When I met with Charlie Hunnam, first meeting I had, I said: ‘Look, I know actors love complex parts. Raleigh has very few moving parts. The character has very few moving parts and you need to make peace with that. This is an uncomplicated guy with a complicated situation…. You’re gonna work in a coral structure. You’re not gonna be The Hero, you’re gonna be the guy we follow, but everybody gets to be a hero.’ And he said, ‘I’m cool with that.’

Guillermo del Toro on The Treatment with Elvis Mitchell [x] (via fireofspring)

When I revisit Queer as Folk one of the things that strikes me, in contrast to Russell’s later work, is the near-absence of gay actors. Especially for a series portraying gay men.

“I’m not deliberately casting gay actors,” he tells me. It’s just that I have no problem casting them. I would never cast someone if they weren’t right for the role. In Britain you can’t ask about someone’s sexuality in an audition. When Charlie Hunnam walked in I guess I thought he was gay because surely only a gay man could be so perfect for the part of Nathan. I only found out later he wasn’t, but it was irrelevant at that point. When it comes down to it you always have to go with who’s right for the part.