Hal Sparks is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and musician. While he achieved fame through television shows and film cameos, Sparks continues to be relevant through his political commentary and radio programs. He was born on September 25, 1969, in Cincinnati, Ohio, and was a self-declared nerd from a young age. Growing up, Sparks loved playing Dungeons & Dragons and performing with the theater department. At 17 years old, he started doing stand-up comedy and was dubbed “Chicago’s Funniest Teenager.”
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Sparks found his breakout role as Zoltan on the 2000 comedy classic “Dude, Where’s My Car?” Several years later, he had a cameo in “Spider-Man 2” and joined the superhero on an elevator ride. After multiple minor roles in television, Sparks finally landed the leading role of Michael Novotny for the hit series “Queer as Folk”. The show ran for five seasons and was considered groundbreaking for tackling LGBTQ issues.
Aside from acting, Sparks also dabbled in hosting and singing. In 1999, he hosted the show “Talk Soup” until its conclusion in 2002. The comedian formed his own band with his friends and cousins as well. The rock band, ZERO 1, released a self-titled album in 2006 and a solo project in 2007. Despite changes in the lineup, Sparks is still an active musician and often joins the cover band, Steel Panther, in Los Angeles.
With a career as long as Sparks’, one is bound to find himself in a whirlwind of rumors. Over the years, fans have speculated about the comedian’s relationships and even his sexuality. It doesn’t help that Sparks has never married and doesn’t have any intention of settling down. So, is Hal Sparks gay? Learn the solo comedian’s true sexuality below.
VOTE: What is Hal Sparks’s Sexuality?
Hal Sparks’ Relationships
Sparks have only been in two official relationships throughout his career. From 2006 to 2009, he was seeing a woman named Samantha Humphreys. Although they were photographed publicly at several events, the relationship would soon run its course. They separated quietly before the end of the decade and it would be three years until Sparks returned to the dating scene.
In 2012, Sparks fell in love with Summer Soltis and they have been together ever since. The couple kept the details of their affair to themselves except for the occasional photo posted on social media. A year before his relationship with Soltis became public, the comedian made headlines by announcing that he was expecting a son. However, the mother’s identity was never revealed. Fans assumed that the mother was Soltis, but this has never been confirmed either.
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Hal Sparks’ View On Sexuality
Ever since Sparks was cast in “Queer as Folk”, people have questioned the actor’s sexuality. It comes as no surprise since his character, Michael Novotny, is openly gay. He meets his long-term partner Ben Bruckner in Season One and the pair end up married by the end of Season Four. The series was extremely controversial especially since same-sex marriage was still illegal in the United States in the early 2000s.
Despite his glowing performance, Sparks insisted that he was not gay. In 2017, the star shared his feelings regarding the role in a tweet:
I may not be a married gay man, but I played one on tv… and I’m proud of that.”
While this may have disappointed some fans from the gay community, Sparks is still a strong ally for LGBTQ rights.
According to the actor, he took on the role even though his manager discouraged him. Sparks shared that the project “needed to be done” and he wanted to contribute by taking on the character. In an interview with OUTTAKE VOICES in 2012, the actor elaborated on his thoughts and support for the community:
In my life growing-up in Kentucky I use to hang out with four running buddies as a kid, six, ten and eleven years old. Two of them would later come out and so fifty percent of my friends as a kid were gay. So in the long run I guess the short answer is people will ask you why you care about gay rights or why you care about LGBT issues and my question would be, why wouldn’t you? If you are for freedom and equal rights which we hear a lot of talk about these days, then you have to include the LGBTQ community in that. And if you’re not willing to put your time where your mouth is then I don’t know quite what you mean by commitment in your life.”
Hal Sparks to OUTTAKE VOICES, 2012
Sparks is also an advocate for various organizations such as Farm Sanctuary and AIDS Walk. The actor has spoken often about the latter and in the same interview with OUTTAKE, he pointed out the social issues surrounding the disease.
I think the AIDS Crisis was a shock to the community. It required sort of a new level of commitment to all of these issues. And I think the primary one was lack of hospital visitation rights, which is probably the crux of my involvement early on working with Marianne Williamson and AIDS Project Los Angeles and Project Angel Food. And once you get past the life and death of it you know you get to the life of it.”
Hal Sparks to OUTTAKE VOICES, 2012
Is Hal Sparks Gay?
No, Hal Sparks is not gay. While he is best known for portraying a gay man on the show “Queer as Folk”, the actor is not gay in real life. He has only been in two relationships, both with women, and has one son. Based on his dating history and previous statements, Sparks is considered straight. Despite his sexual orientation, the actor is a vocal advocate for the LGBTQ community.