Gay actor Andrew Scott says that it’s time to get rid of the term openly gay. Scott has played a breakout role on “Fleabag” as the so-called “Hot Priest,” and also stars in the upcoming Netflix miniseries “Mr. Ripley” as the iconic character invented by lesbian novelist Patricia Highsmith. Speaking at a roundtable discussion for The Hollywood Reporter’s “Off Script” series, Scott, 47, aired his feelings on the subject of how the media refers to out celebrities as openly gay. Speaking to fellow film stars including Rustin actor Colman Domingo and Oppenheimer’s Robert Downey Jr, Scott indicated that the term openly gay suggests that someone has decided to live as a gay person without shame. Scott said, “You don’t say you’re openly Irish, you don’t say you’re openly left-handed” then why say openly gay? Scott’s fellow actors appeared to agree with him, particularly Domingo, who is gay himself. Robert Downey Jr showed his agreement with a hint of humor saying “You are never at a party and you say, ‘This is my openly gay friend Andrew.’ Though Scott has now become a huge star, he recently told British GQ that many industry People and friends advised him to stay in the closet, and though he understands why they gave him that advice, he is happy he ignored it.
