Rob James-Collier, who plays gay
villain Thomas Barrow on Masterpiece's
Downton Abbey, says he's proud of his character.
The 36-year-old James-Collier told gay
glossy Out that the series will explore his character's
sexuality in greater detail in season 3, which began airing Sunday on
PBS, after being mostly ignored in season 2.
“It's the series where he really
comes to grips with Thomas' sexuality and the impact being gay must
have had on him, in Edwardian times,” he said. “If you're
including a gay character, there's an onus and responsibility to at
least show what the impact of the time will be on him, and of him on
that time. Thankfully we've done that, and I'm so proud that I've
been used to tell that tale.”
“If you were gay in those times, the
fact that you're even functioning, how you're not completely fucked
up by that, is beyond me,” he
added.