James Sutton Reflects on Pioneering Gay Storylines in Hollyoaks

James Sutton, the actor known for his trailblazing role in the soap opera Hollyoaks, has shared his thoughts on his memorable gay sex scenes that made history. Speaking candidly on a recent podcast, Sutton expressed his comfort and enthusiasm for these scenes, which were groundbreaking at the time.

A Historic Role

In 2007, Sutton portrayed John Paul McQueen, a character who enters into a romantic relationship with his best friend Craig Dean, played by Guy Burnet. This storyline marked the first significant same-sex relationship featured on Hollyoaks, airing before the 9pm watershed on Channel 4. This bold move earned the series the Broadcast of the Year award at the 2007 Stonewall Awards, while Sutton himself was nominated at the British Soap Awards and the Inside Soap Awards.

Reflecting on his performance 18 years later, Sutton shared his experiences on the All Out podcast. He stated that he was "more than happy to get involved" in filming the intimate scenes, as long as he could manage his "stubble rash."

Navigating On-Screen Intimacy

Sutton recounted his collaboration with co-star Gregory Finnegan, who played his character’s love interest, James Nightingale. Sutton, who identifies as straight, described how he and Finnegan adapted to the physical demands of the scenes. "We came up with this sort of way around it because a lot of the scenes would end with, '...and then they snog and start to rip each other's clothes off,'" he explained.

"But after a few times of doing this, we'd both have stubble rash and we'd be like, 'F***, I just can't keep doing it.' So we came up with this thing where we'd snog and then we'd fall out of frame, that was our way around," he continued. "I mean, there are instances where there's clothes being ripped off and stuff, which I'm more than happy to get involved with," Sutton added. "I don't mind getting down and dirty, but when you've been doing it all afternoon and it's your mate, you're like, ah, just can we just fall out of frame please?"

Impact and Reflection

Sutton commented on the ongoing discussion about straight actors portraying gay characters, emphasizing the positive impact of his work. "I don't underestimate the impact and the joy and the comfort that I get as a straight man, but more so as a performer to know that what we did then had such an impact, it's the most beautiful thing," Sutton remarked. "Not many actors get that. There are only a few on soaps who've had that kind of storyline and those kinds of scenes."

Sutton's role in Hollyoaks has clearly left a lasting impression both on him and on the audience, proving the importance and influence of diverse representation in media. His reflections offer a glimpse into the challenges and triumphs of portraying such pioneering storylines.

You can catch James Sutton’s full episode of the All Out podcast with Jon Dean on YouTube. Share your thoughts on this topic in the comments below and remember to keep the conversation respectful.

Tags: LGBTQ+, Hollyoaks, James Sutton, Gay Representation, Soap Operas