Only Murders’ Michael Cyril Creighton says theatre ‘kept me afloat’ when navigating his sexuality
Only Murders in the Building actor Michael Cyril Creighton has spoken about his theatre origins. (Getty)
Only Murders in the Building actor Michael Cyril Creighton has said that theatre “kept me afloat” whilst navigating his sexuality in his youth.
Creighton plays Howard Morris — a librarian and a cat lover — in the hit murder mystery series. Howard frequently gossips around Manhattan’s Upper West Side building, the Arconia, and looks for acceptance from the amateur detective group headed up by Selena Gomez, Steve Martin and Martin Short.
The actor originally had a recurring role in Only Murders in the Building’s first two seasons before series bosses made Creighton a series regular for season three. Hot off the heels of the season four premiere on 27 August, Creighton spoke to The New York Times about his breakout role in Only Murders.
Before landing the role of Howard in the Hulu series, the out-gay actor was first drawn to acting in his youth, telling the outlet: “When you’re young and gay and not sure where you fit in, there’s a lot of trial and error. I landed in [the] theatre. It was the thing that was making me happy, keeping me afloat.”
Creighton went on to appear in Off Off Broadway productions, before appearing in the award-winning web series Jack in a Box and landing a minor role in the all-star sitcom 30 Rock in which Tina Fey, Julianne Moore and Tracy Morgan also starred.
The actor recalled how his work on stage and in minor TV and film roles made him “crave to be a part of something”.
Creighton said: “Every time, every single part I have ever played, I have a three-episode arc in my head of how it could continue,” which never quite came to fruition until he joined the cast of Only Murders in the Building.
“My entire career has been a series of pinch-me moments,” he told the publication. “But the bruise is getting too big: I have to just man up and realise I belong here. There’s no time for imposter syndrome…I belong.”
Only Murders in the Building is available to stream on Disney+ in the UK and Hulu in the US, with new episodes following every Tuesday.
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