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# “That’s just prejudice.” Andrew Scott defends gay actors taking straight roles
- URL: https://www.scenemag.co.uk/thats-just-prejudice-andrew-scott-defends-gay-actors-taking-straight-roles/
- Published: 2026-09-14T09:47:53.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-14T09:47:53.000Z
- Author: Graham Robson
- Tags: Culture

**Andrew Scott** has dismissed criticism of gay actors playing straight characters as “just prejudice” while discussing his acclaimed new film *Elsinore* at the **Toronto International Film Festival** (TIFF).

The Irish actor, 49, was speaking during TIFF’s *In Conversation* series on Saturday, 12 September where he reflected on his career, the changing representation of LGBTQ+ performers and the growing awards-season attention surrounding his latest role.

Scott stars in *Elsinore*, directed by **Simon Stone**, as Ian Charleson, the Scottish actor who stepped into the title role in *Hamlet* at London’s **National Theatre** in 1989 while living with AIDS. The film, which premiered at Telluride before screening in Toronto, has already generated significant Oscar speculation, with many critics describing Scott’s performance as one of the strongest of his career.

Speaking at Toronto’s Royal Alexandra Theatre, Scott said the project held particular personal significance. As well as starring in the film, it marks the first time he has taken on a producer role. “The film is so incredibly personal for me,” he said. “It’s set in the theatre and about the representation of gay actors in the 1990s, and it’s about family. So many things that I really relate to.”

The actor also addressed long-standing assumptions within the entertainment industry that openly gay performers may struggle to be cast as heterosexual romantic leads.

Scott, who won widespread acclaim for playing the priest opposite **Phoebe Waller-Bridge** in the hit BBC comedy-drama *Fleabag*, admitted there had once been concerns that his sexuality might limit the roles available to him.

![](https://www.scenemag.co.uk/content/images/2026/09/Andrew_Scott-_BlueMoonBFILFF161025-72_-54875258361-_-cropped--2.jpg)

Wikimedia

“I guess there was a fear that I wouldn’t be able to get cast in those roles. That’s what everybody said,” he told the audience.

However, he said audiences had repeatedly shown that such concerns were misplaced, pointing to the popularity of his *Fleabag* character, widely known online as the “Hot Priest”.

Reflecting on attitudes towards casting, Scott argued that judging an actor’s suitability for a role based on their sexuality fundamentally misunderstands the nature of performance. “People were like, ‘The actor is gay. Whoa!’” he said. “It is like this idea that the audience is stupid. We go to see Batman and it’s like, ‘Oh my God, he is not a bat?’”

Asked about objections to gay actors portraying straight characters, Scott was unequivocal. “That’s just prejudice,” he said. “And we won’t cater to those people, or I’m certainly not going to.”

Elsewhere during the discussion, Scott reflected on his early career, including his film debut in the Irish drama *Korea*, which premiered at TIFF in 1995 when he was 17\. He also spoke about overcoming a childhood speech impediment, describing drama lessons as the experience that first sparked his passion for acting.

The conversation eventually returned to *Elsinore* and Charleson’s determination to continue performing despite his declining health. Scott said he was deeply moved by the actor’s courage and commitment to his craft. “It’s about how we use our time,” he said. “The idea that he did *Hamlet* when he was so unwell, it always just gets me.”

The actor became visibly emotional while discussing the challenges faced by gay men during the AIDS crisis and the lack of opportunities available to openly gay performers at the time. “There weren’t any gay actors, for no reason,” Scott said. “That was taken away from them.”