Andrew Scott challenges shame around the AIDS crisis as he defends the full range of queer stories

Andrew Scott has spoken out against the idea that LGBTQ+ films should focus only on joyful stories, arguing that the shame surrounding the AIDS crisis belongs with the governments that ignored it and the society that stigmatised gay people.

The actor made the comments while discussing Elsinore, his new film about Scottish actor Ian Charleson, at the BFI London Film Festival. Charleson, best known for his role in Chariots of Fire, was diagnosed with HIV in 1986 and died in 1990, aged 40.

Scott acknowledged the importance of contemporary stories that celebrate queer happiness, including Heartstopper, Heated Rivalry and Red, White & Royal Blue. However, he warned against allowing that positive representation to come at the expense of stories about the discrimination, fear and loss experienced by earlier generations.

Why the history still matters

Speaking about the reluctance some people feel towards revisiting the AIDS crisis, Scott said that discomfort can sometimes come from a place of shame. He was unequivocal about where he believes that shame should sit, saying: “the shame does not lie with the gay people.”

He added that responsibility belongs with governments that ignored the crisis, alongside the stigma and prejudice that shaped society’s response. His comments underline why stories about the AIDS crisis are not simply accounts of suffering from the past; they also examine the decisions, attitudes and institutions that shaped the lives of those affected.

Elsinore follows Charleson as he continued working on Hamlet while seriously ill. Scott described Charleson as both enormously funny and brave, and reflected on the extraordinary physical and psychological demands of continuing to perform during such a difficult period.

The discussion also raises a wider question for film and television: how to make space for queer joy without losing stories about grief, injustice and the people who endured them. Celebrating progress does not require audiences to turn away from the experiences that made that progress necessary.

When will Elsinore be released?

Directed by Simon Stone, Elsinore stars Scott as Charleson and also features Joe Locke, Billie Piper, Johnny Flynn, Monica Dolan and Juliet Stevenson. The film is screening at the 2026 BFI London Film Festival, with a UK cinema release planned for January 2027.

Scott’s comments make a clear case for keeping a broad range of LGBTQ+ experiences on screen, from uplifting romances to films that confront painful history. Both have a place in telling the full story of queer lives.