Missi Pyle has opened up about her sexuality and dating life, revealing that gender isn’t a deciding factor when it comes to finding love – and apparently Brooklyn might now be involved.
Actress and singer Missi Pyle has revealed that she is open to dating people regardless of gender, during a wonderfully candid conversation about her love life (you can watch it here).
The Galaxy Quest, Dodgeball and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory star discussed dating while appearing on Netflix video podcast Shut Up Evan, hosted by gay writer and pop-culture commentator Evan Ross Katz.
And what started as some fairly relatable chat about being single quickly turned into something rather more personal.
Missi Pyle opens up about her sexuality
Pyle appeared on The Group Chat alongside musician King Princess and television producer Norman Baker.
While discussing the joys – or perhaps horrors – of modern dating, Pyle explained that she was single and wasn’t particularly sure how to meet people outside dating apps.
King Princess then asked whether Pyle was open to dating people of any gender.
Her answer?
Yes.
King Princess jokingly responded by calling her a “bisexual diva”, but importantly, Pyle herself did not adopt a specific sexuality label during the exchange.
And honestly, that’s kind of the point.
‘I’m looking for a person’
Pyle went on to explain that most of her previous relationships had been heterosexual, although not all of them.
As she has grown older, she said, her perspective on dating has become less focused on gender.
She’s now simply “looking for a person” – before cheekily suggesting perhaps more than one.
A mood.
The conversation also touched on the possibility of dating women, younger partners and even polyamory, with Pyle appearing refreshingly relaxed about where her romantic life might take her next.
King Princess apparently has a plan
Naturally, King Princess wasn’t prepared to leave things there.
The queer singer suggested that Pyle might have better luck looking for dates in Brooklyn and joked about helping her find someone.
Because apparently all that was standing between Missi Pyle and her queer dating era was somebody providing directions to New York City’s most lesbian-friendly borough.
Evan Ross Katz even offered to join the adventure.
We would watch this spin-off immediately, Netflix.
No notes.
Missi Pyle didn’t choose a label – and that’s worth noting
Several LGBTQ+ outlets have described the moment as Pyle “coming out”, while others have reported that she is queer or bisexual.
But there is an important distinction.
During the conversation itself, Pyle did not publicly define herself using a particular sexuality label. Instead, she described her experiences and made it clear that she was open to relationships with people regardless of gender.
That’s perfectly valid too.
Coming out doesn’t necessarily have to involve choosing one perfectly defined word and attaching it to your Instagram bio before sunset.
For some people, sexuality is clearly labelled.
For others, it’s fluid, personal or simply not something they feel any particular need to categorise.
And at 53, Pyle’s comments are also a rather nice reminder that exploring or talking openly about sexuality isn’t something reserved exclusively for people in their teens or twenties.
There is no queer expiry date, babes.
Who is Missi Pyle?
Even if the name doesn’t immediately ring a bell, you’ve almost certainly seen her somewhere.
Pyle has built an extensive career as one of Hollywood’s most recognisable character actresses.
Her films include Galaxy Quest, Josie and the Pussycats, Big Fish, Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
She also appeared early in her career in the 1999 gay romantic comedy Trick and has more recently appeared in the drag comedy Stop! That! Train!.
Alongside acting, Pyle is also a singer and one half of country music duo Smith & Pyle.
Basically, she’s been quietly appearing in our queer-adjacent cultural universe for years.
We should probably have seen this coming.
A refreshingly casual coming-out moment
Perhaps the nicest thing about Pyle’s revelation is how little ceremony surrounded it.
There was no dramatic magazine cover.
No carefully worded statement.
No exclusive interview promising to reveal her “truth”.
Just a group of people chatting about dating until somebody asked whether gender mattered.
And apparently, it doesn’t.
For generations of LGBTQ+ celebrities, acknowledging same-sex attraction publicly could mean risking jobs, relationships and careers.
The fact that a conversation like Pyle’s can now happen casually – complete with jokes about Brooklyn girlfriends – says something about how much queer visibility has changed.
There is still a very long way to go.
But sometimes progress looks less like a landmark court ruling and more like someone simply being able to say who they’d date without treating it as a scandal.
Missi Pyle is single.
She’s looking.
Gender isn’t the dealbreaker.
Brooklyn, apparently, is waiting.
Good luck, babe.
