STRAIGHT MATE: LUKE ARNOLD

He’s played a pirate, a cop, a rock star and a footy player’s boyfriend. But The End could be Luke Arnold’s toughest gig yet.

He’s played a pirate, a cop, a rock star and a gay footy player’s boyfriend.

DNA: Let’s start with Black Sails, in which you play Long John Silver. The show certainly has some gay overtones!

Luke Arnold: Oh, it’s the gayest show on TV! One of the greatest triumphs of Black Sails is its queer elements. Pirate shows often have this idea of freedom, which is symbolic of being free of the shackles of king or queen. However, this was about the freedom to be oneself and, for a lot of the characters, sexuality and identity is tied up in that idea.

You’ve played a few gay roles.

Yes. I did a remounting of the plays Like Stars In My Hands and Thieving Boy by Timothy Conigrave who wrote Holding The Man. I did an episode of the ABC’s Lowdown where I played the secret boyfriend of a footballer struggling with coming out. Then the Black Sails fans have their forums about the sexuality of John Silver. I’ll leave that to them!

Have you ever gone out clubbing with your gay friends?

Sure! Last year I partied with the Dollar Bin Darlings at the Sydney Festival. Any straight person who doesn’t take their shirt off at a gay dance party is missing out on one of life’s great joys!

You stood up for the gays on Twitter against the homophobic comments of American comedian Kevin Hart. Thanks for that!

Not being gay myself, I only get a passing glimpse of the homophobia that’s out there but sometimes it strays into my feed. It’s important to be clear when it comes to something like that because I know, with Black Sails in particular, I have a lot of LGBTIQA+ fans. Something like that is crossing into their feed as well as mine and is associated with a show they have affection for. Giving a bit of a “fuck you” like that helps remind them there are a lot more people on their side.

What’s the most irresistible dancefloor track? Anything Motown. I like my soul, especially

Any person who doesn’t take their shirt off at a gay dance party is missing out on one of life’s great joys!