When They Said Stay Closeted, Russell Tovey Said No: Inside His New Gay Role
British actor Russell Tovey stars in a new Disney+ series about a tragic police shooting. The role connects to his own experience as an openly gay man in the entertainment industry.
Playing a Historic Gay Figure
Russell plays Brian Paddick in the Disney+ four-part miniseries Suspect: The Shooting Of Jean Charles de Menezes.. The series examines the 2005 London tragedy when police killed an innocent Brazilian man during terrorism fears.
Paddick was Britain’s highest-ranking openly gay police officer during the 2005 London bombing crisis. Tovey feels a strong connection to the role.
“He’s someone I’ve looked up to,” Tovey says about Paddick, who later entered politics. “I was happy he was someone within the community with good morals.”
Fighting Against Industry Closets
The 43-year-old actor, known for the series Looking, shares personal similarities with Paddick’s experience.
“I came out very early in my career and was advised along the way not to consider it, but I went against that advice,” Tovey reveals.
Many actors faced pressure to hide their sexuality when Tovey was starting out. He chose visibility instead.
“I feel a real connection to Brian. I understand what it means to be gay in the public eye and what people can write about you,” he adds.
The True Story Behind the Drama
The miniseries shows the events around the fatal shooting of Jean Charles De Menezes by London police in July 2005. Following bombing attacks, officers wrongly identified De Menezes as a suspect. They followed him into a subway car and shot him seven times in the head.
False stories spread afterward. People claimed he jumped a ticket barrier, wore a bulky coat, or ran from police. None was true.
The series shows how Paddick stood against blaming the victim. His character states: “It’s like we’re saying: ‘Sorry we killed you, but it is your own fault.'”
Tovey notes how time has passed quickly since the incident. “I was shocked that 2025 will mark 20 years since the event – it’s gone incredibly quickly. It doesn’t feel like it was that long ago, but I knew there had been a lot of misinformation at the time.”
The miniseries Suspect: The Shooting Of Jean Charles de Menezes is now streaming on Disney+.
