Andrew Scott says filming "Elsinore" helped him process his mother's death

The Irish actor, who stars in "Pressure", is gearing up to play Ian Charleson, a gay actor who famously performed "Hamlet" while living with AIDS, only to succumb to the disease two months later at 40.

It's a role that means the world to Andrew, and one he can draw huge parallels with his own life as a gay actor who has performed "Hamlet" 150 times.

Ahead of the release, here's what you need to know:

Who's starring?

Andrew is appearing as Ian Charleson and described the part as "so much about everything in my life - I've spent my life in the theatre," he told the Hollywood Reporter.

"And being a gay actor, it's still so moving to me that I get the opportunity to play a part that Ian and his contemporaries would not have gotten while they were working actors."

Alongside Andrew, "Elsinore" boasts an all-star cast including Olivia Colman, Billie Piper, Bridgerton's Luke Thompson, Peter Mullan, Juliet Stevenson, Johnny Flynn, Joe Locke, Sadie Soverall, Adeel Akhtar, Paul Chahidi, Danny Webb, Monica Dolan, Matthew Beard, Kadiff Kirwan, David Dawson and Georgie Glen.

What's "Elsinore" about?

The film follows Ian Charleson's final months preparing to play "Hamlet" at the National Theatre in London. Despite being seriously ill, the actor was brought in to play the role after Daniel Day-Lewis stepped back from the part.

"I wanted people to be able to understand that he was trying to live - it's not about fetishizing his death. He was so full of life and fun, and he did this extraordinary thing."

"Elsinore" is somewhat of a passion project for Scott, who has often drawn comparisons to the late actor as well as director Simon Stone and screenwriter Stephen Beresford, with the trio bantering around ideas for the film via a WhatsApp Group.

Andrew lost a significant amount of weight to capture Ian's illness, and filming the role also helped him to process the loss of his mother.

"My mom was my biggest supporter. I feel like when you're doing something for somebody else, and you've got nothing to lose, it brings something out. I really wanted to get it right."

When will Elsinore be released?

Elsinore is set to be released in Ireland on 29 January 2027.

* This article was originally published on Evoke.ie.