Andrew Scott (Moriarty in Sherlock) comes out as gay, Im not secretive
I’m not expecting anyone but the Cumberbitches and Sherlock-loonies to care about this, but Andrew Scott has totally come out of the closet. Scott played/plays (?) Sherlock’s nemesis, criminal mastermind Jim Moriarty in the first two seasons of Sherlock, and SPOILER he was photographed around the set during filming of the third season too. Scott is actually the first Irish actor to ever play Moriarty, and the Sherlock writers definitely gave him a fun/scary/creepy yet campy vibe. This is a character who listens to The Bee Gees on rooftops before he assassinates people. Anyway, Andrew Scott coming out as gay is not really surprising, but it’s newsworthy. Scott was being interviewed in The Independent, and although he talks a lot about privacy, he does drop the “I am a gay person” in there. Some highlights from the interview:
He’s sassy: “Sometimes talking about acting can be reductive and a bit boring. Of course,” he adds, breaking into a wry, self-mocking grin, “I’m not like that. I’m completely fascinating. Everything I say is a bon mot. It’s epigram after epigram. It’s like sitting with Oscar Wilde… Although I have better hair!”
On being recognized as Moriarty: “Sherlock has changed all our careers, and I’m really pleased about that. It gives you the benefit of the doubt because executives like to see recognisable faces. It was overwhelming to be on a TV show that is quite so popular. That took me totally by surprise. People had an instant affection for it from the first episode. The reaction was extraordinary. People still come up to me in the street all the time, wanting to talk about it.”
On the Sherlock-loonies: “There is this impression that the fans are crazy, but they’re not – they’re very respectful. They don’t overstep the mark. I get a lot of fan mail. Of course, some of it is a bit creepy, but mostly it’s very moving and creative. People send me drawings and their own versions of Sherlock stories. It’s a source of escapism for people and that’s great. I’m an enthusiast for people, and I don’t want them to become the enemy. I’ve seen that happen to colleagues who are disturbed the whole time, but there’s a certain degree of control you can have if you keep yourself to yourself. The kind of actors I admire move through different characters and genres. That’s the kind of actor I try to be. If you want that, you have to be circumspect about your private life.”
Mastering a Russian accent for a new role: “There isn’t a huge amount of footage of Russians speaking English as a second language, so I started looking at Vladimir Putin videos on YouTube. But then Putin introduced anti-gay legislation this summer – so, being a gay person, I switched to Rudolf Nureyev videos instead. It was another Nureyev defection of sorts!”
His sexuality: “Mercifully, these days people don’t see being gay as a character flaw. But nor is it a virtue, like kindness. Or a talent, like playing the banjo. It’s just a fact. Of course, it’s part of my make-up, but I don’t want to trade on it. I am a private person; I think that’s important if you’re an actor. But there’s a difference between privacy and secrecy, and I’m not a secretive person. Really I just want to get on with my job, which is to pretend to be lots of different people. Simple as that.”
Will he be back for Season 3 of Sherlock? “People ask me that every day. It’s a small price to pay for having been in such a wonderful show,” he teases. But he is forbidden from spilling the beans about Moriarty’s fate in Sherlock even to close family members.
Just for the record, we knew you were gay as soon as you said, “Everything I say is a bon mot.” But I do enjoy how matter-of-fact he is about his sexuality, and I love this: “There’s a difference between privacy and secrecy, and I’m not a secretive person.” Amen. There’s a way for “private” actors to come out, to be honest about who they are and Andrew Scott just did it in the best way possible. Lovely.
One thing, though – he does go on and on about how he wants a “varied” career and I get the feeling that although he likes that Sherlock has opened doors for him, he’s really wary of being typecast. If he was an American, maybe that would happen, but I think if he’s just focused on working in England, on TV and on the stage, he’ll get a chance to have a varied career. But he’s never really going to “breakout” like Benedict Cumberbatch. And I don’t think he wants to.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
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