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

Contents:

• DOWNTON ABBEY ACTOR SAYS GAY ROLE HURT HIS CAREER — BUT IS HE RIGHT?
• DOWNTON ABBEY'S CREEPY GAY SECRET
• ‘DOWNTON ABBEY’ ACTOR SAYS PLAYG A GAY CHARACTER HAS LEFT HIM “TYPEST”
• DOWNTON'S ROBERT JAM-COLLIER OPENS UP ABOUT 'HORRIFIC' GAY STORYLE
• THE ‘DOWNTON ABBEY’ MOVIE’S GAY STORYLE ALMOST HAD A DARKER ENDG
• DOWNTON ABBEY’S ROB JAM-COLLIER REVEALS REACTN TO ‘HORRIFIC’ GAY STORYLE
• 'DOWNTON ABBEY': A GAY OLD TIME
• DOWNTON ABBEY'S THOMAS BARROW AND THE FUTURE OF THE GAY PAST
• DOWNTON ABBEY ACTOR SAYS GAY ROLE HURT HIS CAREER — BUT IS HE RIGHT?

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

The actns were fueled O'Brien's fluence, as she suggted to Jimmy that he would be spected of beg gay himself if he didn't act. He played gay rights activist Jonathan Blake Pri. One of the films that began to turn the ti was 2014's "Pri, " which foced on the real-life story of a group of lbian and gay London activists helpg out the 1984 Brish mers' strike and tablishg an unlikely bond of mutual support.

(via Pk News), wh gay men as the targets of particular social and polil stigma. A seasoned, eply lovg uple, they play a major part showg the small town of Onllwyn that gay men are people like everybody else, wh the livels and optimism of Blake — a real-life legend Brish LGBT activism (via OX Magaze) — provg particularly key that tearg down of walls. 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.

DOWNTON ABBEY'S CREEPY GAY SECRET

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.

‘DOWNTON ABBEY’ ACTOR SAYS PLAYG A GAY CHARACTER HAS LEFT HIM “TYPEST”

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.

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

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

The most fascatg gay villa on televisn is Downton Abbey's schemg unr-butler Thomas Barrow, played wh smolrg menace by the darkly handsome Rob many characters on the wildly popular Brish seri, Barrow is a mass of ntradictns. He attempts to blackmail a gay aristocrat season 1, yet he falls unrequed love wh pretty boy footman Jimmy, whose life he sav, season the season 5 premiere alone, Barrow tri to blackmail lady's maid Baxter to revealg dirt on the valet Mr.

Bat, yet he rcu Lady Edh and sav the day when the hoe tch 's villay is rooted his seethg rentment of his aristocratic employers, but more importantly, the fact that he's a closeted gay man a time when homosexualy was punishable by gay storyle is takg a dark and creepy turn the current season, which ma s U. All signs suggt that he's attemptg some 1920s versn of gay "nversn" an terview wh Brish tabloid The Sun, Jam-Collier hted that his character's journey will get much worse before gets better:"It's fally dawned on Thomas he isn't gog to be allowed to love and he may give up that partment.

At the time was illegal and agast God to be gay, so he's got this tremendo cross to bear. Yet viewers both gay and straight will likely be transfixed by what's gog to happen to Barrow. On the most recent episo of “Downton Abbey, ” season three, episo six, Thomas’ sexualy has gotten him to, played by Rob Jam-Collier, is a homosexual servant at Downton Abbey.

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

But on the sixth episo of season three, Thomas be the center of has been makg pass at the new footman, Jimmy Kent, but seems he is beg more ut than ual, wisely so nsirg homosexualy was a crime Bra at the time. While Aled tri to take matters to his own hands, Robert steps to protect Thomas and Downton Abbey om further urse, tacklg homosexualy is an tertg challenge for “Downton Abbey. Bat returng om a prison stt due to beg amed by his also mentns how some gay New Yorkers of that era gave clu to their sexualy, such as by wearg a red tie.

Downton Abbey star Rob Jam-Collier has suggted that playg a gay character the show has hurt his reer. “I thk dienc the US n intify que easily wh the qutsential English gent and English lady, ” he said, “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, ” the actor ntued.

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

Jam-Collier also revealed that he has turned down theatril rol “which happened to be gay characters” sce Downton Abbey fished bee he “really wanted to show somethg different”. Robert Jam-Collier has revealed his reactn after beg given a gay story le the upg film.

'DOWNTON ABBEY': A GAY OLD TIME

The former Corrie star has spoken out about the treatment of his character of beg a gay man the 1920s. Robert, who plays butler Thomas Barrow, says that he got an emotnal sight to what was like for gay people this perd.

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

‘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. 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. 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. Flirtat Gay Man. Harry Gay...

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

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. Over the seasons, the seri revealed that Thomas’ schem were motivated by his stggle as a closeted gay man livg early 20th century England. ) Obvly that means we need to have a spoff seri about Robert's gay-bet days at Eton, but that's a discsn for another time.

They also wanted him jail (as gay sex was illegal at that time and that place). ” In a ls hateful, non-homophobic ntext, let’s all agree that this is the ial phrase to repeat the next time a Facebook iend shar too many gratuo Instagram photos. How bt to summarize all a ncise manner … okay, here go: Thomas snogs sleepg Jimmy –> Aled se the snog –> Jimmy go homopho-ballistic –> O’Brien persuas Aled to tattle –> Aled tattl –> Carson eaks –> Carson lms down, tells Thomas he shall quietly rign wh a posive reference –> O’Brien sists that everyone on Earth will thk Jimmy is gay unls Jimmy tells Carson that he plans to file charg wh the anti-gay police –> Thomas gets fired wh no reference bee Lord knows Carson don’t want any trouble wh the anti-gay stuff –> Bat terven –> Her Ladyship’s Soap –> Lord Grantham fends Thomas –> Thomas gets promoted.