In the CBS dramedy So Help Me Todd, actor Matthew Wilkas plays Lawrence, the brother to Skylar Astin‘s Todd. Along with his husband Chet (Thomas Carot), the matriarch of their family, Margret (Marcia Gay Harden), and their sister Allison (Madeline Wise), the Wright family is a the perfect storm of loving family dysfunction.
So Help Me Todd follows Margaret, an incredible attorney and the misguided but talented Todd as they take on cases while trying to navigate familial drama. In this week’s episode titled “Is The Jury Out?”, Todd asks for Lawrence’s help to find out the sexual orientation of a judge. While doing so, Lawrence has an existential moment where he unpacks being labeled as gay (watch the exclusive clip here!).
Directed by Todd Holland, “Is The Jury Out?” comes from executive producer Scott Prendergast‘s personal experience, who co-rote the episode with Katherine Langenfeld . GLAAD had the opportunity to talk to Wilkas about what it means to him playing a character like Lawrence.
This week’s episode of So Help Me Todd is special for the character of Lawrence. What was your reaction when you first read Scott Prendergast’s script for the episode “Is The Jury Out”?
I was really excited for a lot of reasons. The episode is very Lawrence-heavy and we get to see him caught up in some very fun/awkward situations… I won’t reveal specifics but Lawrence is kind of a control freak and we get to see him lose control a bit in this episode which is obviously fun. AND we also learn some unexpected things about him and his world view.
How did you connect with where Lawrence is at in his queer journey in this episode?
In this episode Lawrence struggles with identifying as “gay” even though he’s married to a man and by most people’s definitions IS gay. In one scene he says “How am I ‘gay’? What does it matter if I have that label? I’m a working, busy, tired father.” I think this argument is actually extremely valid. Labels are of course helpful. They build community and support networks and encourage self expression. But then sometimes labels can feel really exclusive… like you have to BE a certain way, or ACT a certain way, or DRESS a certain way etc to earn a label. Sexuality is so nuanced and varied and NOT black and white and there should be room for everyone in the queer community.
How do you think shows like So Help Me Todd speak to where the LGBTQ community is when it comes to representation, specifically on broadcast TV?
I am an out gay actor and I’ve played a LOT of queer characters on tv and film, and I’ve never gotten to play anyone quite like Lawrence. Nor have I honestly SEEN a queer character like Lawrence on broadcast tv. He’s weird. He’s a robot. He’s disconnected from his emotions. He’s only nice to his husband and kid. He’s an ex marine who works in government and doesn’t drink or do drugs or party or… laugh? His character isn’t defined by any of the usual gay stereotype tropes I’ve had to play. His sexual identity isn’t the punchline. It hasn’t even been the center of the story until this episode. He kinda just proudly… is. And I think that’s cool. I think So Help Me Todd is cool for allowing him to exist.
So Help Me Todd has its foot in the intersection of comedy and drama with procedural “case of the week” nuances. How is it like to navigate the familial drama that isn’t necessarily identity-driven?
This is actually the first time identity has really come into play for my character. So far Lawrence has just existed as a member of the Wright family, who, yes, IS gay and married to a man, but has adult problems and family drama that have nothing to do with his sexual identity. I think that’s a beautiful thing. Seeing queer characters just going about their everyday lives on television helps to show the world that all sexual orientations are valid forms of human expression.
What would it have been like for you to see a character like Lawrence when you were younger?
I grew up in the 80s and 90s in a very religious home and I can only think of a handful of queer characters that I saw on tv and film… they were either closeted or struggling for acceptance or, frankly, dying of AIDS. It was scary! I was terrified of being gay, of what that would MEAN for my future. So clearly, a gay man like Lawrence, married, with a kid, and fully accepted by his family, would have been a breath of fresh air to say the least.
What can we expect from Lawrence’s journey for the rest of the season?
This is Lawrence’s last episode for season 2! But he and Chet are having another baby and I know we’ll be seeing more of them in (fingers crossed) season 3!
The new episode of So Help Me Toddpremieres on Thursday, April 18 (9:01-10 PM, ET/PT) on CBS and on Paramount+.