Schitt’s Creek star Noah Reid ‘never felt the need’ to play gay character Patrick ‘a certain way’
Patrick and David’s relationship on Schitt’s Creek melted the hearts of fans across the world (Screenshot/Netflix)
Schitt’s Creek star Noah Reid has said he “never felt the need” to play gay character Patrick “a certain way”.
Reid collectively melted the hearts of queer people across the world with his portrayal of David Rose’s love interest Patrick in Schitt’s Creek, the comedy that took the world by storm when it landed on Netflix.
Reflecting on his time on the show, which ended in April after a six-season run, Reid – who is straight – said he never tried to play the character a certain way based on his sexuality.
When asked what he thinks of the ongoing debate around straight actors playing gay characters, Reid told the Irish Independent: “I agree with it on many scores. I also feel like Patrick is just a guy who’s attracted to another guy.”
Schitt’s Creek star Noah Reid didn’t want to play gay character Patrick ‘a certain way’ based on his sexuality.
He added: “I never felt the need to play Patrick a certain way based on his sexuality – I sort of approached him as if he were me and he was attracted to somebody.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Reid reflected on his memorable acoustic performance of Tina Turner’s “The Best” in the series, saying it “opened up a door to a music career” that he previously didn’t know was possible.
“Dan [Levy] had written that song into the episode, and I think the line was, ‘Patrick performers a surprisingly beautiful version of Tina Turner’s ‘The Best’, which was a lot to process.
“At the table read, I went up to Dan and said, ‘OK, so you’re going to make me sing, huh?’ and he was like, ‘Yeah, and this song is actually quite important to me, so don’t f**k it up.'”
I never felt the need to play Patrick a certain way based on his sexuality – I sort of approached him as if he were me and he was attracted to somebody.
Reid also admitted that he was “nervous” joining Schitt’s Creek in 2017, when the show already had an established fanbase.
“I was certainly nervous about showing up to an established show,” he said.
“Catherine [O’Hara] and Eugene [Levy] are these giants in Canadian comedy – and all over the world – but for us, we’re well aware that they’re at the absolute height.
“I was just really blown away by their generosity and welcoming nature. They made it real easy for me to step into that show and feel like I was part of it.
“There was a wonderful interpersonal vibe on that set that you don’t come across all the time, and I think that’s down to Eugene and Catherine approaching it like the genuine people they are.
“Nobody could flex any ego if they weren’t flexing any ego, so there just wasn’t any, really, on set.”
