OLLY ALEXANDER
The Years & Years frontman had a big year on TV
How has It’s A Sin changed your life?
I was writing about this in my diary the other day. I literally wrote, “It’s A Sin has changed my life.” It was hard to get a proper perspective while we were in the middle of it, but now a few months later it’s really sinking in. Meeting and working with Russell [T Davies] was a dream come true and I learned so much about myself, as well as the whole subject of AIDS and British queer people in the ’80s. Filming it was such a great experience as well. I hadn’t done any acting for so long, so to suddenly switch to a completely different discipline [from music] was so exciting.
When you were filming it, did you have any idea it would become such a phenomenon?
I definitely loved the scripts and cried and cried and cried when I read them, and I was obsessed with the characters before I met them, so I did feel like it could be something special. But it’s amazing how it was embraced by so many people.
What was it like watching the first episode go out, complete with your Hooked On Classics sex montage?
Oh my God. When I read it in the script I thought, “This is going to be great. What an iconic montage!” And then we got closer to actually shooting it and I got more nervous and became terrified of taking off all my clothes and having to simulate sex in front of all my colleagues. But the intimacy co-ordinators have revolutionised that whole process and those scenes ended up being quite fun. We all have such a silly awkwardness about sex and naked bodies, so to work through it was actually quite a special experience.
Would you like to do more acting projects?
I would but I honestly haven’t read a script since It’s A Sin, so maybe I’ll make my own thing. I’d quite like to make a horror TV series — like a paranormal, gay Twin Peaks. I want to play some kind of magical gay person with magical powers.
Are you into horror particularly?
Yes. My lockdown viewing has mostly been Real Housewives but also loads of horror movies. I get into all the franchises. I think we’re in an internet time loop of Insidious movies and Conjuring movies, but I love it.
ITÕS A SIN
IS ON ALL 4 NOW