Russell Tovey has spoken about playing the role of an out gay police officer in Suspect: The Shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes.
Tovey plays Brian Paddick, the deputy assistant commissioner at the Metropolitan Police at the time of the 7/7 bombings in 2005, in the Disney+ series which takes an unflinching look at the Met’s behaviour after the shooting of de Menezes at Stockwell Tube station in the days following the deadly attacks.
The Gavin & Stacey and American Horror Story star told Esquire about meeting the “incredibly heroic and important” Paddick – a friend of his – at LGBTQ+ charity events.
“I remember seeing him in the press and understanding what he’d experienced with homophobia within the force, homophobia within the press, and he still stayed present and out and proud. For me, at that age [Tovey was in his twenties], that meant a lot,” he said.
He also discussed finding out that the version of events released to the public about De Menezes’ death – he had reportedly been seen acting suspiciously, was wearing a large coat, had run from the police, and jumped over a ticket barrier before being shot – was false.
“We should be shocked because that makes people sit up and go: ‘This can’t happen’. The only way we will progress as a society, and for people to be held accountable for bad behaviour, is to shock people, to show you the reality of what it is.”
Tovey, also known for appearing in Looking and Years and Years, as well as a brief cameo in Pride, talked about the importance of continuing to take on gay roles.
Talking to Rolling Stone UK about Suspect, Tovey said: “I’m sure there are multiple conversations happening where they’re thinking of green-lighting queer characters or queer content… this makes it all the more important to say yes and do it.”
He described watching the attacks on the LGBTQ+ community in America at the moment as “f***ing terrifying,” adding that it only “makes me more determined to tell gay stories and to play gay characters”.
Tovey, who came out to his family as gay when he was 18, added that he has never worried about being typecast in gay roles. “There are billions of queer characters around the world so how the hell can I be pigeonholed?” he asked.
“There [are] so many stories to tell and every one I’ve done has been so varied, nuanced, and moved the dial somewhere along the line. I absolutely have to keep doing these roles.”
Suspect: The Shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes is steaming on Disney+ now.
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