Andrew Scott is set to deliver one of the most significant performances of his career as he steps into the role of Scottish stage and screen icon Ian Charleson in Elsinore, a new biopic announced by StudioCanal and reported by Variety.
Directed by actor-turned-filmmaker Simon Stone and written by BAFTA-winning screenwriter Stephen Beresford (Pride), the film charts the final chapter of Charleson’s life as he prepared for and delivered a landmark performance as Hamlet while living with AIDS.
Andrew Scott is not only starring as Charleson but is also attached to the project as a producer. The casting has been widely hailed as inspired. Director Stone noted, “Andrew Scott is one of the greatest actors of his generation as Ian Charleson was.”
Charleson was best known to mainstream audiences for his roles in Oscar-winning films of the 1980s, including Chariots of Fire and Gandhi, but it was his work on stage that cemented his legacy.
Diagnosed with HIV in 1986, Charleson continued to work in an era of deep stigma and fear, culminating in his acclaimed turn as Hamlet at London’s National Theatre in 1989, just months before his death at age 40. Fellow actor Ian McKellen later described him as the “perfect Hamlet.”
Scott will be joined by Oscar-winner Olivia Colman, who plays Charleson’s doctor, marking a warmly anticipated reunion following their Emmy-winning collaboration on Fleabag.
Beresford’s screenplay is described as both heartbreaking and hilarious, focusing not only on illness and loss but on community, resilience and the sustaining power of art.
“This is one of the most exciting projects I’ve ever been involved in,” Stone said. “It’s a beautiful ode to the power of community in times of crisis.”
For Scott, whose recent work ranges from television to Richard Linklater’s newly released Blue Moon, Elsinore promises to be a defining role: a portrait of an artist confronting mortality with courage, integrity and extraordinary grace.
GCN’s wonderful Christmas Raffle is back! To be in with a chance of winning some fantastic prizes while also supporting GCN, buy a raffle ticket from as little as €5 at this link.
© 2025 GCN (Gay Community News). All rights reserved.
Support GCN
GCN is a free, vital resource for Ireland’s LGBTQ+ community since 1988.
GCN is a trading name of National LGBT Federation CLG, a registered charity - Charity Number: 20034580.
GCN relies on the generous support of the community and allies to sustain the crucial work that we do. Producing GCN is costly, and, in an industry which has been hugely impacted by rising costs, we need your support to help sustain and grow this vital resource.
Supporting GCN for as little as €1.99 per month will help us continue our work as Ireland’s free, independent LGBTQ+ media.