EXCLUSIVE: Russell Tovey on gay cop drama ‘Plainclothes,’ ‘Looking’ & why he’ll always be “Team Richie”
Russell Tovey thought he wanted to be a history teacher.And while life eventually took the 43-year-old star down a considerably more glamorous path, you could certainly say he’s managed to find a way to share some history lessons with the world.From one of his breakthrough stage roles in the 1980s-set The History Boys, to his turn in the revival of the sprawling epic Angels In America, to the beloved HBO drama Looking—which, in retrospect, is its own time capsule of a certain place & time—Tovey’s dedicated much of his career to breathing life into queer stories past and present.Subscribe to our newsletter for your front-row seat to all things entertainment with a sprinkle of everything else queer.And his latest film is no exception.
Set in 1997, Plainclothes is a caustic gay romance in an era of intense paranoia, following young cop Lucas (Benedicition‘s Tom Blyth) who’s assigned to go undercover in street clothes and lure unsuspecting cruisers into a trap.
But as Lucas struggles with his own sexuality, he finds himself falling for a slightly older, would-be target—Tovey’s Andrew—who takes him under his wing.Steamy and striking, Plainclothes—from first-time feature filmmaker Carmen Emmi—just made its world premiere in competition at the Sundance Film Festival.
The occasion brought Tovey to the snowy slopes of Park City, Utah for the first time, which is where Queerty had the chance to catch up with him.
