Jim Parsons: ‘The Normal Heart is a force for good’
By Josh Haggis
Jim Parsons has discussed his role in The Normal Heart, saying the HBO film is a “force for good”.
Based on Larry Kramer’s play of the same name, The Normal Heart is set in New York City in the early 1980s at the onset of the HIV-AIDS epidemic.
The TV film, which also stars Mark Ruffalo, Julia Roberts and Matt Bomer, debuted last Sunday (May 25) in the US to almost universally positive reviews.
Big Bang Theory star Parsons, who appears as AIDS activist Tommy Boatwright in the film, told Metro: “For someone like myself, who felt fairly well-adjusted in life, this [film] was a real education and I’m not referring to the specifics of dealing with the early days of the AIDS crisis. I’m talking about the whole fight to be heard and seen.”
The Emmy-winning actor, who also starred in the 2011 Broadway revival of The Normal Heart, went on to say that he hopes the film will help Kramer’s iconic play reach a larger audience.
“So many people could benefit from knowing this story – frankly, I think anybody who has a heart and is a human. A story is a story and it plays differently to everyone’s ear but there is no doubt in my mind or my heart that this is a force of good,” Parsons said.
The Normal Heart will air in the UK on Sky Atlantic at 9pm this Sunday (June 1).
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