a fifth season, but the host network, Pivot, shuttered. 

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