Andrew Scott Stars In Film Chronicling Legendary Gay Actor, Ian Charleson

Fleabag and The Strangers’ Andrew Scott has been cast in the upcoming film Elsinore, chronicling the life of gay Chariots of Fire actor Ian Charleson.

As per reporting from Deadline, Scott will be portraying Charleson as he prepares for the performance of his life as Hamlet in the National Theatre’s 1990 London production.

Known for his starring role as Olympic athlete Eric Liddell in 1981’s Oscar-winning film Chariots of Fire, Charleson was diagnosed with HIV in 1986, dying of AIDS-related at the age of 40, only two months after his portrayal of Hamlet.

At a time when many were ruled by fear and secrecy, Charleson requested that the cause of his death be announced as AIDS, promoting awareness of the disease and becoming one of the first celebrity deaths in the UK openly attributed to the illness.

In a tribute after his death, Charleson’s friend and fellow actor Ian McKellen wrote that he was already sick and undergoing “punishing medical treatment” during rehearsals, but gave a performance that “would have been remarkable under any circumstances but as his throat was physically distorted and his lungs impaired, we were witnessing a near miracle of will and energy.”

In his honour, the annual Ian Charleson Awards were established in 1991, rewarding the best classical stage performances in Britain by actors aged under 30.

Filming reported to start next week

The impressive cast list also boasts Scott’s Fleabag former co-star and all-around angel Olivia Coleman as Charleson’s doctor, and Heartstopper lead Joe Locke, alongside Doctor Who’s Billie Piper, Ripley’s Johnny Flynn and Bridgerton’s Monica Dolan.

Also among the cast are Bend It Like Beckham’s Juliet Stevenson, Sherwood’s Adeel Akhtar, The Testament of Ann Lee’s Matthew Beard, The Last Kingdom’s David Dawson, Slow Horses’s Kadiff Kirwan, Bohemian Rhapsody’s Dickie Beau and Ozark’s Peter Mullan.

Australian film and theatre director Simon Stone is on board to direct, and BAFTA winner and Golden Globe nominee Stephen Beresford, who wrote 2014’s Pride, is behind the script.

The film is set to start shooting next week, with a release date yet to be announced.