The Good Place star reveals that Eleanor is ‘super bisexual’
The Good Place fans have been quick to ship Eleanor and Tahani (Justin Lubin/NBC)
One of the main actors on The Good Place has confirmed that Eleanor Shellstrop is bisexual.
William Jackson Harper, who plays Chidi Anagonye on the hit Netflix and NBC show, said that it was a “fact” that Eleanor was “super bisexual,” adding that a romance with Jameela Jamil’s Tahani Al-Jamil was still a possibility.
This means that The Good Place joins a host of Netflix programmes over the past year to feature characters coming out as bi, including Jane the Virgin, Riverdale, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and The Crown.
Eleanor is the show’s central character (Vivian Zink/NBC)
Eleanor has had a flirtatious relationship with Tahani throughout the run of the show, which released the first two episodes of its third season on Thursday.
She has referred to the British socialite with an infinite list of celebrity acquaintances as “a hot rich fraud with legs for days” and a “sexy skyscraper,” as well as saying she’s “tall and glamorous and has cappuccino skin and curves everywhere.
“And now I’m complimenting her,” she added. “And kind of turned on.”
Eleanor has called Tahani “a hot rich fraud with legs for days” and a “sexy skyscraper” (NBC/Netflix)
She has even told Michael: “I might legit be into Tahani.”
Speaking to the Metro about the long-held fan theory, Harper said: “There’s a million different possibilities and one of the things I think the show does well, and [which I’m] really kind of into, is the fact that Eleanor is super bisexual and it’s not something that we just focus on.
“It’s not the reason for the show and it’s not a thing that is harped on, it’s just who she is,” he added.
“I think that’s great to not just completely focus on one aspect of a person’s character because it seems to be the most buzz-worthy thing in the show, or potentially buzz-worthy thing on the show. I think it’s great.”
William Jackson Harper (centre) plays Chidi Anagonye on the show (Colleen Hayes/NBC)
Harper said that the way the show addressed Eleanor’s bisexuality was similar to how he and his friends treated each other’s sexual orientations.
“It’s not something we don’t talk about, she talks about it, and we all kind of accept it instead of, you know, go, ‘Hey let’s unpack that, let’s talk about it,'” said Harper, who has also acted on Broadway in All the Way.
“No one bats an eye at it, and that’s certainly true of people that I hang out with, if someone says they’re attracted to whatever person and it’s not something we have follow up questions on.
The two were soulmates in one reboot (NBC/Netflix)
“It’s just how they are.”
According to figures released earlier this year, the last year of television has included 93 bi characters, compared to 83 from the year before.
This has boosted hopes of a new wave of bi representation, but the jury is out for now.
