'Downton Abbey' Actor Says Gay Role Hurt His Career — But Is He Right?

Contents:

• DOWNTON ABBEY’S ROB JAM-COLLIER REVEALS REACTN TO ‘HORRIFIC’ GAY STORYLE
• DOWNTON ABBEY ACTOR SAYS GAY ROLE HURT HIS CAREER — BUT IS HE RIGHT?
• ROB JAM-COLLIER SAYS PLAYG GAY ON DOWNTON ABBEY HURT HIS REER
• ‘DOWNTON ABBEY’ STAR ROB JAM-COLLIER RECEIV BACKLASH AFTER GAY TYPESTG COMMENTS
• IS ROB JAM-COLLIER GAY?
• DOWNTON ABBEY STAR ROB JAM-COLLIER CLAIMS PLAYG A GAY CHARACTER LEFT HIM 'TYPEST'

DOWNTON ABBEY’S ROB JAM-COLLIER REVEALS REACTN TO ‘HORRIFIC’ GAY STORYLE

Robert returns as Thomas (Picture: ITV)Former Corrie star Robert Jam-Collier has revealed his own reactn to landg an important gay storyle the upg Downton Abbey film. The actor, who plays valet-turned-butler Thomas Barrow for the big-screen outg, after starrg the ITV drama, said his plotle shows the treatment of beg a gay man the 1920s.

Speakg of beg given the opportuny to lift the lid on what was like, Jam said was an emotnal sight to a horrific perd for gay people. He’s opened up on his important storyle (Picture: PA)He ntued: ‘It also hammers home what was like to be a gay man those tim, was horrific and ’s brought back and jt shows how different was.

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.

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

"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. " 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.

ROB JAM-COLLIER SAYS PLAYG GAY ON DOWNTON ABBEY HURT HIS REER

There are straight actors who have turned down gay rol for var reasons, cludg a fear would lim future opportuni.

‘DOWNTON ABBEY’ STAR ROB JAM-COLLIER RECEIV BACKLASH AFTER GAY TYPESTG COMMENTS

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. Rob Jam-Collier thks playg gay has harmed his chanc of a Hollywood reer.

The actor, who prevly starred UK soap Coronatn Street, played schemg gay butler Thomas Barrow the h ITV show for four seasons, but now he worri he’s been typest bee of his role.

IS ROB JAM-COLLIER GAY?

“I thk dienc the US 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, ” he argued. Sce the show end 2015, Rob says he’s been offered a few theatre rol “which happened to be gay characters”, but he turned them down bee he “wanted to show somethg different”. “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 ntued.

Expect flappers and the Charlton, and a Marcel wave or me e clean: I haven't seen a preview of season 3 -- my home that would be cheatg; 's what we still ll appotment TV -- but I have on great thory that this is the season which that villao gay footman-turned-valet, Thomas Barrow, experienc the tenr love that his poor, neglected heart so crav and needs. Although there clearly were gay men Edwardian England, they've been snt supply on televisn. "Jam-Collier has joked that his character's sexualy beme so muted season 2 that he lled up Fellow and asked, "Am I still gay?

DOWNTON ABBEY STAR ROB JAM-COLLIER CLAIMS PLAYG A GAY CHARACTER LEFT HIM 'TYPEST'

"It's the seri where we really to grips wh Thomas's sexualy and the impact beg gay mt have had on him, Edwardian tim, " he says. "If you're cludg a gay character, there's an on and rponsibily to at least show what the impact of the time will be on him, and of him on that time.

"If you were gay those tim, the fact that you're even functng, how you're not pletely fucked up by that, is beyond me.

"Although not gay real life, he says he has empathy for misfs and outsirs, perhaps bee of his own atypil route to actg.