Fra Fee on marriage: A personal and political milestone with husband Declan Bennett (EXCLUSIVE)
“I definitely didn’t dream of marriage growing up, because that meant some sort of ‘normal’ [cishet] existence," says Fee in his Attitude cover interview
By Aaron Sugg
Attitude cover star Fra Fee speaks about the milestone of marrying his husband, Declan Bennett, in November 2024, and the importance of being visible as an LGBTQ+ actor.
Leading the 2026 Attitude 101 ‘Film, TV and Music’ category, Fee, an acclaimed stage and screen actor, has achieved milestones as a proud out gay creative, despite a difficult upbringing in Northern Ireland.
After enduring homophobia in an all-boys Catholic grammar school, he later found himself at Manchester University studying music, and eventually married the love of his life.
“I was dealing with all of that messy Catholic shame” – Fra Fee on internalised homophobia growing up in Northern Ireland
The couple’s wedding two years ago was a music-filled ceremony in Castletown, County Wexford, which, as he reflects in his cover interview, was a major milestone.
“I definitely didn’t dream of marriage growing up, because that meant some sort of ‘normal’ [cishet] existence, and I was dealing with all of that messy Catholic shame,” he says.
“I think after the marriage referendum (in May 2015), I realised the significance and power that comes with actually availing of that right to get married,” he adds, highlighting Ireland becoming the first country to legalise same-sex marriage.
“There was a little quiet political spin too” – Fee on marriage being a personal and political milestone
Reminiscing on the big day, he reflects: “I would say that whilst myself and my husband absolutely wanted to get married for all of the lovely reasons, there was a little quiet political spin too.”
Fee adds: “It felt quite powerful to go: ‘We can do this. We’ve got every right to share our love publicly in the way that everyone else can.’ So, yeah, it was quietly political, but mostly just pure joy.”
The pressures of visibility do not faze him, admitting he has found inner peace being authentically himself whilst sharing heartwarming moments with his husband.
“I quickly discovered the real significance in just being myself, out and visible” – Fee on visibility as a gay actor
“You’re not obliged to talk about your private life when you’re an actor. In fact, some people think it could be very beneficial to keep things hidden or whatever,” he says. “But I quickly discovered the real significance in just being myself, out and visible, even when that’s something as simple as posting a picture of myself at Pride.”
“The younger me would have loved to see an actor do that. Honest to God, I think Graham Norton was the only gay person I knew growing up,” he mentions, Attitude 101 Person of the Year 2024.
Get more from Attitude
The full feature and Attitude 101 list appears in issue 369 of Attitude magazine, available to buy now in print, on the Attitude app, or through Apple News+.
