Co Tyrone actor and Marvel star Fra Fee has opened up on his experience of growing up as gay in his hometown of Dungannon
The talented local actor has shot to fame with roles in Marvel spin-off series Hawkeye, the Ferryman and West End production Cabaret.
In an interview with magazine Attitude, 35-year-old Fra speaks of the pain of having to write an essay on why homosexuality was a sin during his time at an all-boys Catholic grammar school.
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“I knew I was gay when I was very young, but didn’t know what it was or how to label it, certainly,” Fra told Attitude.
“But I knew I was attracted to men. I was very much intrigued by them, a lot more so than girls.”
“There’s certain things I look back on and feel such sadness and frustration and, yeah, a bit of anger. I remember in religious studies class having to write an essay about how homosexuality was just blanket ‘wrong’.
“And if I hadn’t done that, I would’ve got a low grade, because the ‘correct answer’ was to say that it was a sin.
“I can’t quite believe that happened to me, and to so many others, so many other LGBT people growing up in that place at that time.
“It means a certain level of shame follows you for such a long, long time when you’ve had that level of indoctrination.”
Fra added that it would be impossible for him to remain ‘closeted’ despite many choosing to do so in his profession.
The Co Tyrone actor spoke of his pride of landing the role in Hawkeye as an openly gay actor.
“[I] feel unbelievably proud of the fact I achieved that as an openly gay actor,” he adds.
“Whenever I was studying and seeking advice from what I deemed to be very learned, experienced people, often the old-fashioned attitude was ‘Suppress the sexuality.’
“So to be able to be living authentically and very, very openly about who I am and yet still be given an opportunity like that; I don’t take lightly the importance and the significance of that at all, because I hope that other young queer actors who are coming through the ranks can see that it’s possible to be anything.
“You know all the stories of so many closeted actors. I never wanted that for myself, it sounded horrendous.
“You have to be the change you want to see and if that means my sexuality, my sense of identity, is in the public sphere, then so be it.”
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