Submitted for the approval of the Midnight Society, we call this story: “The Tale Of The Child Star-Turned-Gay Hunk Who Could Predict The Weather.”
With Halloween rapidly approaching, many are looking to queue up horror classics new and old for some seasonally appropriate scares. And ’90s kids, in particular, might be curious to revisit the series that scared the snot out of us when we were little: Are You Afraid Of The Dark?
The original iteration of the eerie anthology aired on Nickelodeon from ’92 to ’96, with each episode focusing on a group of friends—dubbed “The Midnight Society”— sharing a different spooky story around the campfire.
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Though it was ostensibly family-friendly, Are You Afraid Of The Dark? (AYAOTD) didn’t hold back with the scares, frequently scarring our childhood psyches (the mere mention of “The Ghastly Grinner” still gives us chills), so there’s a lot of fun to be had re-watching and seeing what holds up.
It’s also a blast spotting some now-famous faces that got their start on the show—celebs like Ryan Gosling, Neve Campbell, and Tia and Tamera Mowry all have early credits in episodes, facing down ghosts and lizard people and the like.
But one of the stars to have the most surprising career after their stint on AYAOTD is Ross Hull—a.k.a. Gary, the bespectacled founding member of The Midnight Society—who the internet is discovering had quite the glow-up:
That’s right: Hull’s a total hunk these days, and he also happens to be gay!
Hull never quite left the world of television post-AYAOTD, also appearing on show’s like the Canadian teen sitcom Student Bodies. But once his child actor days were behind him, Hull turned to a career in broadcast, first working for Canada’s The Weather Network, before hopping around a number of local channels’ news and weather teams.
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These days, he’s the multi-market morning meteorologist (say that five times fast) for Global News, and he’s based out of Toronto where he lives with his partner Rodson Garcia and their two dogs, Jasper and Louie.
Actually, those dogs are pretty famous in their own right—known by their shared moniker/handle Canadian Bros—and we have them to thank for bringing Hull and Garcia together.
In an interview with Streets Of Toronto, Hull revealed he first met the Calgary-based Garcia when he had traveled to Toronto for a pet influencer event in 2016. The two connected online at the time, though Garcia soon had to head back home, so they kept in touch long-distance over the next year.
A year later, the pair were finally able to meet in person for an ambitious first date that would see them road-tripping across the Canadian Maritime provinces. The connection was clearly there, but they were hesitant about a long-distance relationship. Eventually, work brought Garcia to Toronto full-time, and they’ve been together ever since—yes, with the dogs, too!
As for AYAOTD, Hull’s certainly not trying to hide his scary-story-telling past. A few years back, he launched a web series lampooning his own notoriety, hilariously titled “Guy From That Show,” and he frequently throws it back to his Nickelodeon days on his Instagram.
It seems people still recognize him as Gary all the time, especially when he puts glasses on—they’re maybe just a little surprised to see he’s so ripped now!
And as for being out on screen—both as a meteorologist, and as a nostalgic former Nickelodeon star—Hull recognizes that simply being visible can help others along their journeys with queerness and self acceptance:
“I think that’s all a part of being comfortable with who you are and that ultimately helps you in all aspects of life,” he told HNGN back in ’14. “It’s not always easy to get to that point though, which is why a supportive community always helps as well as knowing that others have taken that path (with success) before you.”
Glad to know our childhood crush grew up with a good head on his shoulders!
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Anyway, if you’re curious to check back in with Hull and The Midnight Society this Halloween season, all episodes of AYAOTD‘s original run are currently streaming via Paramount+, Amazon Prime Video, and YouTube.
And if you’d like to throw in a few Treats with those Tricks, here’s a few more of our favorite shots of Hull showing off his enviable hunky dog dad lifestyle:
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