Don't Call Andrew Scott an 'Openly Gay' Actor, He Reveals in Interview

Irish actor Andrew Scott has risen through the ranks of our minds from James Bond villain, the Hot Priest in "Fleabag," conflicted gay writer in All of Us Strangers, to seductive psycho in "Ripley."

But now, Scott says he is ready to drop one moniker: "openly." In an interview with Variety, Scott explained that "openly gay" is often used to describe gay actors and forces them to talk about their sexualities, something straight actors don't have to do.

"It's wonderful to be able to talk about sexuality in an open way," said Scott. "But I do feel sometimes, other people – and by other people, I mean straight people – don't have to explain or talk about their sexuality every time they go to work."

Scott has cultivated a resume playing deep and sometimes dark gay characters that are so much more than their sexualities. About the character Ripley, Scott says, "There's something about that character that, I think, a lot of people see themselves in. And I think it's to do with being an outsider."

For Scott's life and career, he has been anything but on the outsider. Amid scene-stealing roles in "Sherlock," "Saving Private Ryan," and "1917," he says he has been feeling very comfortable embracing the joys of his sexuality.

"Sometimes I find it hard when you're doing press because I feel so joyful and so emancipated," Scott said about discussing characters he has played who are struggling with their emotions. "It seems like I always want to talk about the difficulties that I have with being gay, when actually, it's the greatest joy of my life."

And it's been a joy for viewers to watch it all play out on screen.

Read Scott's full Variety interview.