Why Nicholas Galitzine Is Drawn to Queer Characters

Internet boyfriend Nicholas Galitzine is opening up about his own sexuality and the characters he plays on the silver screen. In a new interview, the budding actor—who has been on a hot streak with The Idea of You, Red White & Royal Blue, and Mary & George—discussed why, as a straight man, he isn’t afraid to take on queer roles.

“I think I have,” he told GQ when asked if he’s had to deal with audiences conflating himself with the characters he embodies. “I identify as a straight man, but I have been a part of some incredible queer stories. I felt a sense of uncertainty sometimes about whether I’m taking up someone’s space, and perhaps guilt. At the same time, I see those characters as not solely their sexuality.”

Before his role opposite Anne Hathaway in The Idea of You, Galitzine appeared in 2021’s Cinderella—as the assumedly straight prince, of course—and Handsome Devil, where he played a closeted rugby player back in 2017. He also played a gay blackmailer in Legends and a bisexual teenager in The Craft: Legacy.

However, Galitzine’s most recent roles, in Red White & Royal Blue and Mary & George, have brought increased attention to Hollywood’s penchant for casting straight actors in queer leading roles. In Red White & Royal Blue Galitzine, once again playing a British prince, and Taylor Zakhar Perez, the son of the American president, are entangled in a faux friendship that evolves into an unlikely love affair. “My gay friends were like, ‘Wow, to have something cheesy and broad and wholesome is like really, really important,’” he told HuffPost UK. “And I think the resonance of that means a lot to me.”

Galitzine is a very different queer lead in Mary & George, one that is driven by power—and sex—at the behest of his mother, played by Julianne Moore. “There’s sort of a plethora of reasons for this”, the actor explained of his casting decisions, adding, “One, I have so many friends within the community, and I know so many of them didn’t feel like they had these stories growing up.”

The actor continued, “With all of these characters, the thing that I find really intriguing as an actor is that underbelly of vulnerability and having to hide oneself. And, you know, I'm very interested in identity.”