TV

Andrew Scott says the 'money-making' roles were the ones he enjoyed least

Fleabag's Hot Priest tells The Big Issue why he has his eye on the US

Andrew Scott

Andrew Scott’s turn as Fleabag‘s ‘Sexy Priest’ had impact in the UK in a big way, not least sending sales of Marks & Spencer cans of gin and tonic soaring by 25 per cent. But If Sherlock took Scott to a mass audience, his Hamlet won huge plaudits, Fleabag took him further into our hearts and a new role in Black Mirror will widen his global impact, where does Scott go from here? 

“I am interested in America, to be honest,” he says. “Maybe not to move there but I would like to travel with work. And America is where a lot of the good work is.”

This 42-year-old Dubliner will only travel if the roles are right – but don’t be surprised to see him fronting major movies in the very near future.

Sc0tt admits he hasn’t had many “awful” jobs that he hated, but adds: “The ones I haven’t enjoyed so much have been the ones that are money-making. Of course it is nice to be able to buy a flat and all that stuff, but that is not what makes me feel alive.

“We are not here long. So I want to be able to just play around as much as possible.”

Speaking to The Big Issue, Scott expresses his concern that LGBT+ people are being hit hard by homelessness.

“When you think of [LGBT+ homelessness charity] the Albert Kennedy Trust, particularly talking to you guys, the idea of young people being on the streets because of [being gay] now is devastating to me,” he says. “People throwing their children out. 

“In the past, there has been so much fear-mongering. To a certain extent, parents being fearful of their children being gay was understandable given what they had to read in the press and saw on television. So when you change what is on television and what is in the press, that changes people’s lives, genuinely. There is absolutely no reason for people to be turned out on the streets. 

“If we are not talking in hysteria about sexuality, then people can feel, OK that is a viable option for my son. Thinking of Fleabag, that a gay person was able to play a part like that? That is why these things matter.” 

Read the rest of the interview with this week’s cover star in the Big Issue, available from your local vendor until Sunday.

Support the Big Issue

For over 30 years, the Big Issue has been committed to ending poverty in the UK. In 2024, our work is needed more than ever. Find out how you can support the Big Issue today.
Vendor martin Hawes

Recommended for you

View all
Ralf Little on leaving Death in Paradise, his replacement and taking on Jeremy Hunt
Ralf Little
Exclusive

Ralf Little on leaving Death in Paradise, his replacement and taking on Jeremy Hunt

Mary & George's Tony Curran on playing pacifist, pleasure-seeking King James
Tony Curran as King James I
TV

Mary & George's Tony Curran on playing pacifist, pleasure-seeking King James

John Malkovich on fashion, hope and why beauty is mandatory for the survival of the species
TV

John Malkovich on fashion, hope and why beauty is mandatory for the survival of the species

Filmmaker Adam Curtis on epic new BBC drama The Way – and how the power of TV is shaking up Britain
Callum Scott Howells in The Way
TV

Filmmaker Adam Curtis on epic new BBC drama The Way – and how the power of TV is shaking up Britain

Most Popular

Read All
Renters pay their landlords' buy-to-let mortgages, so they should get a share of the profits
Renters: A mortgage lender's window advertising buy-to-let products
1.

Renters pay their landlords' buy-to-let mortgages, so they should get a share of the profits

Exclusive: Disabled people are 'set up to fail' by the DWP in target-driven disability benefits system, whistleblowers reveal
Pound coins on a piece of paper with disability living allowancve
2.

Exclusive: Disabled people are 'set up to fail' by the DWP in target-driven disability benefits system, whistleblowers reveal

Here's when UK households to start receiving last cost of living payments
next dwp cost of living payment 2023
3.

Here's when UK households to start receiving last cost of living payments

Strike dates 2023: From train drivers to NHS doctors, here are the dates to know
4.

Strike dates 2023: From train drivers to NHS doctors, here are the dates to know