Andrew Scott Calls Out 'Prejudice' Against Gay Actors in Straight Roles

Andrew Scott showed up to Toronto ready to talk, and not just about his new film. The actor got real about the gatekeeping that still happens in Hollywood—specifically, people who think gay performers shouldn't play straight characters.

"That's just prejudice," Scott said plainly. It's the kind of straightforward take you don't always hear from actors worried about the wrong headlines, but he wasn't interested in playing it safe. The comment came as he was discussing Elsinore, his latest work directed by Simon Stone, where he plays Ian Charleson, a Scottish actor whose career cooled after his breakout in Chariots of Fire.

The film premiered at Telluride before landing at TIFF, and early word suggests Scott's performance is a serious piece of work—the kind that sparks awards conversations. But instead of dodging the bigger questions, he leaned in. The role is straight, the actor is not, and for Scott, that shouldn't matter. It's a fair point, and one that cuts through a lot of nonsense that still haunts the industry.

Whether this becomes one of those moments that shifts how people think about casting is another story. But at least someone's saying it out loud.

Read the full story at Variety → https://variety.com/2026/film/news/andrew-scott-tiff-elsinore-gay-actors-prejudice-fleabag-1236859840/