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AfterElton.com: What drew you to the role of Larry Kelly?
Jeremy Irons: I was very keen to work with Franco because I’ve known him personally for years and I knew this was a picture close to his heart. It’s great working with a director who is passionate about his subject. Besides, I knew he wasn’t getting any younger.

AE: You are known for playing dark, complex characters with a villainous streak. How does Larry compare?
JI: I’ve played a wide range of characters—priests, poets, baddies, lovers—not just villains. Larry is different from all of them. He’s is a man who adores genius, this particular genius. Very much a supporting role to Callas.

AE: How much did you research this role?
JI: Well, I had to research Maria Callas a lot because I’m not an opera buff. Since my character was loosely based on Franco, all I had to do was listen to [the director] gush about Maria, to watch his adoration, to realize where Larry was coming from. I never met Maria, nor even saw her onstage, I’m sad to say.

AE: Is this your first gay film role?
JI: I played a character in M Butterfly who is in love with a woman who turns out to be a man, but that’s a slightly different kettle of fish. I don’t really believe that gender makes much difference when it comes to love, so I didn’t have to research Larry’s gay side. Obviously, I have gay friends. But if you love somebody, it doesn’t make a difference if it’s a man or a woman. Larry loved a person who just happened to be a man.

AE: Your portrayal is refreshing. Did you resist any urge to play to the stereotype and camp it up?
JI: I’m not sure that stereotype is valid. I know a lot of people whose sexuality I’m not sure about. They don’t give out particularly strong signals. Of course, there are some gay people who do, just like there are heterosexuals—men or women—who give out strong signals about their sexual orientation. But that comes from a place of insecurity. There’s no reason to flaunt your sexuality to the world.

AE: Many of your characters have impeccable style. Do you find it ironic that your only gay character is a bit of a schlub in need of a Queer Eye-type makeover?
JI: I felt Larry was harking back to his youth with that pony tail. Part of his desire to get Maria up and running again was to turn the clock back to when he was younger, managing a singer with a great voice. It’s Maria who points out that you can’t—time passes and you change. He has no clue that his appearance is far from hip.

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