Don’t Call Fleabag’s Hot Priest ‘Openly Gay’

Fleabag's hot priest is not a fan of the phrase "openly gay."

In an interview for British GQ's Man of the Year issue, Andrew Scott discussed his lauded role in the second season of Amazon's beloved cult phenomenon, for which the magazine awarded him its Hugo Boss Standout Performance. The out Irish actor copped to some displeasure with how the press sometimes discusses his sexuality.

"You're never described as 'openly gay' at a party -- 'This is my openly gay friend Darren,' 'She's openly Irish,'" he said. "It implies a defiance I don't feel."

Scott has been known to audiences across the pond for years, portraying Moriarty in Sherlock and activist Gethin Roberts in the LGBTQ+ film Pride, but his forbidden romance with the unnamed protagonist in Fleabag (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) brought him a new legion of fans. Waller-Bridge's character seeks him out for guidance, but one thing inevitably leads to another.

When the two shared a kiss during the show's infamous "kneeling" scene,It Chapter Two star Jessica Chastain tweeted: "Omg the hot priest in #Fleabag is ruining me."

While the subject of whether queer actors can convincingly portray heterosexual romantic relationships on screen has often been a source of debate in recent years, Scott told the publication that making viewers "believe the relationship" -- which, clearly, they did -- is just his "job" as a performer.

"Sexuality isn't something you can cultivate, particularly," he said. "It isn't a talent."

Scott, who also played a villain in the Bond film Spectre and is set to appear in the upcoming Sam Mendes-directed World War I epic 1917, just wrapped a run of Noel Coward's Present Laughter at The Old Vic in London.

While he was not nominated for his work in Fleabag, Scott is likely to make an appearance at the Emmys next week to support his co-stars. Fleabag was nominated for Best Comedy Series, Best Writing, and Best Directing, as well as Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (Waller-Bridge), Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series (Olivia Colman and Sian Clifford), and Guest Actress in a Comedy Series (Kristin Scott-Thomas).

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