Paul Fitzgerald and Barrett Foa have dished on playing a gay US resident and first gentleman in Netflix’s The Residence.
On 20 March, TV enthusiasts were treated to the eight-episode limited comedy series, created by Paul William Davies and executive produced by Shonda Rhimes.
Inspired by Kate Andersen Brower’s 2015 nonfiction book – The Residence: Inside the Private World of the White House – the whodunit show follows renowned detective Cordelia Cupp as she investigates a shocking murder at the White House state dinner.
The synopsis reads: “132 rooms. 157 suspects. One dead body. One wildly eccentric detective. One disastrous State Dinner. The Residence is a screwball whodunnit set in the upstairs, downstairs, and backstairs of the White House, among the eclectic staff of the world’s most famous mansion.”
Orange is the New Black star Uzo Aduba leads the series as Cordelia, with WandaVision’s Randall Park playing “sceptical FBI agent” Edwin Park and Breaking Bad talent Giancarlo Esposito portraying the murder victim at the centre of the investigation.
Since its release, The Residence has received universal acclaim from viewers and critics, with many praising its dry humour, all-star cast, and Aduba’s performance.
In addition to the aforementioned feats, the show has been lauded by LGBTQIA+ viewers for featuring characters Peter Morgan (Fitzgerald) and Elliot Morgan (Foa) – the openly gay US president and first gentleman.
“I love Shondaland because what do you mean there’s a gay president queening out over Kylie Minogue,” one viewer wrote on X/Twitter.
Another fan echoed similar sentiments, tweeting: “Obsessed with The Residence. First gay male president and his husband host a state dinner with Australia, and to celebrate, they invite Kylie Minogue to perform. 10 out of 10 immediately.”
Netflix
In a recent interview with The Daily Beast, Fitzgerald and Foa opened up about all things The Residence, including bringing their characters to life as queer actors.
“I’m a queer man myself, probably very straight presenting. I’m someone who’s very comfortable in my sexuality. I loved just being myself. I didn’t feel like I had to act straight or anything,” Fitzgerald told the news outlet.
Foa echoed similar sentiments, gushing about how he was able to bring his “whole self” to the role of Elliot.
“I started in musical theatre and Broadway and was out and proud. But then, when I got to Hollywood and started on NCIS: Los Angeles, I didn’t know how I’d be received in this town,” he explained.
“I didn’t know if I needed to retreat and hide some of myself. It took years to figure out I can let myself be however that might manifest. And here I have this role that I can bring my whole self to and not have to hide any shades of me. It’s really lovely living your truth.”
Netflix
Foa also opened up about working with pop icon Kylie Minogue, with the former revealing that they bonded during filming.
“She hooked me up with front-row tickets to her Vegas residency – my mind was blown,” Foa said. “On set, she was teaching me choreography during the breaks. I told her I was a big fan, and I tried not to totally geek out.”
Towards the end of their interview, Fitzgerald reflected on the potential impact his and Foa’s roles will have on LGBTQIA+ representation in TV.
“I feel profoundly proud to create this representation. It’s lovely to imagine we’re in a post-representation or post-identity politics space, but I think that this new administration has disabused that idea,” Fitzgerald explained.
“TV plays a really important role in helping people see a future that they may not have otherwise seen. If Barrett and I representing this can enlarge the culture of imagination by seeing it mirrored in real life, it would be the proudest moment of my entire career.”
The Residence is now available to stream on Netflix.
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