In a new interview, out actor Russell
Tovey says that his father thought being gay could be “cured.”
Tovey, 39, is best known in the US for
his roles in HBO's Looking and ABC's Quantico. He also
appeared on the BBC's Years and Years and Doctor Who.
Speaking with The Times, Tovey
said that he came out to his parents at 18 and that they struggled
with the announcement.
“My dad thought it could be cured,”
he
said. “He was scared about what my life would be like. To him,
being gay was a road of pitfalls and unhappiness; out of love he
wanted to correct this weakness, to put cotton wool around me and
protect me from all that.”
“I don't think either of my parents
were homophobic, they just didn't know any gay people or anyone with
gay kids. They had nothing to cling to,” he said.
Tovey's mother, whom he described as
the “most important person” in his life, added: “I think it was
to do with pride, his idea of what makes you a man. He thought we'd
somehow made Russell gay. He said: 'We'll get him hormone treatment.'
He found it hard to see that Russ was happy and we had to accept it.”
Tovey's father eventually came around.