“Hacks ”Star Megan Stalter Wishes She’d Seen Bisexual Characters on TV Growing Up: ‘I Would’ve Known Sooner’ (Exclusive)

The actress discusses how far LGBTQ+ representation has come in Hollywood, the magic of "Hacks" and working with Lena Dunham

Hacks star Megan Stalter is filled with gratitude, hope and humor.

While LGBTQ+ representation onscreen has grown by leaps and bounds since her childhood in Dayton, Ohio, she wishes she'd had more bisexual characters to look up to growing up.

“Maybe [if I had], I would've known sooner that I was into women,” she tells PEOPLE in this week’s issue, adding, “We were so starved of queer stories, and I think now we have so much more than we had before.”

Related: 'Hacks' Star Megan Stalter Talks Viral 'Hi, Gay' Video, Queer Representation in Comedy

Stalter, 33, who takes the lead this month as a bisexual musician in the film Cora Bora, had several big moments in the season finale of Max's Hacks, which aired Thursday, May 30, The actress plays Kayla, the clueless yet confident assistant to Jimmy (Paul W. Downs). Kayla successfully set up a meeting for Jimmy with a potential client, a former Disney child star she went to school with, played by guest star Kathryn Newton.

When Jimmy realized the performer had been a “bully” to Kayla, he walked out of the meeting, angering Kayla, who believed Jimmy thought she was a “f--- up.” In a raw moment, she shared her frustration with Jimmy's behavior because of what she'd put into the meeting and admitted she often felt underestimated. The two later smoothed things over on a plane before Kayla could escape for Mykonos. Jimmy finally admitted he’d disrespected her accomplishments — including her role in getting Jack Danby (Luke Cook) out of the running for the late-night talk show hosting gig Deborah (Jean Smart) eventually snagged — and promoted her to manager..

“I feel like there were a couple of emotional scenes between me and Paul that felt so natural,” she tells PEOPLE. “All this emotion is there. Not only do I know Kayla so well, but I know Jimmy so well, and I love him so much. It feels so rich this season, and it's so exciting to be able to play these characters.”

Stalter really began to see herself — and her career — with the help of the Comedy Central series Broad City. "I love stories where sexuality is just part of the character, not the only thing about them,” she says of the show’s two leads.

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In 2018 she created her own online "fake talk show," The Megan Stalter Show, which gained her a following in the alt-comedy scene, a manager — and a shot at the really memorable roles.

“With the internet being such an easy way to find comedians you think are funny, I think you're probably seeing so many different people, because you can just post a video of your standup or a video of you doing a character,” she says. “Anyone can post anything, and everyone's watching everything that we're posting.”

Related: Meg Stalter Jokes About Tanning as a Teen Despite Her Fair Skin: 'We Didn't Think About Sunscreen'

In addition to Hacks, Stalter is also filming the Netflix series Too Much, loosely based on writer-director Lena Dunham’s life. Working with Dunham is “ultimate dream come true,” the Girls fan explains.

“It’s just the funniest show,” she says, adding, “Every day on set, we were laughing so hard I was crying.”

Stalter is also thrilled for Cora Bora’s release on June 14. In the queer rom-com, the actress portrays Cora, a musician who comes home to win her girlfriend back.

“I would’ve loved to see a movie like this when I was younger. You don’t [often] see the lead of a movie as bisexual, not super-skinny and also in a bad mood all the time,” she says, adding, “It wasn’t just exciting because I was the lead. It was exciting, because it’s so special…  Someone may see it and be like, 'Oh, that is possible.’ You know, if you see it, you can be it.”

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All three seasons of Hacks are available to stream on Max.

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