Andrew Scott worries ‘Heated Rivalry’ fans may avoid sadder LGBTQ+ stories like ‘Elsinore’

Andrew Scott has expressed concern that the popularity of joyful LGBTQ+ romances such as Heated Rivalry could lead audiences to overlook films that explore the more painful parts of queer history.

Speaking at the BFI London Film Festival, Scott discussed the importance of telling different kinds of gay stories while promoting his new film Elsinore, in which he portrays actor Ian Charleson, who played Hamlet while battling AIDS before his death in 1990.

“I welcome things like Heartstopper, Heated Rivalry and Red, White & Royal Blue, and all those things that are joyful,” Scott said, according to Screen International. However, he added that the tendency to categorise gay stories in a particular way troubles him, suggesting that audiences may be reluctant to revisit periods when being gay came with significant hardship.

Scott also reflected on Charleson’s experience of revealing his AIDS diagnosis to his theatre colleagues. He praised the support Charleson received from the theatre community at a time when people living with the disease often faced stigma and a lack of understanding.

“The shame does not lie with the gay people,” Scott said, discussing the need to confront how governments and society responded to the AIDS crisis.

The actor’s comments come amid the success of Heated Rivalry, the hockey romance series that has drawn attention for its portrayal of queer love and relationships. Scott welcomed such stories but argued that joyful representation should exist alongside dramas that confront discrimination, loss and historical suffering.

Elsinore explores the life and legacy of Charleson, who took over the role of Hamlet from Daniel Day-Lewis and continued performing while seriously ill. The film is scheduled for a limited US theatrical release on November 20, 2026.