'Fleabag's' Andrew Scott Is Over Being Called 'Openly Gay'

Andrew Scott is tired of the media referring to him as “openly gay.”

The actor, who is best known for his roles as the Sherlock villain Moriarty and the hot priest in Fleabag, gave an interview to GQ recently explaining his frustration with the phrase.

“You’re never described as openly gay at a party — ‘This is my openly gay friend Darren,’ ‘She’s openly Irish,’” he pointed out. “It implies a defiance I don’t feel.”

How we perceive and discuss sexuality has certainly changed a lot over the past several decades. While there are certainly still celebrities who choose to stay in the closet to avoid discrimination that still exists in entertainment and in the world at large, being gay is a significantly less taboo subject than it used to be. Describing a celebrity as “openly gay” may be a phrase that’s lost its usefulness.

Scott has played a number of heterosexual roles in his career, and his recent run as the nameless hot priest in Fleabag who engages in an illicit relationship with Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s character left ladies and men alike swooning.

And yet there is still such a struggle convincing Hollywood that gay actors can convincingly play straight roles. Obviously, it’s a ridiculous sentiment — chemistry between two actors has very little to do with them actually being attracted to each other in real life. And Scott’s role in Fleabag is particular proof of that.

“Sexuality isn’t something you can cultivate, particularly,” he said. “You believe the relationship, that’s my job.”