Plainclothes’ Russell Tovey tells Pedro Pascal that ‘vers is best’ in spicy interview
Pedro Pascal (L) and Russell Tovey (R) pictured at a Pet Shop Boys concert together (https://www.instagram.com/russelltovey)
Pedro Pascal (L) and Russell Tovey (R) pictured at a Pet Shop Boys concert together (https://www.instagram.com/russelltovey)
Russell Tovey has shared that “vers is best” while in a frank conversation with Pedro Pascal and, to be honest, we have no notes.
The Plainclothes star appears in the film – in UK cinemas now – alongside Tom Blyth, the star of The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.
The film centres on the cruising culture of New York in 1997. The film follows young, closeted cop Lucas (Blyth) tasked with luring and entrapping men cruising for sex. But then he meets Andrew (Tovey) and falls into a romantic connection.
Sitting down recently to discuss the film with Pascal for Man About Town, Tovey got into the themes of the film including shame, which stood out in particular to the History Boys actor. “I like shame as a theme and how we can be highly functioning and full of shame,” he said to which Pascal replied, “How we basically are highly functioning and full of shame…”
Tovey said “inherent shame” is something that he has been “embedded” with “from a young age.” He continued, “you always have that,” going on to say that his Plainclothes character, Adam, is “filled with shame, but he’s highly functioning, and he knows how to survive.”
He then explained how Lucas flips Adam’s whole world and established routine “literally, metaphorically and physically.” This caused Pascal to chime in with the observation, “He’s vers” to which Tovey playfully responds, “Yeah. And so is Lucas. It’s the best way to be. Vers is the best.”
Tovey went on to talk about the sex in the movie and how he wanted Adam to be a “positive figure” being Lucas’ first gay sexual experience.
“I said, ‘I want condoms to be visible’,” the Doctor Who actor explained. “I wanted Andrew to be someone that when Lucas walks away from it, he can be like, ‘I practised safe sex. He was very clear with me. He said, “This is the situation…” from the start’.”
Tovey then said, “I would have liked my first experiences to be with someone like that.” He added, “It wasn’t the case; I was all over the shop.” He said having that clarity to the relationship felt “really important for the period and for that character.”
Plainclothes is in cinemas now.
