Dylan O’Brien Praises Queer Community and Sibling, Stars in Upcoming LGBTQ+ Dramas ‘Ponyboi’ and ‘Twinless’

By Josh Azevedo Posted on May 1, 2025 Share Tweet Share Share Email Comments

Actor Dylan O’Brien is stepping into bold new territory this year with not one, but two LGBTQ+ films—and he’s doing it with heartfelt purpose and pride.

The Teen Wolf and Maze Runner alum will appear in the upcoming queer drama Ponyboi, a groundbreaking feature starring and co-written by intersex actor and filmmaker River Gallo. O’Brien plays Vinny, a shady drug dealer entangled in a secret affair with the film’s title character, all while dating Ponyboi’s best friend Angel—played by The Haunting of Bly Manor star Victoria Pedretti.

Set in gritty New Jersey and bursting with heart, Ponyboi follows a young intersex sex worker and laundromat employee who is forced to go on the run after a drug deal goes sideways. What follows is a surreal journey of self-discovery and survival, all underpinned by the film’s unapologetically queer lens.

“I have a trans, nonbinary sibling and I know people in my personal life who are queer, and I am so grateful for how much it deepens my experience in this world,” O’Brien told Vulture in a recent joint interview with Gallo and other cast members. “It was really important to me to be a part of something like this as an ally.”

O’Brien’s sibling, Julz O’Brien, is nonbinary and uses they/them pronouns. On social media, Julz often shares moments with their brother, calling Dylan their “very first best friend” and proudly celebrating their LGBTQIA+ identity.

 

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