‘Downton Abbey’ Director: Realy of Craftg a Closeted Gay Romance – IndieWire

Contents:

• DOWNTON ABBEY ACTOR SAYS GAY ROLE HURT HIS CAREER — BUT IS HE RIGHT?
• MICHELLE DOCKERY AND THE DOWNTON ABBEY CAST ON SUPPORTG THOMAS, MARY AS A GAY IN
• DOWNTON ABBEY'STHOMAS AT A GAY BAR WH THE DOWAGER? IT COULD HAPPEN
• THE ‘DOWNTON ABBEY’ MOVIE GAY BAR SCENE IS ACTUALLY PRETTY HISTORILLY ACCURATE
• THE ‘DOWNTON ABBEY’ MOVIE’S GAY STORYLE ALMOST HAD A DARKER ENDG
• DOWNTON ABBEY STAR MOVED BY GAY STORYLE NEW MOVIE
• ‘DOWNTON ABBEY’ DIRECTOR DISCS THE REALI OF CRAFTG A 1920S CLOSETED GAY ROMANCE
• DOWNTON ABBEY'S THOMAS BARROW AND THE FUTURE OF THE GAY PAST
• DOWNTON'S ROBERT JAM-COLLIER OPENS UP ABOUT 'HORRIFIC' GAY STORYLE
• DOWNTON ABBEY'S GAY BUTLER THOMAS BARROW SET FOR EXPLOSIVE FAL SERI
• WILL IT GET BETTER FOR THE GAY BUTLER AFTER THE "DOWNTON ABBEY" MOVIE?WRER AND CREATOR JULIAN FELLOW HAS PLANS FOR THOMAS {FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.2 "D BOLD",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NORMAL;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#89308A;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}{FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.2 "D BOLD",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NORMAL;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#89308A;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}MOVIBY CHRISTOPHER RUDOLPHSEPTEMBER 20, 2019/6:02 {HEIGHT:HER;DISPLAY:-WEBK-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:FLEX;POSN:RELATIVE;-WEBK-FLEX-WRAP:WRAP;-MS-FLEX-WRAP:WRAP;FLEX-WRAP:WRAP;-WEBK-ALIGN-EMS:CENTER;-WEBK-BOX-ALIGN:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-ALIGN:CENTER;ALIGN-EMS:CENTER;-WEBK-BOX-PACK:CENTER;-WEBK-JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-PACK:CENTER;JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;-WEBK-TRANSFORM-ORIG:CENTER;-MS-TRANSFORM-ORIG:CENTER;TRANSFORM-ORIG:CENTER;} IMG{HEIGHT:100%;WIDTH:100%;OBJECT-F:VER;}{HEIGHT:3000PX;WIDTH:4500PX;}JAAP BUENDIJK4127_D005_00102_R ROBERT JAM-COLLIER STARS AS THOMAS BARROW DOWNTON ABBEY, A FOC FEATUR RELEASE. CRED: JAAP BUENDIJK / © 2019 FOC FEATUR, LLCBY CHRISTOPHER RUDOLPHSEPTEMBER 20, 2019 / 6:02 PM{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"NEWSARTICLE","HEADLE":"WILL IT GET BETTER FOR THE GAY BUTLER AFTER THE \"DOWNTON ABBEY\" MOVIE?","THUMBNAILURL":","DATEPUBLISHED":"2019-09-20T22:02:46.000+0000","DATEMODIFIED":"2019-09-20T22:02:46.000+0000","IMAGE":{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT","URL":","WIDTH":1920,"HEIGHT":1080},"URL":","THOR":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","NAME":"LOGO TV"},"MAENTYOFPAGE":{"@TYPE":"WEBPAGE","@ID":"},"PUBLISHER":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","@ID":","NAME":"LOGO TV","URL":","LOGO":{"@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT"}},"CREATOR":"CHRISTOPHER RUDOLPH","ARTICLESECTN":"MOVI"}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}THE CRAWLEYS REQUT YOUR ATTENDANCE AT DNER BEE THE DOWNTON ABBEY MOVIE IS HTG THEATERS THIS {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}IN HONOR OF THE NEW FILM, JULIAN FELLOW, CREATOR AND WRER OF DOWNTON ABBEY, SAT DOWN WH NEWNOWNEXT TO DISCS GAY BUTLER THOMAS BARROW (ROB JAM-COLLIER), HIS ROMANTIC SUBPLOT THE MOVIE, AND WHAT FELLOW HAS PLANNED IF THERE IS A DOWNTON {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}MAJOR SPOILERS AHEADJAAP BUENDIJK4127_D005_00023-00024_RCC(L-R.) PRODUCER GARETH NEAME, WRER AND PRODUCER JULIAN FELLOW AND ACTOR MICHELLE DOCKERY ON THE SET OF DOWNTON ABBEY, A FOC FEATUR JAAP BUENDIJK / FOC {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}WHEN YOU STARTED WRG THE DOWNTON MOVIE, DID YOU KNOW THOMAS BARROW WOULD HAVE SUCH A SIGNIFINT STORYLE?{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}OH, Y. I FELT THAT THE TWO PEOPLE WHO WERE SLIGHTLY UNROLVED AT THE END OF THE SERI WERE THE TWO THOMAS, TOM BRANSON AND THOMAS BARROW. AND BARROW HAD NOT REALLY BEEN ALLOWED ANY FULFILLMENT DURG THE SERI. I THK ’S IMPORTANT WE DON’T FET HOW FAR WE’VE E SUCH A SHORT PERD. IT WAS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO BE GAY BACK THEN. WHEN WE HAD A GAY STORYLE [ THE SERI], AND THE POLICE WERE G FOR BARROW, AT ONE POT I HAD LETTERS OM PEOPLE SAYG “ARE YOU SERLY TELLG ME THAT BEG GAY WAS A CRIME 1914?” WELL, 1914 WAS A CRIME, AND WAS A CRIME FOR ANOTHER HALF CENTURY AFTER THAT! SO EASILY WE N FET WHAT THE MEN WENT THROUGH. THE WHOLE GAY MUNY THE 1920S, MOST PEOPLE HAD TO LIVE A LIE. I THK ’S GOOD TO BE REMD OF THAT, AND GOOD TO BE REMD THERE WAS A GAY MUNY. I WANTED TO EXPLORE THAT THE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}WHERE DID THE IA FOR THE GAY BAR RAID SCENE E OM?{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}I WAS JT READG ABOUT . AND THOSE DAYS YOU ULDN’T HAVE A GAY BAR, EVEN THE WAY YOU ULD THE ’50S. IF YOU WANTED TO HAVE A MEETG PLACE, HAD TO BE A TEMPORARY ONE. IT HAD TO BE A STOREROOM, SOME KD OF SPACE WHERE YOU ULD GET GOG, BUT IF THE POLICE FOUND OUT ABOUT YOU ULD UP STICKS AND MOVE WHOUT ANY LAY. THEY WERE A PEOPLE UNR THREAT, THEY WERE A PEOPLE UNR DANGER. WHAT WE WERE HOPG TO NVEY WAS THAT THERE WAS A GAY MUNY, BUT AT THE SAME TIME WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO BE PART OF A PERSECUTED MORY. AND I HOPE THAT THROUGH THE FILM.JAAP BUENDIJK4127_D041_00037_RC ROBERT JAM-COLLIER STARS AS THOMAS BARROW DOWNTON ABBEY, A FOC FEATUR RELEASE. CRED: JAAP BUENDIJK / © 2019 FOC FEATUR, {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}BARROW WAS PRETTY SNEAKY DURG THE SERI. DID YOU NSCLY WRE HIM AS A MORE POSIVE, LIKABLE PERSON THE MOVIE?{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}I THK HE BEME MORE POSIVE DURG THE URSE OF THE SERI, REALLY. AND HE ME TO TERMS WH WHO HE WAS. IN FACT, HIS SECRET AT THE BEGNG WAS NOT A SECRET BY THE SIXTH SERI, AND THEY HAD ALL LEARNED TO LIVE WH . AND TO ACCEPT . LED A WAY BY ROBERT, WHO DIDN’T REALLY RE, AND MRS. HUGH, WHO DIDN’T REALLY RE. THEY BOTH REALLY ALLOWED THE OTHERS TO ACCEPT THE TTH OF BARROW, SO I FELT HE WAS MELLOWED BY THE TIME HE TOOK OVER AS {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}WHEN YOU STARTED WRG THE DOWNTON SERI, DID YOU ALWAYS WANT TO CLU A GAY CHARACTER?{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}Y, I DID. THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO REASON TO BELIEVE THERE WAS A LOWER PERCENTAGE OF PEOPLE WHO WERE GAY THE 1920S OR THE 1850S. THE PERCENTAGE HASN’T CHANGED, WHAT'S CHANGED IS THE PERCEPTN. IN THOSE DAYS MOST PEOPLE WHO WERE GAY HAD TO CREATE SOME KD OF ONT THEY ULD LIVE BEHD. BUT DIDN’T MEAN THEY WEREN’T GAY AND WEREN’T WRTLG WH THOSE FEELGS. THAT SEEMED TO ME TO BE IMPORTANT TO REMD {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}I WAS PLEASANTLY SURPRISED BY THOMAS' ROMANTIC STORYLE THE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}THERE IS A DANGER WHEN YOU AL WH GAY CHARACTERS A PERD PIECE— IS ALWAYS ABOUT THE SUFFERG, AND THE UNFAIRNS—BUT I THK ’S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THE LOVE, AND WHAT ’S ALL ABOUT IS LOVE. "A LOVE THAT DARE NOT SPEAK S NAME," AS THE PHRASE WENT, BUT NEVERTHELS THE LOVE. I JT WANTED TO HAVE A MOMENT WHERE WE WERE REMD THAT THE ARE TWO HUMAN BEGS, EMOTNALLY ATTRACTED TO EACH OTHER, AND BEG A LTLE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:FLEX;-WEBK-BOX-PACK:CENTER;-WEBK-JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-PACK:CENTER;JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;POSN:RELATIVE;PADDG-BOTTOM:56.49999999999999%;} .TWTER-TWEET-RENRED, {M-WIDTH:65%;WIDTH:TO !IMPORTANT;} {WIDTH:100%;} {MARG-LEFT:TO !IMPORTANT;MARG-RIGHT:TO !IMPORTANT;} IMG{MAX-WIDTH:100%;WIDTH:100%;} > IAME{BORR:NONE;MAX-WIDTH:100%;} > *{MAX-WIDTH:NONE !IMPORTANT;POSN:ABSOLUTE;HEIGHT:100% !IMPORTANT;WIDTH:100% !IMPORTANT;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}IF THERE WAS A DOWNTON SEQUEL, ULD YOU SEE THOMAS AND HIS LOVE TERT RNG?{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}TO BE HONT, I HAVEN’T REALLY STARTED THKG ABOUT ALL THAT KD OF THG. [LGHS]. I CERTALY SEE THOMAS BARROW BEG BEE I THK HE'S ONE OF THE FUNDAMENTAL CHARACTERS OF THE SHOW, SO ON SOME LEVEL OR ANOTHER WE WOULD BE NTUG HIS {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}IF BARROW WERE ALIVE TODAY, STEAD OF 1927, WHAT DO YOU THK HE WOULD BE DOG?{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}I THK HIS WHOLE SUATN WOULD BE PLETELY DIFFERENT. I THK HE WOULD HAVE A RELATNSHIP. HE WOULD PROBABLY BE DISCREET ABOUT , BUT WOULDN’T REALLY WORRY ANYONE. WE’RE ALL PAST THAT NOW. I THK THE TENSN WOULD DRA OUT OF THE SUATN, REALLY. OF URSE LIFE IS DIFFICULT. IT REMAS DIFFICULT 2019 AS WAS 1819. BUT THAT PARTICULAR ELEMENT OF , THAT YOU HAD TO SUPPRS YOUR EMOTNALLY INTY, I THK THAT IS NO LONGER NECSARY. EVEN AT TIM IF REQUIR A LTLE URAGE, NEVERTHELS IS POSSIBLE TO HAVE A HOMOSEXUAL INTY AND LIVE FORTABLY AND WELL NORMAL SOCIETY, AND THAT’S JT AS SHOULD {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;CLEAR:BOTH;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;MARG:0 TO;WIDTH:90%;M-WIDTH:288PX;MAX-WIDTH:1440PX;M-HEIGHT:194PX;}LATT NEWS

DOWNTON ABBEY ACTOR SAYS GAY ROLE HURT HIS CAREER — BUT IS HE RIGHT?

Robert Jam-Collier is known ternatnally for his role as Thomas Barrow, the v gay unrbutler who brought trigue to the halls of Downton the perd drama, Barrow hid his sexual orientatn for fear would hurt his reer. And the straight actor who portrays him, Jam-Collier, believ this character's inty may have had nsequenc the morn-day real world as, an terview wh Rad Tim, said his renown for playg a gay role hred his chanc Hollywood.

N intify que easily wh the qutsential English gent and English lady, whereas a nrotic, dark, gay character like Thomas is a hard thg to put to the Amerin market.

"Bee Thomas Barrow is gay and is, sentially, the bad guy for much of the show, a lot of people wh the dtry n only see you as that. He received offers for gay rol the theater world, which he refed bee he "really wanted to show somethg different.

MICHELLE DOCKERY AND THE DOWNTON ABBEY CAST ON SUPPORTG THOMAS, MARY AS A GAY IN

" He is now set to appear the upg horror movie The Rual, one of his first major parts sce Jam-Collier did enunter hurdl Hollywood for playg a gay role, his experience would be an exceptn -- at least morn tim. There are straight actors who have turned down gay rol for var reasons, cludg a fear would lim future opportuni.

DOWNTON ABBEY'STHOMAS AT A GAY BAR WH THE DOWAGER? IT COULD HAPPEN

Will Smh said he limed the physily of his gay role Six Degre of Separatn, on a warng om Denzel Washgton, who said, "You n act all you want, but don't do any physil scen....

"But overall, Hollywood is full of straight actors who have won acclaim, awards, and a uful reer after playg gay rol. Flirtat Gay Man. Harry Gay...

THE ‘DOWNTON ABBEY’ MOVIE GAY BAR SCENE IS ACTUALLY PRETTY HISTORILLY ACCURATE

The latt film Julian Fellow's seri about a land fay and their staff Yorkshire buckg agast and embracg progrs terms of class, gay inty, and women's rights now fac off wh Hollywood when a film crew arriv to shoot a movie at the time around, Lady Mary, gay butler Thomas (Rob Jam-Collier), and others stay behd to manage the film shoot, while Lord (Hugh Bonneville) and Lady Grantham (Elizabeth McGovern) head to the South of France wh Lady Edh (Lra Carmichael) to vtigate how the Dowager Counts (Maggie Smh) me to be posssn of land there. Each plotle speaks to the lseng ictn between the old ways and the new, wh Downton's lovable characters leang toward change and Mary provg once aga that she's a gay in.

"[What} I fd so tertg is that Downton Abbey is a movie that a mercial dience has stayed fahful to for years, and 's got women over the age of 40 that are speakg, 's got no vlence, no sex, no r chas, no aliens, very sympathetic [gay] characters who you feel their pa and reprsn, " McGovern says. Certaly, they me to unrstand Thomas's gay inty early on. Mary's rilience is the stuff of gay in material.

THE ‘DOWNTON ABBEY’ MOVIE’S GAY STORYLE ALMOST HAD A DARKER ENDG

Over the seasons, the seri revealed that Thomas’ schem were motivated by his stggle as a closeted gay man livg early 20th century England.

DOWNTON ABBEY STAR MOVED BY GAY STORYLE NEW MOVIE

Once dubbed the "evil gay footman, " a moniker that was at once a trope and also unapologetilly lic nsirg the character's machatns, Rob Jam-Collier's Thomas rose to the proment tle of head butler to the Crawley fay toward the end of the seri.

"Homosexual acts" weren't crimalized England until 1967, but the Downton Abbey feature film, which revolv around the fay -- but maly the servants -- fastidly preppg for a last-mute vis om Kg Gee and Queen Mary, offers Thomas a glimmer of happs a world where he's ls alone. "We've seen that stggle and what was like to be gay a time when was illegal and agast his relign. "He wasn't aware of this entire world, this entire culture behd closed doors where there were like-md gay men who were ee and dancg together, kissg each other, and lerally jt allowed to be themselv and create this unique world hidn, but direct view, " Jam-Collier says of a scene which a wi-eyed Thomas enters his first clanste club for queer men.

‘DOWNTON ABBEY’ DIRECTOR DISCS THE REALI OF CRAFTG A 1920S CLOSETED GAY ROMANCE

"Creator and wrer Julian Fellow and Jam-Collier have hered Thomas through om the guilty pleasure of the nnivg "evil gay footman" of the early seasons to beg a beloved character who has, at turns, exprsed great passn for others.

Throughout, Thomas stggled ternally and externally wh g to terms wh beg gay at a time when any exposure uld have ed him to lose all. "If he's found out as a practicg homosexual, he would fely be sacked.

DOWNTON ABBEY'S THOMAS BARROW AND THE FUTURE OF THE GAY PAST

Consirg Thomas's sojourn to a gay tablishment the film, when asked who Jam-Collier thought would be the most likely of the servants or the fay to hang out a gay bar wh his character, he nsirs refully. And he's proud of the story of rilience through strife that he's helped to tell through Thomas's journey -- pecially wh the feature film pictg a more hopeful place for the Crawleys' gay butler.

Gay butler Thomas Barrow fally gets his happy endg Downton Abbey: A New Era. This time, however, we’re treated to somethg new: a gay happy endg. But on a trip to York, Barrow is ved to an unrground gay bar, where he is arrted after the club raid by police.

At a time when gay sex was punishable by life imprisonment, and gross cency by at least two years behd bars, Barrow was a prer suatn. In the new film, Thomas Barrow (Robert Jam-Collier) gets to vis a gay bar lled Turton's. But once they're si, Thomas se that 's a secret bar filled wh gay men drkg, dancg, and generally havg a good time.

DOWNTON'S ROBERT JAM-COLLIER OPENS UP ABOUT 'HORRIFIC' GAY STORYLE

A Vice article about the history of UK gay bars not that 18th century spac for gay men to meet that were known as "molly ho" are well-documented, but that siar meetg spac existed long before that.

Historian Peter Ackroyd told the Guardian 2017, "As a percentage of the populatn, there were as many gay bars 18th-century London as there are today. " In 1912, a bar lled The Cave of the Goln Calf, Bra's "first 'gay bar', as we know today", opened London, but was around for only two years.

DOWNTON ABBEY'S GAY BUTLER THOMAS BARROW SET FOR EXPLOSIVE FAL SERI

It wasn't until the Sexual Offens Act of 1967 that homosexual relatnships were crimalized, but that did not mean that there was full equaly Bra. Thomas Barrow, Downton Abbey‘s valet-turned-butler, whose dark journey durg the seri saw him take some wrenchg steps to try and “cure” himself of homosexualy, received a much more hopeful treatment the new feature film of the same name.

The film, which troduc Barrow to a world he has never seen before, a clanste unrground social scene where gay men n openly nnect, where he's led by Richard Ellis (Max Brown), part of the royal entourage that has e to vis Downton. Engler also spoke about the gay storyle wh Indiewire, about some of the choic that were ma when pictg the 1920s gay scene, particular the gay ‘speakeasy' that gets raid.

WILL IT GET BETTER FOR THE GAY BUTLER AFTER THE "DOWNTON ABBEY" MOVIE?WRER AND CREATOR JULIAN FELLOW HAS PLANS FOR THOMAS {FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.2 "D BOLD",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NORMAL;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#89308A;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}{FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.2 "D BOLD",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NORMAL;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#89308A;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}MOVIBY CHRISTOPHER RUDOLPHSEPTEMBER 20, 2019/6:02 {HEIGHT:HER;DISPLAY:-WEBK-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:FLEX;POSN:RELATIVE;-WEBK-FLEX-WRAP:WRAP;-MS-FLEX-WRAP:WRAP;FLEX-WRAP:WRAP;-WEBK-ALIGN-EMS:CENTER;-WEBK-BOX-ALIGN:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-ALIGN:CENTER;ALIGN-EMS:CENTER;-WEBK-BOX-PACK:CENTER;-WEBK-JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-PACK:CENTER;JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;-WEBK-TRANSFORM-ORIG:CENTER;-MS-TRANSFORM-ORIG:CENTER;TRANSFORM-ORIG:CENTER;} IMG{HEIGHT:100%;WIDTH:100%;OBJECT-F:VER;}{HEIGHT:3000PX;WIDTH:4500PX;}JAAP BUENDIJK4127_D005_00102_R ROBERT JAM-COLLIER STARS AS THOMAS BARROW DOWNTON ABBEY, A FOC FEATUR RELEASE. CRED: JAAP BUENDIJK / © 2019 FOC FEATUR, LLCBY CHRISTOPHER RUDOLPHSEPTEMBER 20, 2019 / 6:02 PM{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"NEWSARTICLE","HEADLE":"WILL IT GET BETTER FOR THE GAY BUTLER AFTER THE \"DOWNTON ABBEY\" MOVIE?","THUMBNAILURL":","DATEPUBLISHED":"2019-09-20T22:02:46.000+0000","DATEMODIFIED":"2019-09-20T22:02:46.000+0000","IMAGE":{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT","URL":","WIDTH":1920,"HEIGHT":1080},"URL":","THOR":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","NAME":"LOGO TV"},"MAENTYOFPAGE":{"@TYPE":"WEBPAGE","@ID":"},"PUBLISHER":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","@ID":","NAME":"LOGO TV","URL":","LOGO":{"@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT"}},"CREATOR":"CHRISTOPHER RUDOLPH","ARTICLESECTN":"MOVI"}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}THE CRAWLEYS REQUT YOUR ATTENDANCE AT DNER BEE THE DOWNTON ABBEY MOVIE IS HTG THEATERS THIS {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}IN HONOR OF THE NEW FILM, JULIAN FELLOW, CREATOR AND WRER OF DOWNTON ABBEY, SAT DOWN WH NEWNOWNEXT TO DISCS GAY BUTLER THOMAS BARROW (ROB JAM-COLLIER), HIS ROMANTIC SUBPLOT THE MOVIE, AND WHAT FELLOW HAS PLANNED IF THERE IS A DOWNTON {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}MAJOR SPOILERS AHEADJAAP BUENDIJK4127_D005_00023-00024_RCC(L-R.) PRODUCER GARETH NEAME, WRER AND PRODUCER JULIAN FELLOW AND ACTOR MICHELLE DOCKERY ON THE SET OF DOWNTON ABBEY, A FOC FEATUR JAAP BUENDIJK / FOC {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}WHEN YOU STARTED WRG THE DOWNTON MOVIE, DID YOU KNOW THOMAS BARROW WOULD HAVE SUCH A SIGNIFINT STORYLE?{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}OH, Y. I FELT THAT THE TWO PEOPLE WHO WERE SLIGHTLY UNROLVED AT THE END OF THE SERI WERE THE TWO THOMAS, TOM BRANSON AND THOMAS BARROW. AND BARROW HAD NOT REALLY BEEN ALLOWED ANY FULFILLMENT DURG THE SERI. I THK ’S IMPORTANT WE DON’T FET HOW FAR WE’VE E SUCH A SHORT PERD. IT WAS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO BE GAY BACK THEN. WHEN WE HAD A GAY STORYLE [ THE SERI], AND THE POLICE WERE G FOR BARROW, AT ONE POT I HAD LETTERS OM PEOPLE SAYG “ARE YOU SERLY TELLG ME THAT BEG GAY WAS A CRIME 1914?” WELL, 1914 WAS A CRIME, AND WAS A CRIME FOR ANOTHER HALF CENTURY AFTER THAT! SO EASILY WE N FET WHAT THE MEN WENT THROUGH. THE WHOLE GAY MUNY THE 1920S, MOST PEOPLE HAD TO LIVE A LIE. I THK ’S GOOD TO BE REMD OF THAT, AND GOOD TO BE REMD THERE WAS A GAY MUNY. I WANTED TO EXPLORE THAT THE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}WHERE DID THE IA FOR THE GAY BAR RAID SCENE E OM?{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}I WAS JT READG ABOUT . AND THOSE DAYS YOU ULDN’T HAVE A GAY BAR, EVEN THE WAY YOU ULD THE ’50S. IF YOU WANTED TO HAVE A MEETG PLACE, HAD TO BE A TEMPORARY ONE. IT HAD TO BE A STOREROOM, SOME KD OF SPACE WHERE YOU ULD GET GOG, BUT IF THE POLICE FOUND OUT ABOUT YOU ULD UP STICKS AND MOVE WHOUT ANY LAY. THEY WERE A PEOPLE UNR THREAT, THEY WERE A PEOPLE UNR DANGER. WHAT WE WERE HOPG TO NVEY WAS THAT THERE WAS A GAY MUNY, BUT AT THE SAME TIME WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO BE PART OF A PERSECUTED MORY. AND I HOPE THAT THROUGH THE FILM.JAAP BUENDIJK4127_D041_00037_RC ROBERT JAM-COLLIER STARS AS THOMAS BARROW DOWNTON ABBEY, A FOC FEATUR RELEASE. CRED: JAAP BUENDIJK / © 2019 FOC FEATUR, {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}BARROW WAS PRETTY SNEAKY DURG THE SERI. DID YOU NSCLY WRE HIM AS A MORE POSIVE, LIKABLE PERSON THE MOVIE?{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}I THK HE BEME MORE POSIVE DURG THE URSE OF THE SERI, REALLY. AND HE ME TO TERMS WH WHO HE WAS. IN FACT, HIS SECRET AT THE BEGNG WAS NOT A SECRET BY THE SIXTH SERI, AND THEY HAD ALL LEARNED TO LIVE WH . AND TO ACCEPT . LED A WAY BY ROBERT, WHO DIDN’T REALLY RE, AND MRS. HUGH, WHO DIDN’T REALLY RE. THEY BOTH REALLY ALLOWED THE OTHERS TO ACCEPT THE TTH OF BARROW, SO I FELT HE WAS MELLOWED BY THE TIME HE TOOK OVER AS {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}WHEN YOU STARTED WRG THE DOWNTON SERI, DID YOU ALWAYS WANT TO CLU A GAY CHARACTER?{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}Y, I DID. THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO REASON TO BELIEVE THERE WAS A LOWER PERCENTAGE OF PEOPLE WHO WERE GAY THE 1920S OR THE 1850S. THE PERCENTAGE HASN’T CHANGED, WHAT'S CHANGED IS THE PERCEPTN. IN THOSE DAYS MOST PEOPLE WHO WERE GAY HAD TO CREATE SOME KD OF ONT THEY ULD LIVE BEHD. BUT DIDN’T MEAN THEY WEREN’T GAY AND WEREN’T WRTLG WH THOSE FEELGS. THAT SEEMED TO ME TO BE IMPORTANT TO REMD {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}I WAS PLEASANTLY SURPRISED BY THOMAS' ROMANTIC STORYLE THE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}THERE IS A DANGER WHEN YOU AL WH GAY CHARACTERS A PERD PIECE— IS ALWAYS ABOUT THE SUFFERG, AND THE UNFAIRNS—BUT I THK ’S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THE LOVE, AND WHAT ’S ALL ABOUT IS LOVE. "A LOVE THAT DARE NOT SPEAK S NAME," AS THE PHRASE WENT, BUT NEVERTHELS THE LOVE. I JT WANTED TO HAVE A MOMENT WHERE WE WERE REMD THAT THE ARE TWO HUMAN BEGS, EMOTNALLY ATTRACTED TO EACH OTHER, AND BEG A LTLE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:FLEX;-WEBK-BOX-PACK:CENTER;-WEBK-JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-PACK:CENTER;JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;POSN:RELATIVE;PADDG-BOTTOM:56.49999999999999%;} .TWTER-TWEET-RENRED, {M-WIDTH:65%;WIDTH:TO !IMPORTANT;} {WIDTH:100%;} {MARG-LEFT:TO !IMPORTANT;MARG-RIGHT:TO !IMPORTANT;} IMG{MAX-WIDTH:100%;WIDTH:100%;} > IAME{BORR:NONE;MAX-WIDTH:100%;} > *{MAX-WIDTH:NONE !IMPORTANT;POSN:ABSOLUTE;HEIGHT:100% !IMPORTANT;WIDTH:100% !IMPORTANT;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}IF THERE WAS A DOWNTON SEQUEL, ULD YOU SEE THOMAS AND HIS LOVE TERT RNG?{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}TO BE HONT, I HAVEN’T REALLY STARTED THKG ABOUT ALL THAT KD OF THG. [LGHS]. I CERTALY SEE THOMAS BARROW BEG BEE I THK HE'S ONE OF THE FUNDAMENTAL CHARACTERS OF THE SHOW, SO ON SOME LEVEL OR ANOTHER WE WOULD BE NTUG HIS {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}IF BARROW WERE ALIVE TODAY, STEAD OF 1927, WHAT DO YOU THK HE WOULD BE DOG?{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}I THK HIS WHOLE SUATN WOULD BE PLETELY DIFFERENT. I THK HE WOULD HAVE A RELATNSHIP. HE WOULD PROBABLY BE DISCREET ABOUT , BUT WOULDN’T REALLY WORRY ANYONE. WE’RE ALL PAST THAT NOW. I THK THE TENSN WOULD DRA OUT OF THE SUATN, REALLY. OF URSE LIFE IS DIFFICULT. IT REMAS DIFFICULT 2019 AS WAS 1819. BUT THAT PARTICULAR ELEMENT OF , THAT YOU HAD TO SUPPRS YOUR EMOTNALLY INTY, I THK THAT IS NO LONGER NECSARY. EVEN AT TIM IF REQUIR A LTLE URAGE, NEVERTHELS IS POSSIBLE TO HAVE A HOMOSEXUAL INTY AND LIVE FORTABLY AND WELL NORMAL SOCIETY, AND THAT’S JT AS SHOULD {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;CLEAR:BOTH;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;MARG:0 TO;WIDTH:90%;M-WIDTH:288PX;MAX-WIDTH:1440PX;M-HEIGHT:194PX;}LATT NEWS

Said Engler: “In pictg that world, that gatherg that he go to, we had to fd a way to tell that didn't feel anachronistic even though there's almost no rearch that one uld actually do about a place like that bee there was no gay bars York 1927. There's people of lor gay bars, and there's guys who go to the gym and are mcle-y gay bars.

It seemed that was Thomas’ bt chance at happs as a closeted gay man 1920s England.

After all, he hadn’t had much luck love the past, and homosexualy was emed a crime at the time. Left to his own vic, Thomas starts hangg out wh one of the royal servants and eventually stumbl upon an unrground gay nightclub full of men dancg, lghg, and drkg.