Suspect star Russell Tovey reveals jaw-dropping advice he received being gay in showbiz'

Daily Mirror

22-04-2025

Earning his place in the spotlight as an out and proud actor, Russell Tovey says not everyone in his professional circle were happy for him to share his sexuality with the world.
His death became a global news story and 20 years on, Disney+ delves into the harrowing events that led to the fatal shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes in the aftermath of the 7/7 bombings in central London.
Suspect: The Shooting Of Jean Charles De Menezes is a gripping new four-part drama, airing on Disney + and starring Russell Tovey, Conleth Hill, Max Beesley, Laura Aikman, Daniel Mays and Emily Mortimer.
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When Russell, 43, was approached to join the cast, he had to stop and take it in. 'I was shocked that 2025 will mark 20 years since the event – it's gone incredibly quickly,' he says. 'It doesn't feel like it was that long ago, but I knew there had been a lot of misinformation at the time.'
The actor plays deputy assistant commissioner in the Metropolitan Police Brian Paddick, who was then Britain's highest-ranking openly gay police officer. 'He's someone I've looked up to. I was happy he was someone within the community with good morals,' says Russell, who is also gay.
'I came out very early in my career and was advised along the way not to consider it, but I went against that advice. I feel a real connection to Brian. I understand what it means to be gay in the public eye and what people can write about you.'
Misconceptions have long surrounded Jean Charles' story but to understand it, we need to rewind to July 2005. Just a day after London celebrated winning the bid to host the 2012 Olympics, carnage was unleashed.
On 7 July, four coordinated suicide bombings devastated the capital. Three bombs were detonated during the morning rush hour on London Underground trains and a fourth exploded on a bus in Tavistock Square. The attacks killed 52 people and injured almost 800 others.
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Max Beesley, 54, who plays assistant commissioner Andy Hayman – tasked with leading the investigation into the 7/7 attacks – remembers the day vividly.
'We had our first ever read-through for a show called Hotel Babylon with the BBC,' he says. 'And they wanted a prompt 9am start and insisted that everyone arrived there for 8.30am in Marylebone.
God knows what would've happened if it would've been the 9am arrival time as we would've been on the infrastructure between 8am and 9am, which could have been horrific.'
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For Conleth Hill, 60, who steps into the shoes of former Met Police commissioner Sir Ian Blair, the experience was part of a haunting pattern.
'It wasn't long after September 11th. At the time, it just felt like it was constant or certainly regular enough to be concerning,' he says. 'I was in New York for September 11th and I was also doing a play there at the time.'
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Now portraying a man widely criticised for his role in Jean Charles' death, Conleth was careful not to pass judgement. 'I don't blame Ian Blair. I can't – I have to give him the respect to play him,' he says.
'There are statements that he makes within our drama where he's perfectly aware of making mistakes and of being culpable. There's a strange understanding that comes from why he did what he did, because his main focus was finding the four bombers.'
Two weeks after 7/7, another wave of attempted bombings occurred. On 21 July, four devices were again placed on trains and a bus. This time, they failed to detonate, but panic surged.
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Police believed another coordinated attack was underway – and they were desperate to act fast. The following morning, on 22 July, 27-year-old Jean Charles de Menezes left for work.
But officers wrongly identified him as one of the failed bombers. He was followed into Stockwell Underground Station before being shot seven times in the head at point-blank range.
The fallout from the incident was instant and international. In Brazil, where Jean Charles was from, outrage erupted into street protests. Around the world, blame and misinformation reigned.
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Taking on the role of Jean Charles is Brazilian actor Edison Alcaide. Although he already knew the story, diving deep into the man at the heart of the story was difficult.
'I feel really connected to Jean Charles,' he says. 'We have so much in common. He was truly a nice guy, famed for how he cared for his family and his friends and the way he approached life. He was living in the UK because he wanted to grow as a person and experience different cultures.'
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But portraying his death was one of the biggest challenges Edison faced. 'There were so many legal things that needed to be respected and they were extremely careful, thanks to all the research, to show exactly what had happened,' Edison says. 'It was very difficult. It was very emotional. It was a very heavy day on set for everyone.'
In the aftermath of the shooting, misleading information was everywhere including claims that Jean Charles had jumped a ticket barrier, that he was wearing a bulky coat or that he even ran from the police. None of it was true.
For writer Jeff Pope, who worked on the series with producer Kwadjo Dajan, it is about portraying the facts. 'I had no concept that this story was this relevant and this fundamental,' Jeff says. 'And the only way through it all is the truth.'