“But I have been a part of some incredible queer stories.”

By Molly Moss

Published: Thursday, 09 May 2024 at 14:24 PM


Nicholas Galitzine has said he feels “guilt” taking on queer roles as a straight man.

The actor, who is currently playing a boyband heart-throb alongside Anne Hathaway in Prime Video’s The Idea of You, rose to fame portraying queer characters in the Netflix romcom Red, White & Royal Blue and the drama miniseries Mary & George

“I identify as a straight man,” Galitzine told GQ in a recent interview. “But I have been a part of some incredible queer stories.”

The actor went on to admit that he felt torn about taking on numerous queer roles.

“I felt a sense of uncertainty sometimes about whether I’m taking up someone’s space, and perhaps guilt,” he explained. “At the same time, I see those characters as not solely their sexuality.”

Galitzine also added that fans shouldn’t conflate him with his characters, saying: “I am Nick, and I’m not my role.”

Nicholas Galitzine as George in Mary & George standing in an empty hall with his hands in front of him and two guards standing either side of him, wearing a white shirt.
Nicholas Galitzine as George in Mary & George.
Sky

Mary & George is based on the true story of Mary Villiers (Julianne Moore), the countess of Buckingham, who raised her son, George, to seduce the king of England. 

Talking about the “exciting” representation in the series, Galitzine previously told RadioTimes.com in an exclusive interview: “I think we really aim for representation in the industry.”

He continued: “I think we hope to keep evolving as an industry, and I think, you know, in the past there haven’t been enough queer stories and haven’t been enough female-led stories.

“Certainly, this type of character, I think, is really kind of unique, and touches on a lot of sexism that existed within a lot of Mary and George’s world. I think that is a definite exciting and motivating factor to being a part of a project like this.”

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