Andrew Scott Says Being a Gay Actor “Isn’t Very Interesting”

Andrew Scott says the fact that he’s a gay actor “isn’t very interesting.” Here’s what he meant by that.The Irish performer, who has received Oscar buzz for his portrayal of a fellow gay actor in Elsinore, discussed the history of queer discrimination in Hollywood in an interview with British Vogue published Tuesday.As the publication noted, Scott has played memorable “haunted gay roles” in his career in projects such as Netflix’s Ripley and, opposite Paul Mescal, in 2023’s All of Us Strangers. Next month, moviegoers will see Scott perform the last act of Ian Charleson, a closeted actor who made it his mission to play Hamlet at London’s prestigious National Theatre as he is secretly dying of an AIDS-related illness.Although Scott is a high-profile out man who has starred in acclaimed queer projects, "he is still the rare openly gay actor whose sexuality has been greeted with a collective shrug," the article noted.In response to that thought, the 50-year-old said: “Well, it isn’t very interesting." He went on to provide historical context for this view, highlighting the experience of gay actors from previous generations like Charleson, who died in 1990 at age 40 after losing his battle with AIDS. Beyond the stigma of this disease, these performers had to contend with a culture that forced them to hide who they were.“What was so insidious was that Ian and his predecessors had something to contribute to the film and television industry but weren’t given the opportunities in the same way, or else they were given the opportunities but they were also given a sort of silent choice: You can have that, but you have to conceal a huge part of your identity in return, while their straight counterparts didn’t have to make that sacrifice,” Scott said. “In fact that part of their identity was celebrated rather than concealed or derided.”"I do feel that the playing field is starting to level out," he added. "There’s that great expression that p