Andrew Scott Poised for First Out Gay Best Actor Oscar — SkimNews
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- Andrew Scott is considered near-certain for a Best Actor Oscar nomination and probable win for "Elsinore" after rapturous reviews at the Toronto International Film Festival, where the film premiered last week; a victory would make him the first out gay actor to take the prize in the Academy's almost 100-year history.
- Elsinore depicts Scottish actor Ian Charleson — star of Chariots of Fire and Gandhi — who took over the role of Hamlet from Daniel Day-Lewis at the National Theatre in December 1989 while secretly living with Aids; he died six weeks after his final performance at age 40, and his family then publicly disclosed his diagnosis and sexuality.
- Scott co-produced "Elsinore" alongside Stephen Beresford, screenwriter of Scott's 2014 breakthrough "Pride," and was galvanized to get the film made by the death of his mother Nora in 2023.
- Scott came out publicly in 2013 at age 37, shortly after his breakout as Moriarty in "Sherlock," after years of being advised to stay quiet; Variety chief critic Guy Lodge says he is "carving an unprecedented career path for an out gay leading man" who refuses to be pigeonholed into queer roles.
- Scott's devastating performance in All of Us Strangers was snubbed at both the 2024 Baftas and Oscars — an embarrassment the article suggests may now work in his favor with Academy voters, who form the largest voting branch and may respond especially well to "Elsinore's" celebration of inclusivity and craft.
- "Elsinore" director Simon Stone says that on rewatching the film "I can't see Andrew — it's just Ian," while All of Us Strangers director Andrew Haigh calls Scott's performance "simply astonishing," with collaborators Johnny Flynn and Simon Stephens echoing similar praise for what Stone calls his "balletic" technical and emotional command.
Why it matters: If Scott wins, he breaks a barrier the article traces back to the very era the film depicts — a 1989 stage where Charleson had to hide his sexuality and diagnosis to perform Hamlet. The Academy's largest voting bloc is actors themselves, and the source suggests they may respond especially favorably to "Elsinore's" celebration of professional courage and inclusivity, making a historic win both a craft recognition and a long-overdue correction.
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