Sexy Out Actor Jeremy Pope on His Calvin Klein Underwear Campaign: 'Confident, Sexy, Bold, and Daring'

Jeremy Pope, the out actor who played Rock Hudson's boyfriend in Ryan Murphy's alternate-history drama "Hollywood," is the fresh face of Calvin Klein's new underwear campaign.

Though Pope had shucked his clothes for the role, this time, he told GQ, stripping to his skivvies was a different proposition.

"It's one thing to play a character and to be without clothes," the 31-year-old told the magazine, "but to be yourself without clothes? That feels vulnerable in a different way."

Added the Broadway actor and two-time Tony nominee, "We're here to celebrate Pride and love, so I wanted to step into that space not playing a part. I wanted to truly feel confident, sexy, bold, and daring."

"I think for me and my career, a lot of these moments that happen – being a Black queer individual – they end up becoming markers for me to really see how far I've come," the actor, who is also known for his role in the gay military drama "The Inspection," went on to say.

GQ leaned into that part of his narrative, noting that "Pope is part of the first generation of queer Black male celebrities who've interrogated and explored their sexual identity in public, counting among his peers the unflinching comedian Jerrod Carmichael and the generational artist Frank Ocean."

Pope addressed that further, saying, "I'm aware when I'm in a room and I'm like, 'I'm here on behalf of all of us.'"

"Not by choice, but by default," he added. "It's hard being in a business that wasn't necessarily built for the success of marginalized people. Let's forget the queer part, let's just be coming in as a brown person. Do I see as many opportunities as other people? We could spend a day on that."

Pope's artistry stretches beyond stage and screen to include photography and music. GQ recalled that he had a show at Art Basel Miami last year, and he's about to release an EP.

Pope's fine physique runs in the family, and his father, he noted to GQ, is "a professioanl bodybuilder," so when he got confirmation of his starring role in the new CK campaign – a gig he'd long desired – he promptly clued in his dad, who "responded to it with a meal plan."

"Basically," Pope added, "what that meant for him was, you're going to represent the Popes, so do it well."

And, of course, he has. Check out some of the campaign images Pope shared on his Instagram, as well as other photos he's posted there.