Nicholas Galitzine Felt 'Guilt' About 'Taking Up Someone's Space' in LGBTQ Roles as a Straight Actor

"I see those characters as not solely their sexuality," he said

Nicholas Galitzine admits to feeling conflicted about playing LGBTQ characters as a straight actor.

The 29-year-old actor, who stars opposite Anne Hathaway in the new romance The Idea of You, had a memorable role as a gay British prince in the 2023 rom-com Red, White & Royal Blue, and he currently stars as another queer royal on the Starz series Mary & George.

He also played a closeted rugby player in the 2016 film Handsome Devil, and his character in 2020's The Craft: Legacy was bisexual.

In an interview with British GQ for a GQ Hype cover story, Galitzine said, "I identify as a straight man, but I have been a part of some incredible queer stories. I felt a sense of uncertainty sometimes about whether I’m taking up someone’s space, and perhaps guilt."

"At the same time," he adds, "I see those characters as not solely their sexuality."

Related: Nicholas Galitzine Explains the 'Pitfalls' of Dating While Famous: It Can Be 'Really Straining' (Exclusive)

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Galitzine, who has also starred in films like Purple Hearts and Bottoms, recently told HuffPost U.K. "there’s sort of a plethora of reasons" he ends up in various queer roles.

"One, I have so many friends within the community, and I know so many of them didn’t feel like they had these stories growing up," he said.

"I think with all of these characters the thing that I find really intriguing as an actor is that underbelly of vulnerability and having to hide oneself," said Galitzine. "I’m very interested in identity. ... I think they’ve all just been really rich characters in of themselves."

For The Idea of You, now streaming, Galitzine plays a 24-year-old pop star who gets into an unlikely relationship with a 40-year-old divorced art dealer (Hathaway). He recently told PEOPLE that "so much thought" went into "fame and its effect on love and relationships" plus "female pleasure" for the film.

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