Attitude Awards Man of the Year Russell Tovey on Plainclothes, growing up gay and being a ‘possibility model’ (EXCLUSIVE)

The Russell Tovey who strides onto set for his awards cover shoot is exactly as you’d hope. There’s no big entourage. Just the actor and his publicist, with a stylist and groomer in tow. His energy is warm and immediate, a force that fills the east London studio as he does the rounds, shaking every hand and introducing himself, making a point to remember names and faces. Nothing less than you’d expect from the winner of the Man of the Year Award, supported by Virgin Atlantic.  

Between takes, he’s playful, bowling over to my colleagues and me, grabbing a handful of the fruit we’d ordered and juggling them for the photographer’s lens. As the day unfolds, a single soundtrack dominates: Mis-Teeq. Tovey has one request for the playlist, and the 2000s girl group’s entire discography cycles through the room, providing a nostalgic R&B-garage rhythm for the afternoon. When he leaves, he ensures that he shakes every hand once more. 

When we next connect for our interview two days later, he’s deeper into the midst of his hectic week, with a podcast appearance just recorded and a flight to Milan for Fashion Week only hours away. Yet, he is entirely present and ready to talk. 

Tovey’s latest film Plainclothes has already earned critical acclaim and a Sundance award, as well as for his role, for which he collected the Best Supporting Actor gong at San Diego’s FilmOut festival. He now adds the lead award at the Virgin Atlantic Attitude Awards, powered by Jaguar, to that run of success. But it’s clear the project means more to him than accolades. “I can only tell within a few pages of a script when I get to that character’s dialogue if I want to say it,” he explains. “It might be a really easy exchange between two characters. Minimal language, but it’s just the cadence of the speech and the rhythm of that character [where] I go, ‘Oh, yeah, I’d like to inhabit him, the world.’” 

“It’s a very powerful film about how we police our feelings and what shame does, and a matter of timing”

Set in Syracuse, upstate New York, in 1997, it tells the story of Andrew, a closeted gay man who becomes the target of a local police sting operation in the toilets at a shopping mall. The police officer that’s assigned to target him, Lucas — played by Tom Blyth — has a change of heart in the moment they meet, “which escalates into something unbeknownst for both of them, emotionally and physically”, Tovey explains. “It’s a very powerful film about how we police our feelings and what shame does, and a matter of timing.”  

He admits a personal connection to the city too. “At one point, I dated some guy from Syracuse — and I always thought it had this sort of romantic, magical vibe about it,” he says with a pause. “Every time I say that in the States, people laugh.” 

Having never been there and knowing little of it, I ask, “Is it not very magical at all?” He replies, deadpan: “No, I wouldn’t use the word ‘magic’.”

“We both were very instinctive actors, both very happy to be vulnerable, and we sort of had each other”

The project, however, felt special from the start. Tovey describes director Carmen Emmi as “enthusiastic and happy and excited”, adding, “I couldn’t fail to get caught up in his energy.” The passion was infectious, a proper indie film where “everybody’s trying to make it the best it can be,” and he connected instantly with Blyth — their powerful chemistry is at the film’s core. “The central love story between myself and Tom; we just wanted it to be the best it could be,” Tovey says. “We both were very instinctive actors, both very happy to be vulnerable, and we sort of had each other. So, I think that central heartbeat sort of drives the story through.” 

Plainclothes’ vulnerability is a testament to the safe environment created on set, including the use of an intimacy coordinator. Tovey recalls a time when these roles didn’t exist and deeply appreciates how they’ve transformed the process. “Joey [the intimacy coordinator] came in and they made something so safe and open, and the dialogue was so clear,” he explains. “They choreographed something with us. It just felt like an absolute safety net for us to be exploring.” He feels a deep sense of responsibility for his scene partners during sex scenes, knowing the immense courage it takes to be so vulnerable in front of a crew. One scene is described as “very involved”, requiring a level of trust that the coordinated effort made possible. “It just gave us the framework to be free and feel safe,” he says.

Photographer: Mark Cant
Creative and styling Giulio Ventisei
Gooming Bjorn Krischker
Fashion Editor Joshua Graham.

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This is an excerpt from a feature appearing in the 2025 Attitude Awards issue. To see the full feature, order your copy of the Attitude Awards 2025 issue now or read it alongside 15 years of back issues on the free Attitude app.