Despite roles in the BBC supernatural drama Being Human and The History Boys, both on stage and screen, it's the HBO dramedy Looking that has presented Russell Tovey with considerable exposure. Premiering in early 2014, the show centers on a group of gay friends in San Francisco as they navigate relationships, family and sleeping with your boss. When Kevin (Tovey) and Patrick (Jonathan Groff) finally got down to business during a steamy lay at the end of the first season, the hunky Londoner revealed more than his acting chops.
As Looking returns to the network, the 33-year-old opened up on a variety of topics: his mom’s reaction to his thigh thump with Groff, the advantages to shooting a sex scene with a gay actor and how, despite his famous butt, fans of the show who meet him aren’t “rape-y.”

The Season 1 finale set the stage for a whole lot of drama. What does that mean for this upcoming season?
Season 2’s gonna pick up three months on with the fallout from that experience with Patrick, Kevin and Richie (Patrick’s boyfriend played by Raúl Castillo). They go away on a big adventure and it all unravels. What it means is there’s gonna be tension, and what unfolds is going to be very good television. And I love it. I love seeing #TeamKevin / #TeamRichie. People are really loyal to Kevin or Richie. They’re like, “Sorry – I really like you, Russell, but I’m #TeamRichie.” “Kevin’s a cheat!” “Leave Patrick alone!”

What’s your hope for Kevin and this love triangle he’s gotten himself into?
I want Kevin to be happy, but I want him to find his way to happiness with a lot of drama that’s gonna be entertaining for an audience watching an HBO show. (Laughs) But he has to fuck things up, and I think that’s part of his personality. The more Patrick gets to know him, that’s gonna unravel.

Soooo: Team Kevin or Team Richie?
Hmm… would I fuck myself? Or would I fuck Raúl? (Laughs) If I could have a threeway, it’d be quite nice. You know, a bit of both. But in reality, you’d want a boyfriend like Richie because he could cut your hair, and that’s great – you don’t have to worry about that expenditure every month. He’d do that for free! And he can play guitar, so he can entertain you.

Or, of course, there’s Kevin, who appears to be – at least from the Season 1 finale – experienced in bed.
Oh yeah, he’s very good. A lot of me went into that. (Laughs)

I hear you’re a method actor…
Totally. I’ve done all the research.

Unless it’s gay porn, it’s rare in TV and film that actors who have sex scenes are both gay. For instance, Raúl is straight and has onscreen sex with Jonathan. How does the dynamic of a sex scene change knowing both you and Jonathan are gay?
It makes it so much more relaxed. I’ve had sex scenes with girls, and I feel very relaxed because I’m not worried about anything popping up – I’m just worried about her world and making sure she’s comfortable. When I've done stuff with Joe Williamson (Tovey’s boyfriend on Looking) – and we’re hugging and kissing and whatever, and he goes for it – I feel a slight responsibility to make sure that he doesn’t feel I’m taking advantage of the fact that this has been written. I don’t want him to feel uncomfortable, so I feel a responsibility to him in a different way than I do to girls.
With Jonathan, doing these sex scenes just feels so cool. We’re such good mates now, and we laugh and we love doing our scenes together. You can do anything; your hands go everywhere, and it’s fine. Neither of us at any point feels uncomfortable, and that’s why it’s so good. We just completely trust each other, and we go for it. Neither of us hold back or feel any pang of responsibility for the other one when it comes to that. We just trust each other on a completely open level. Either of us could go to the other, “Hey, you should put your dick in there.” (Laughs)

Are you saying that you and Jonathan basically direct your own sex scenes on the show?
(Laughs) No, no, I’m not! (Writer-director) Andrew Haigh is very much involved. (Creator) Michael Lannan is very much involved. When we have sex scenes we have (those guys) there onboard the whole time to make sure it’s all good. But yeah, I think Jonathan and I are, again, method; we know what we’re doing. (Laughs)

Will you have more sex scenes with Jonathan in Season 2?
God – is it a spoiler if I say yes?

How do you feel about all the attention your ass has gotten on social media?
In the future, I imagine myself looking back and going, “God, I had a nice ass. Glad I got that out.” If it’s there now, I’m getting it out because it’s not always gonna look like that. I don’t want to hide it. And it’s nice that people like it. I’ve been very lucky. I’ve grown it myself, and I also have my parents to thank for it being well-received.

What kind of influence do you see this show having?
It’s such a true voice for gay people. Everyone all around the world is able to see their own friends in all these characters. In the gay community, everyone wants stories. Every show (like Looking) that comes out is another kind of stamp in the world to say, “This is happening. This is here.” This is another show that proves how normal this is. This show is where we are now – in a place where it feels we’ve moved on so far that we’re able to make a show like this. Here we are – not bad people who are having coming out problems, where not everyone is dying of AIDS. This is, right now, what it’s like to be a gay man who can get married and adopt. Suddenly, you can sign up to the heterosexual blueprint.

Growing you, did you have a “true voice” in entertainment?
No…

So what finally inspired you to come out?
I had really close family friends. Myself and one of my best mates now – our dads went to school together – came out to each other when we were like 14, 15. He was very out and proud, and he was going out to all the gay clubs when I was a kid. I was so scared to do it, but I went out with him. Going out with him I realized there are other people like me out there, and I was like, “Cool, this is all right.”
But there wasn’t anybody in the public eye that made me go, “Oh, thank you.” There were no Tom Daleys, no big coming out stories inspiring me to come out. I do remember seeing the film Beautiful Thing as a kid and my mom coming up the stairs to go to bed and me turning it off and going “Night!” I waited till she went to bed to put it back on, and I remember being awe-struck at this film, and crying and being like, “Oh my god, that’s me.” Beautiful Thing was actually a huge part of my coming out experience.

How often are you recognized while filming Looking in San Francisco?
Oh, every day. Where I was living in the Castro, I would get into a routine of having breakfast, lunch or coffee, going to the gym, buying a newspaper, and there’s such community there. Where I live in London, it’s like a community where it’s “Morning, Russell!” and seeing people is just a part of your routine. That’s completely what’s so wonderful about San Francisco. And everyone is very respectful. I don’t ever feel under threat or in a rape-y situation. It feels like they are thrilled that we’re there, and we are thrilled to be there. It’s a mutual love for the city and us, which is nice.

You had a birthday recently. Whose idea was it to make you a cake that said, "Birthdays are like rim jobs … open up and get ready for another great year!”?
(Laughs) Someone in production. Ahh, as the season goes on you’ll see where that comes from.

Oh, so the rimming cake plays a part in the show?
It might if it stays in! But (the cake) was very nice. We were on a night shoot during our lunch and that cake turned up and I was over the moon. My mom and dad were like, “Oh, I love the cake. Not sure about the rim job. Yeah, not sure of the words – but the cake looks lovely!”
But they love it. I took my mom to Folsom Street Fair when I was filming. We hung out with drag queens, transgenders and people with HIV. I gave her the full education. She absolutely loved it! She’s fascinated by it all, and she was asking people why they had silicone in their testicles and piercings in certain areas of their bodies. She’s awesome.
She watched Season 1 as well. I said to her not to watch the last episode. She said, “All right,” but then she did and said, “I saw your little bum going up and down.”

Was it required of you to show off your assets during auditions?
No, no. I was actually originally up for Patrick – Jonathan’s part – and I didn’t get it. They were like, if (the show) gets picked up, we wanna write you a part. I was like, “Cool, but I’m not holding my breath,” because you hear that a lot. Then they wanted me to go out for this part of Kevin, and I was like, “OK.” I did the (audition) in American – I wanted to make it American – but at the end, as I was leaving the room, I did it in English because I knew they’d ask for it in English. They came back and said, “We loved the English! The Brit, the Brit!” So yeah, I didn’t have to show my genitals; it was merely my acting talent. (Laughs)

The owners of The Garage are proud to announce that on December 1st 2014, they became the new owners of Snick’s Place. They have already made some big changes and will be expanding the space into the newly leased next door lot, doubling the size of the bar. The expansion will eventually result in a name change for the LGBT downtown location.

Some changes already made within the first week include a new bar front, face and top, new glassware, full liquor selection, new bar stools, and an overall face lift. They also have new slot / gambling machines, new built-in flat-screen TVs with dedicated and direct HD feeds, plus a new state of the art jukebox which will give customers the option to send music videos to their flat screens. The bar also offers beer busts, liquor busts, martini nights, wine and beer specials and generous pours with an aggressive pricing structure for all beverages 24/7. A second service well will be added by mid January to ensure fast, friendly and consistent service.

Snicks staff have all been trained at The Garage and consist of new employees along with some of its original staff. Snick’s team consists of a friendly and talented group of guys who are looking forward to meeting and serving lots of new faces and familiar customers.

There’s one thing Yolonda Ross, the actress who plays the role of Whitney Houston’s rumored lesbian lover in the upcoming Lifetime movie, knows for sure about Whitney and her gal pal, Robyn. “They were two people that deeply loved, cared for and respected one another,” she says. “Theirs could have been more than a friendship and if so, it’s really unfortunate if others got in the way of it or compromised it.”

Directed by Golden Globe® Award winner and Academy Award® nominee Angela Bassett, Lifetime-TV’s Whitney Houston will focus on the singer’s rise to stardom and her stormy relationship with Bobby Brown. It’s set to air January 17.

To prepare for the role, Ross feverishly studied Houston and her longtime assistant Robyn Crawford. According to reports, the two met at 16 during a summer job in East Orange, N.J. and soon began an alleged romantic relationship. They broke up when Houston married Brown in 1992.

“Robyn seems to be a straight-up, very grounded person,” continues Ross. “Somebody who, no matter what the situation, has got your back or is gonna set you straight. She offered security to Whitney and uncompromised companionship.”

The film is the first-ever produced about the life and death of Whitney Houston. Ross predicts it will be a piece of history. “Like The Jackson’s movie, The Temptations and The Five Heartbeats: three movies every black person in America has seen at least once in their life. This will be one of those, but reach an even wider audience due to today’s global media.”

Ever since Robbie Rogers came out in early 2013, the soccer player has been intent on changing sports culture the best way he knows how – by being himself.
Rogers shares his story in Coming Out to Play, a book co-written with Eric Marcus (Breaking the Surface, co-authored with Greg Louganis) on the LA Galaxy player’s journey from closeted Catholic to barrier breaker. The first openly gay male athlete to win a big-time team pro sports title in the U.S., Rogers talks being “sad” about the lack of out athletes, homophobia in sports and how stories on LGBT-focused locker room behavior set the gay community back.

What was the most rewarding thing you learned about yourself while writing this book?
I learned a lot about myself writing this, but I don’t know what the most rewarding is. When I wrote about my childhood, and just talking about how closeted I was, how things really scarred me and, obviously, being very afraid to be open with people, I think I learned from all that that I needed to be more open with people and learn from all those experiences. Without working through all those stories and writing all that down, I don’t think I would’ve been as aware of it. So, while I was writing the book, I realized, “Gosh, I need to share things more often with people and talk about things and be open,” which doesn’t come naturally to me. I’m a very shy, quiet person, actually. The most rewarding thing for myself, I think, was to just realize that and try to work on it during this past year, and to continue to work on it.

In the book’s prologue, you say, “I’ve been uncomfortable with the shorthand versions of my life that I’ve seen and read.” What do you hope to clarify?
When I came out, there weren’t details: all the struggle, why it took me so long and what was going on behind the scenes in the soccer locker room. And there are a lot of gay men and women around the world who know how tough it is – it’s very difficult to be closeted, and then to open up and be honest with people, and then to come to terms with yourself. So, I just wanted to add all the details of the story and talk about why it was so difficult for me. There were articles written like, “Oh, he’s out, he’s happy, he’s playing, everything’s good,” and it’s like, “No – there’s so much more to the story.”

There’s an assumption that men’s sports are not welcoming to LGBT athletes, or even threatened by them. Is this due to the fact that people didn’t know what would happen until someone came out?
Yeah, that’s the big thing: People don’t know what’s gonna happen. People are afraid, obviously, that things might change for them. I don’t necessarily think that the majority of athletes are homophobic, but I think there’s that mentality in the locker room.
From my experience, all the guys that I heard homophobic things from growing up were the first ones to call me, text me and support me (when I came out). Athletes themselves are not homophobic; the sports culture is. As an out professional soccer player, people are sensitive. They know there’s a gay guy in their locker room and they’re not saying homophobic things. Instead, we’re discussing marriage equality. But when there isn’t an out soccer player – a guy that they know is gay – in the locker room, I’m sure things are being said that are homophobic. Again, I know it’s ridiculous for me to say, but it’s not necessarily because (players are) homophobic, but they’re not educated to be sensitive to what they’re saying. Someone might argue that that’s homophobic, but these guys are very loving and supportive of me, and I think if anyone in the locker room did come out, (other players) would be very supportive of them. But it’s that lack of knowledge and education about the LGBT community, and about mental health and just being sensitive to other people, that I think is the issue.

ESPN recently reported on out NFL player Michael Sam’s showering habits, which they’ve since apologized for. What is your opinion on the media’s focus of locker room behavior as it pertains to gay athletes?
It’s absolutely ridiculous. I know that with (NBA player) Jason (Collins) and I there were no issues, but I think sometimes ESPN or different media people get bored and create stories for controversy or attention. I think that was one of those.
I’ve only spoken with Michael a few times, but I’m guessing his experience in the locker room was like Jason’s and mine, and that the guys were very supportive and proud to have an openly gay guy on their team who was changing things for the world. I haven’t really spoken to Michael about that much; I just know from my experience that’s the case, so, I mean, it’s ridiculous when people report that kind of stuff just to create a story to get comments on Yahoo or wherever else. That’s not gonna change things for the better.

What if you were the topic of that report? What would you have thought of it then?
Honestly? Laughable. I would just be like, “The locker room and my teammates and myself are on the same page and everything is cool. I enjoy being on the team, and I think they enjoy having me on the team.” It’s just laughable.

Does this kind of reporting make you cautious about your locker room behavior?
No. I’m the same as everyone else in that locker room. I shower with the guys. I walk around naked. My experience in the locker room is the same as everyone else’s, and I don’t think it’s any different for any of the guys. They don’t act any differently around me. It’s just normal.

You said recently that you thought more athletes would come out after you did.
No, not just me – but there’s Jason Collins, and there are female athletes who are out, and then Michael. There was a number of athletes, and there was stuff going on around the world. I just thought it was about time more athletes feel comfortable to do it. Maybe it just really shows how the sports culture is just not very accepting to gay men and women being out.

Are you disappointed that more haven’t come out?
No, I remember how difficult it was for me, so I’m not disappointed in that way. I’m just surprised. I know what it’s like being on the other side and being supported and having people that love me on my team, and I just think that everyone deserves that. If (closeted athletes) could somehow find a way to (be out), they would really have so much support. So, I’m a little sad and a little surprised that people aren’t willing to take that leap, but I’m not mad. It’s really difficult, and everyone has to come out at their own pace and at their own time, and I understand that.

Do you know a lot of gay sports players who aren’t out?
Uh, I know a few. I don’t think they’re ever gonna come out.

Ever?
I mean, maybe once they’re done playing, but I just think their lives – I’m not sure. That’s a good question. I don’t know. But I do know a few. Sometimes people have been living a certain way for a long time and are afraid to make a change.

What coming out advice do you have for a closeted gay athlete?
Speak with someone away from your team, your family and your friends – a therapist or someone – to just get those thoughts out. I know that when I kept it inside, it was not very healthy. That’s really the only advice I could give. It’s tough to give advice on that subject.

When it comes to efforts being made for sports inclusivity, how far do we still have to go?
I think there still needs to be progress, but I think the leagues are changing and the leagues want to have out athletes on their teams so that they can change that perception. But I think there needs to be a bit more work on changing sports culture, because they’re just waiting for athletes to come out, and I think, first, they need to create an environment that’s more accepting.

You’re producing a comedy for ABC called Men in Shorts that’s supposedly based on your life. But after reading your book, your story isn’t particularly humorous. In fact, it’s dark, sometimes tragic, and ultimately inspiring. It sounds more like a premium cable drama to me. With that said, how will your life story translate into an ABC sitcom?
The show, first off, is just inspired by my life. I have a huge family, and in the show there’s not a big family. And, yes, there’s a gay soccer player and he’s from LA, so there are a lot of similarities, but there are so many differences too.
Really what I’m doing is helping the writers in creating characters that are realistic, like, (what it’s like the) first time taking showers with the guys or being open to talking about my boyfriend. We’re trying to teach people through laughter and through comedy, and also talk about the sports world, but from a different point of view, obviously. It’s a total fish-out-of-water concept. There are aspects taken from my life, but it’s not based on the book or based on the struggle that I went through.

But there will be shower scenes?
(Laughs) 100 percent shower scenes. I mean, it’s the locker room, so it has to be realistic!

On Facebook recently, you posted a shirtless photo of you in bed with the book. How aware are you that some people aren’t just interested in you because of soccer?
To be totally honest, yeah, I guess I’m starting to notice it more now. I mean, through social media. But when I’m out with friends at dinner or grabbing drinks and people come up to me, I’m oblivious to whether (people are) hitting on me or trying to be nice to me. Sometimes I can’t tell the difference!

You say that you didn’t want to be the poster boy for gay athletes, but then you became that. How have you come to terms with being an accidental activist?
I know I talk about it in my book, but I came out for selfish reasons – for my happiness. I realized I needed to make a change. My goal wasn’t to be this person that wanted to change sports culture; it was really just to be happy with myself and my family and friends. I didn’t know what the reaction was going to be, and I didn’t realize how big the problem was. When I realized how many people related to my story and struggled growing up, it made me feel ridiculous and selfish. I was seeing what kind of difference I was making in people’s lives. With the book out, I’ve been getting tons of letters from people writing me their story and (telling me) how much they relate to my book. It was those reactions that made me want to embrace that role more.

You’ve obviously been instrumental in changing the tide for the LGBT community in many ways. How far do you plan on taking your newfound platform?
Good question. At the moment, I’m just living every day as it comes. I don’t think of it that way – I just do what I feel is right. I just think of myself as Robbie. I play soccer, and yes, I’m gay. And I’m happy to be that person.