Corey Fogelmanis leaves Disney kid days behind in this powerful new queer film

Corey Fogelmanis is moving up in the world.

After millions of fans fell in love with the actor as Farkle Minkus in Girl Meets World, the young star is ready for his next chapter.

As just a teenager on the hit Disney Channel show, Fogelmanis has come into his own by coming out as queer and embracing his past as a child star.

"I feel like I was just trying to get through the day back then. It was crazy doing school on set, but it was a good training ground. I made some lifelong friends on that show. As I've gotten older, I can love [Farkle] for who he is," Fogelmanis tells PRIDE.

Now, Fogelmanis is starring as Ben DeBacker — a nonbinary teenager who gets kicked out of their childhood home after coming out to their ultra-religious parents — in the new film I Wish You All the Best.

"This is something special. I don't think we've really seen any nonbinary teens really represented in film. We see Ben going through their life in rural North Carolina. I think of it as a love story. It's Ben learning to love themselves. It's a coming-of-age story."

Based on Mason Deaver’s 2019 novel of the same name, this movie doesn't follow the typical tropes that are used for LGBTQ+ characters in modern media.

In fact, the cast and crew is hoping to inspire its audience rather than show all the trauma that's far too common for queer youth.

"I think Ben's story is very hopeful and that was something that Tommy wanted to represent. She really didn't want to make another torture-porn queer story of a kid being bullied and outed. This film really highlights the importance of finding safe people. It doesn't have to be over if your biological parents aren't the ones to accept you."

Apart from making her directorial debut on this film, trans actress Tommy Dorfman also wrote and produced the movie.

"I feel really grateful to Tommy for trusting me with this. It was cool because it my first time leading a movie and it was her first time directing a movie. That being said, she was born for directing. It made me feel really safe because she knew what she was doing."

I Wish You All the Best just premiered at SXSW, so keep an eye out for distribution at a later date. To see the full interview with Corey Fogelmanis, check out the video below.

Corey Fogelmanis Leaves Disney Days Behind With Powerful New Film 'I Wish You All the Best' youtu.be