Ryan Evans

**Ryan Evans** is the openly gay fraternal twin of Sharpay. He is the first openly gay character introduced in the series. There is no *definite* proof of Ryan's sexuality, however his flamboyant fashion choices, incredible dancing capabilities, and his interesting interactive showdown with Troy's best friend Chad Danforth, seem to point to Ryan being of homosexual nature. It is to be noted that, while he is said to have a "crush" on Gabriella Montez, but noticeably reacts in the manner of a school girl whenever Troy enters the vicinity.

During Season 1, Ryan is seen wearing more obviously flamboyant clothing than in the other two years. His relationship with Kelsi Nielson is rumored to be an example of him being heterosexual. Interestingly enough, after asking her to prom, he never speaks to her again. And while at Troy's party, he and the basketball star trade lines of a flirtatious nature, sharing several more scenes that implicate things.

But the relationship between Ryan and Kelsi started from the first episode and cycled through all three. He thinks of course they would go to prom together and he still doesn’t think that that makes him gay or straight or anything. He needs *someone* to be a couple with. After definitely taking notice of Ryan's flamboyancy, in the end, whether Ryan is straight or not is left up to the viewer's interpretation. However, Ryan *could* also be metrosexual.

Ryan's dedication to theatre is not out of self-righteous glory (Sharpay) or a desire to fulfill his own fleeting interests (Troy), but rather to uphold a legacy. Ryan's argument for why he and Sharpay deserve to be the leads in Season 1 and for them to perform together in *Pilot* is because it’s what they've done for years and years. It's upholding a tradition. In Ryan's own way, he is serving the Wildcats not through upholding a sporting spirit, but through preserving the greatness and glory of the East High theater department.

## **Physical Appearance**

**Ryan Evans** is slender and quite tall in regards to the rest of the other characters. His eyes are ocean-like blue and his skin is very pale and clear. His hair is blonde and wavy. His pale skin earned him the nickname "Porcelain" from Weston Miller. He takes very good care of himself.

He seems to never wear the same outfit twice a week unless under stress or depressed. Throughout the season, Ryan's fashion trends change; he would always wear large amounts of clothing and as the series continued the layers began to decrease, but staying eccentric all the way through.

## **Personality and Traits**

At first, **Ryan Evans** is a stereotypical gay kid at East High. In fact, most of Ryan's behavior seems to be because of the social order of the school and the opinions of others, rather than anything he was raised believing at home as his father in fact seems to behave completely different, showing an understanding and enlightened opinion of homosexuality.

As the only openly gay boy at East High, he tries his best to keep strong, a trait that his father and many in the school value in him. However, having no friends at school who he can completely talk to about being gay, he is often seen as a very lonely individual, and always follows Sharpay. This loneliness has at times caused his romantic interest in certain boys to become a bit unsettling, as seen during the course of his crush with Troy Bolton.

Clumsy, un-intelligent, and humble are some of the words that describe Ryan. Living a rather simple lifestyle, Ryan tends to miss the obvious, act somewhat childish and absent-minded, and gets confused very easily. As a result of these factors, Ryan is rather accident-prone and is an easy target for trouble. Nevertheless, his blissfulness usually keeps him from any legitimate harm, as he tends to walk away from life-threatening danger with a smile and his signature warmness.

Ryan's blissfulness and optimism can sometimes blind him from the feelings of those around him, however, most notably Sharpay, who is often annoyed by his antics, as they typically receive the short end of the trouble that follows him around. Despite this flaw, Ryan is extremely supportive and caring towards his loved-ones. He tries his best to lighten their spirits when they feel down and selflessly sticks by them when they're in need. Ryan is also charming, somewhat infectiously; often at times when someone meets him for the first time, they are immediately taken by his welcoming aura.

## **Trivia**

* **Ryan Evans** was the first openly character in the show.