Richard Armitage casually comes out, says he warned his partner about full-frontal scene in ‘Obsession’

No surprises here: We’re obsessed with Obsession, Netflix‘s new erotic thriller miniseries that has convinced us to always think twice before laying our heads down on a hotel pillow…

As a celebrated neurosurgeon who begins a dangerous affair with his son’s new girlfriend, Richard Armitage makes quite a splash in the series, especially because he lets it all hang out for the role.

Obsession definitely marks a big moment for the English thespian who’s been working in film and television for the past 25 years. He had an unforgettable arc late in the Hannibal TV series’ run, and even showed up in Ocean’s Eight, but Armitage is probably still best known as “dwarf king” Thorin Oakenshield in The Hobbit trilogy.

You know, this guy (though to be fair, he’s not very recognizable under all that hair and makeup!):

Speaking of The Hobbit, while those films were in production, rumors began to swirl about Armitage’s sexuality after Sir Ian McKellen let slip that a number of his co-stars were gay, including actors who played “two of the dwarves.” Some folks even thought he and co-star Lee Pace were secretly dating at the time.

While Armitage long kept quiet about the subject and avoided discussing his personal life in interviews (as is his right, we should add!), all the new press around Obsession has inspired him to open up in a new way.

In conversation with Radio Times magazine, the actor reflects on coming out to the people in his life when he was a teen and why he didn’t want to talk about it publicly for so long:

“[Coming out] happened when I was 19–to anybody who mattered–and I was always waiting for that question to punch me in the face, and it never did,” Armitage says. “I thought, ‘Are people being polite, or is it that they don’t want to know?’”

He continues: “I don’t know that I ever wanted to put myself in front of the work I was doing, anything about my family or personal life. I just thought, ‘Let the work speak for itself’.”

But, over time, Armitage’s feelings have clearly changed. In a separate interview with The Evening Standard, he discusses filming Obsession‘s more revealing scenes and says he did give his partner a head’s up about going full-frontal:

“We did talk about it. I reassured him that it was all going to be fine, and we were being well looked after.”

While we don’t have any clarity on how Armitage identifies exactly, this is the first time he has publicly used male pronouns when discussing his partner, which is huge!

So what’s inspired the actor to open up more at this point in his career? He credits the younger generations, who have proven to be much more open about sexuality and gender.

“I love the conversation with the younger generation,” he tells Radio Times. “I love the idea that whatever gender, sexuality, the fluidity of who you love, how you identify, is not fixed.”

“That was always a thing: If I declare who I am and my sexuality, then I’m saying it’s fixed and I don’t know that, or if I might feel something for somebody further down the line. I doubt it, but I don’t know. It’s more relaxed now. As a writer and producer, I do wonder if anybody has to be defined by who they’re in love with.”

So, there you have it! Our new favorite TV daddy (who is not a daddy in real life—as far as we know) is part of the community! We’re selfishly excited, but also proud of the journey Armitage has been on and glad he’s at a point where he feels more comfortable talking about his sexuality. Good for him!

Obsession is now streaming exclusively on Netflix.

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