Better Nate Than Ever star Rueby Wood opened up about the film’s inspirational message in a new interview.
On 1 April, the highly-anticipated musical comedy was released on Disney+.
The film, which is based on the critically acclaimed novel of the same name, follows unpopular 13-year-old Nate Foster (Wood) and his ambitious dreams of conquering Broadway.
After failing to get a role in a school play, Nate and his best friend Libby (Aria Brooks) head to New York City for a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” at superstardom in the musical production of Lilo and Stitch.
In an interview with PEOPLE, Wood revealed that Nate and his story motivated him to be his authentic self.
“Nate really inspired me to just be myself, unapologetically, all the time, no matter what,” he explained. “It’s just an amazing story about finding who you are and finding your light and coming into yourself. I think it’s going to inspire so many kids out there.”
While Nate’s sexuality isn’t openly confirmed as gay in the film, an array of moments imply that he is part of the LGBTQ+ community.
In an interview with Out, the film’s director and writer, Tim Federle, gave insight into why he explored Nate’s queer sexuality without using labels.
“When I was 13, I did not have the word for it yet, I just had the hunch and I felt different but I was also excited about it because I thought that the queer element of my identity made me see the world in a different lens that was not adult,” he said.
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“It was about identity and expression and creativity and emotionality. Nate doesn’t say the word because Nate’s still figuring it out in real-time.
“And I do think it’s a very adult prism to want to put labels on people, and that the fundamental experience of growing up is that you get to try on a lot of different hats until you find one that fits.”
In the original novel, which Federle also wrote, Nate is routinely bullied for being gay and is often met with homophobic slurs from the high school jocks, although he admits he’s “undecided” on his sexual orientation.
Better Nate Than Ever premiered a few weeks after Disney came under fire for its initial response to the horrific ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill. The company originally opted to release a blanket statement of support for the LGBTQ+ community instead of condemning the legislation.
They received further backlash when a February report from the Orlando Sentinel revealed that the company donated money to every single sponsor and co-sponsor of the proposed legislation.
The pushback from LGBTQ+ activists and fans prompted Disney’s CEO Bob Chapek to release a statement where he expressed his “unwavering commitment to the LGBTQ+ community”.
On 28 March, the company released a statement condemning the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill after it was signed into law by conservative Governor Ron DeSantis.
“Our goal as a company is for this law to be repealed by the legislature or struck down in the courts, and we remain committed to supporting the national and state organisations working to achieve that,” Disney said.
You can watch Better Nate Than Ever on Disney+.
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