Rafael Silva on Hot Gay Makeout Scenes and Tarlos Getting Married

There are a lot of gay characters in various series who are in loving relationships. One such series is 9-1-1: Lone Star. 

The show features Rafael Silva and Ronen Rubinstein as a gay couple, shipped by fans as "Tarlos." 

The show revolves around firefighters, emergency medical services, and the police department in Austin, Texas. It was created by Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, and Tim Minear for Fox. 

It debuted on January 19, 2020, and it has completed its second season. Season three of 9-1-1: Lone Star will premiere on January 3, 2022. 

While 9-1-1: Lone Star has promising plots and stories, people are more excited about the storyline of the gay couple, Carlos Reyes and Tyler Kennedy Strand, aka T.K. 

9-1-1: Lone Star's official poster for Season 3. (Source: Instagram)

Rafael Silva on Gay Makeout Scenes 

The second season of 9-1-1: Lone Star gave their fans the T.K. and Reyes content that was highly requested.

The two had been a couple for a while, but there were very few love scenes between the two. 

The twelfth episode of the season gave everything Tarlos fans were asking for.

Their parents met each other for the first time (even though it was messy), and the couple had shirtless and steamy make-out scenes. 

Following the episode, Silva gave an interview with Out in May 2021, where he talked about Tarlos.

He confessed that the reactions to his intimate scenes had been "extremely flattering, to say the least."

The way that the audience gravitated towards the physicality of this love… We want to see them love each other, because a part of us also identifies with the characters, right? So we want to feel that part being fulfilled, being loved.

Even though Silva's favorite scenes of Tarlos were when they had intimate moments through conversations, he understood what their fans wanted. 

Rafael Silva and Ronen Rubinstein on Tarlos 

In June 2021, Silva and Rubinstein discussed the future of Tarlos in an interview with E.T. Online.

Both of them gushed about how grateful they were for the representation they were fueling on Primetime T.V. 

Now that season 3 is on the horizon, both the actors want more of Tarlos and their romance.

Silva said he wants to see more of Tarlos growing as partners and not through feuds and intimate scenes. 

He wants Reyes and T.K. to be "themselves around each other" and do "mundane things."

He wants this to happen to normalize the idea of gay couples who are just like any other couple. 

Rafael Silva. (Source: Instagram)

Rubinstein added that there are high chances that Reyes and T.K. might call each other husband soon.

He revealed that their showrunner Minear had teased the idea of them being married in the future. 

It might not be in Season 3 per se, but somewhere in the future.

Rubinstein said that intense storylines were waiting for the upcoming season where they were "diving deep" and "personal."

Is Rafael Silva Gay?

Yes, like this character, Silva is also gay. He officially came out years ago, but it is unknown if he has a boyfriend or a husband. 

In April 2021, Rubinstein also came out as bisexual. His work as an actor helped him identify himself as a part of the LGBTQ+. 

Ronen Rubinstein. (Source: Instagram)

He realized he was bisexual when he was young and was more aware of it in high school. But he was scared to embrace it because of the hate he expected to get. 

But playing a gay character like T.K. helped Rubinstein accept himself and his orientation. Similarly, he also credited his co-star Silva for helping him to speak his truth. 

And now, he is loud and proud to be a part of the LGBTQ+ community.