Murray Bartlett is a stunning out actor who found fame at fifty thanks to his iconic role in the HBO Max miniseries The White Lotus. Bartlett has been a name here at Mr. Man for a while thanks to his uninhibited gay roles, but he wasn't a household name until The White Lotus. Media outlets across the globe couldn't help themselves from devouring his legendary ass-eating scene with costar Lukas Gage. Now Bartlett is opening up in The Guardian about what it's like to find fame at fifty, as well as his struggle with "emotional addiction" - which helped him prepare for the role of Armond in The White Lotus.
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Murray Bartlett Interview
Bartlett had this to say about what it's like for an actor to get widespread recognition decades into his career:
It’s not like I expected it to happen, for sure. But now that it has happened, it feels like it’s really good timing … I’m a bit wiser. I’m anchored in myself... I mean, I get a few more aches than I used to.
Here's what he has to say about his character Armond in The White Lotus:
Armond represents that part of all of us that is like: ‘What the fuck? What are we doing? What is going on?’ He’s waking up to the insanity of the nightmare that he’s in and just can’t hold up the public face any more.”
And about how his issues with emotional addiction helped him prepare for the role (Armond struggles with substance abuse issues, and relapses over the course of the series):
I don’t struggle with addiction in the traditional sense, but I feel very aware of those tendencies in myself at different times in my life. When I’ve broken up from relationships, I’ve completely fallen apart at times, because that’s my drug. If you don’t have substance-addiction issues, it’s hard to fully understand what that is, but, emotionally, I feel as if I can get a sense.
In part of the interview, Bartlett tears up when talking about coming out this his father. While coming out to his mother was easy, his father still struggles to embrace Bartlett's sexuality unconditionally, due to his father's religious beliefs:
I think it’s a tricky thing, to come to some peace and acceptance of other people’s differing views of the world, or their belief system, without backing down from what I believe. I’m gonna, you know, try my best to not … I found it very painful for many years … (Bartlett takes a second, before continues with tears running down his cheeks. I know. Heartbreaking!)
It’s loaded with a lot of other stuff, like being in this country and it’s very divided. And how do you deal with that without turning the other person into an enemy? How do you put your own personal stuff aside and just choose to love someone? That’s what my challenge is with my dad.
I’d like to have a relationship (with my father) where I feel unconditionally loved in that way. And I know that he feels that he loves me unconditionally. But, for me, it’s a little more complex than that. But I know that he’s very proud of me.
What Are Murray Bartlett's sexiest Roles?
We're glad you asked! The hottie Aussie has a haldful of fantastic roles here at Mr. Man. In the movie August, a young Bartlett cozies up to his on-screen lover Daniel Dugan in bed. We don't see Bartlett's penis, but Daniel's is fully exposed when he roles over in bed!
Bartlett played one of the main characters on Looking, but interestingly, he didn't get nearly as naughty as his costars Jonathan Groff and Russell Tovey. For Bartlett's best pre-White Lotus scene, you need to look no further than the 2019 Netflix miniseries Tales Of The City. He gets some tail in the city when Charlie Barnett tops him in bed for some truly unbelievable, sweaty, and all-around hot af gay sex!
And then you have The White Lotus. The surfer-hot Lukas Gage plays Bartlett's employee at the resort, and Bartlett convinces Gage (with the help of some drugs and booze) to do a little butt stuff in his office. They're discovered by a coworker and hotel guest with Bartlett's tongue in Gage's ass! This. Is. How. You. Do. A. Gay. Scene.
