In 2005, the groundbreaking series Noah’s Arc brought revolutionary representation of LGBTQ+ individuals to television, particularly for Black gay men.

Now, after nearly a 20-year hiatus, the show that has been acknowledged as a beacon in the LGBTQ+ community is back with a brand-new movie: Noah’s Arc: The Movie, premiering this week on Paramount+ with Showtime.

Created by Patrik-Ian Polk, Noah’s Arc centers on the careers, love lives and friendships of four Black gay men in Los Angeles. The show’s cast didn’t realize how impactful it would end up being.

The cultural impact of ‘Noah’s Arc’

“I had no idea whatsoever. I was just happy to show the world what I could do as an actor,” Jensen Atwood recently told Blavity’s Shadow and Act when asked about whether he knew that the show would affect the culture. Atwood played the role of Wade Robinson, a screenwriter who struggles with his sexual identity before accepting himself.

He continued, “I think we did have a sense that this is something that kids have never seen, and there was some excitement about it…but never that it would have the impact that it’s had on the culture. I don’t think that there was any way to expect that the culture would respond the way it did.”

Darryl Stephens, who portrayed the series’ main character, Noah Nicholson, told us that he knew the show would be impactful, especially given the care taken in developing the characters.

“It was really exciting to play a character that had a life beyond one or two scenes. I wasn’t just some stereotypical dude who came in and said something funny and walked out. The story was about me, us, [and] what we were going through. For Black actors, that’s still — we still don’t see that very often,” Stephens said.

Continuing the legacy of tackling taboo topics

From 2005 to 2006, the television series not only challenged stereotypes of Black gay male relationships but also tackled topics that were often seen as taboo. The series didn’t shy away from conversations about HIV, sexual identity, homophobia, acceptance and other matters relevant to the LGBTQ+ people and their relationships.

The new film does the same; it revisits Noah and Wade as they prepare to become parents, exploring a gay couple’s joys and challenges while building a family.

Both stars claimed that filming the new movie felt like a “family reunion.” They said it was reminiscent of their previous days of filming in Polk’s apartment and partaking in script reading sessions, during which they were first introduced to their characters. In pop culture, Wade and Noah are sometimes thought of as television’s Black gay fathers, and they take that role seriously.

The two laughed as they recalled filming a potential scene for the upcoming movie, which they were apprehensive about because it didn’t seem “appropriate” now that their characters had matured.

“We were just like, ‘You can’t show them doing this!'” Stephens said with a laugh as he discussed his protests to the director about the risqué scene.

“Maybe 20 years ago, when we were the cutting edge, but not now. We’ve got responsibilities now,” Atwood agreed.

“We’re the elders. We are literally the Black gay elders,” Stephens said.

The show’s influence never died

Noah’s Arc arrived at a pivotal moment for the Black LGBTQ+ community. As the first scripted series of its kind, it offered a safe space to explore conversations that were only just beginning to reach mainstream consciousness.

“I was definitely shocked at the reception. I mean, it’s been over the moon. Most productions have a shelf life. They die pretty much after they’re seen, and Noah’s Arc will not die, and I think it will live beyond my years as well,” Atwood said regarding the persistent demand from longtime fans for characters to be reprised.

Stephens added that while they completely hit their mark with their intended LGBTQ+ target audience, a significant amount of support came from heterosexual Black women.

“Black women showed up for this show very early on in ways that were shocking to me,” Stephens said, pointing to the script’s jokes and relationship dynamics as potential reasons for this.

He later added, “Black women showed up right away. The first positive response I got online was from Black women, most of them straight.”

Noah’s Arc‘s influence and representation extended beyond its two-season run, and that’s evident in the anticipation for Noah’s Arc: The Movie.

Along with their castmates, Atwood and Stephens inspired a generation through authentic storytelling and visibility. The series demonstrated that Black queer men could achieve love, stability and a sense of normalcy.

Noah’s Arc: The Movie is now streaming on Paramount+ with Showtime.