For the LGBTQ+ community, representation has been an important component of furthering discussion and opening minds. Television shows have been a hugely significant aspect of reaching those who otherwise wouldn’t have had such conversations. Shows like Ellen and Will & Grace broke barriers for the community.

Mid-Century Modern is a new sitcom which continues in that tradition. It stars Nathan Lane, Matt Bomer, and Nathan Lee Graham as three gay friends who live together in Palm Springs. The show has been described as “the gay Golden Girls.” While the first season was well-received by those who tuned in on Hulu, there were some scenes that got cut. One of these scenes included a cameo appearance by a drag icon.

Drag Icon Coco Peru Was Cut Out Of The Mid-Century Modern Pilot Episode

Coco Peru is a drag icon who has taken over the screen in various appearances over the years. Therefore, it came as no surprise when Matt Bomer praised her work in the new sitcom Mid-Century Modern. However, those scenes never saw the light of day, causing many viewers to be left wondering what happened.

Coco was originally intended to appear in the show’s pilot. The revelation came when the Los Angeles Times reported that there was “one joke that proved to be too racy” which was edited out of the pilot episode. Unfortunately, this joke happened during Coco’s appearance on the show.

“Jerry [Bomer’s character] is the kind of character who’s gracious and kind and positive on the outside, but if he looks under the hood too much, he can break down really easily,” Matt told the outlet in an interview. According to the actor, there was a scene where Arthur, who is played by Nathan Lee Graham, encourages Jerry to do some inner searching. This, however, caused Jerry to have a “meltdown where he spills the drink all over himself.”

Matt told the outlet that this scene, despite being deleted, was his “favorite bit from that first episode.” Max Mutchnick and David Kohan, the creators of Mid-Century Modern, had worked before with Coco Peru on their other sitcom, the hit series Will & Grace. They told the outlet that they “were just as sad to see the bit go.”

Coco spoke with OutClique Magazine about Will & Grace, particularly why she was happy to be part of the show. “When Will & Grace came on, I thought it was a real game-changer,” she said. “It was everything I’d been working for. Not that I had anything to do with Will & Grace being made, but I feel like there was a movement of people who felt the same way I did. It was time for us to be seen.”

After Matt’s comments about the scene, Coco Peru decided to share her side of the story. She released a statement talking about her experience on the Mid-Century Modern set and how she felt about her scene getting cut from the final episode. In her statement, Coco suggested it was Hulu, the streaming service which carries the show, that made the decision.

“There’s been a lot of you asking what happened to Coco on Mid-Century Modern and why I have a credit,” Coco wrote. “I worked for 2 weeks on the show and, because the show had to be shortened, my scenes were cut even before we started filming. I had 2 lines when we filmed and I was happy they got big laughs, but they also ended up cut. Perhaps jokes about jizz aren’t Hulu’s thing.”

She continued, “I think jizz jokes are always funny and it was a great set up for Matt Bomer whose follow-up jizz line also got big laughs. However, because I did the work, it’s in the contract that I get a guest star credit. In the hotel scene, you can see me in the office. Also, producer Max Mutchnick knew that I was still grieving my mom. He did the sweetest thing and had my mom’s name put on the set of the hotel. [heart emoji] See if you can find it!”

“I said this in a previous post, I had the best time,” Coco explained. “I got to work with Nathan Lane (and make HIM laugh), and Matt Bomer and Nathan Lee Graham as well a childhood idol of mine, Linda Lavin who, I am told, asked, ‘When is Coco coming back?’ What’s not to celebrate? I’m very lucky! The entire cast and crew were all wonderful to me. Watch the show. We need as much queer representation as we can get now.”

Coco Has Had A Long History Of Appearances In Films And Television Shows

As previously stated, Coco has lit up the television and movie screens before. Among the films she’s appeared in are the 1995 film To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar, the 1997 film Nick and Jane, the 1999 classic Trick, and Girls Will Be Girls from 2003. Her appearance in Trick has become legendary for the memorable monologue she delivers during her scene.

“In the first reading, I played the part that Tori Spelling would later play,” Coco told OutClique Magazine of her involvement in Trick. “One of the responses that everyone gave after the reading was, ‘You should have Coco Peru play that part.’ It didn’t make any sense for me to play a woman. So, they wrote me a scene. They had to convince the producers that I could pull off a monologue in the middle of a movie. That little moment where I said yes to a favor changed my whole life.”

Coco has appeared on television shows such as New York Undercover, Boy Meets Boy, Arrested Development, Twins, How I Met Your Mother, and Detroit 1-8-7. Coco has also appeared on Will & Grace in both its original run and the reboot. While out of drag, Coco is credited as Clinton Leupp.

Coco also has a significant history with the legendary sitcom The Golden Girls, which Mid-Century Modern has been compared to. In 2023, Coco appeared in The Golden Girls Live: The Christmas Episodes. This was a traditional drag show in San Francisco and Coco played the role of Dorothy Zbornak. Her casting was announced following the sudden death of Heklina, a drag legend.

Coco Remembered Working With Linda Lavin Before Her Death

While Coco might have been looking forward to making a cameo in Mid-Century Modern, she doesn’t seem to be too upset about being cut out. In fact, she has been focused on the positive experiences she had during the shoot. This included spending a “blissful week working with a childhood hero, Linda Lavin, on Mid-Century Modern this past summer.”

Linda died from cardiopulmonary arrest at the age of 86. Her PR rep described her cause of death as a “complication from recently discovered lung cancer” when she passed away in December 2024. David and Max revealed that Sybil’s death was actually Linda’s idea during a recent interview with TV Line.

“When she was diagnosed with [lung cancer], she was like, ‘I don’t know how I’m going to respond to this, but whatever it is, write it into the character,’” David said. Max then revealed, “Only David, Nathan [Lane], and I knew kind of what was going on, and she was very clear to the three of us that she wanted us to tell the truth. And certainly she had no idea that it was going to go to the place that it went to.”

He added, “But she had talked about it with us and her husband, Steve Bakunas, so when it happened, that gave us the go-ahead and the comfort and the freedom as writers to sit down with Steve and say, ‘Hey, we’d like to actually write the last day the way that it happened and make that our story.’ And without skipping a beat, Steve said, ‘Of course that’s what you have to do, because that’s what Linda would want you to do.’”

“I was obsessed with [Lavin’s] hit TV show Alice,” Coco wrote on Instagram after Linda’s passing. “I was beyond thrilled that we hit it off right away. We had mutual friends, mutual interests, and a mutual love for storytelling. She was full of energy and life and curious about everything. I was so honored that she wanted to be a friend.”

She continued, “She is wonderful on Mid-Century Modern. My heart goes out to the cast and crew, and to her sweet husband, and all of her friends and family. I’m so grateful I got to tell her how much she meant to me.”

During an interview with Variety, Max said that Linda was the “spiritual showrunner” of the series. Nathan Lane also discussed his closeness with the actress. According to Nathan, he spoke with Linda just three days before she died. It was then that he learned about her lung cancer diagnosis. “She was about to start radiation, and she was optimistic about that and being able to finish the season,” Nathan recalled. “She went out at the top of her game, and I know she was incredibly happy doing this.”