He added: “And now I’m sort of doing the same thing, [but] it’s now ticking a box, whereas before it didn’t.”
Mathew went on to express his feelings about straight actors playing gay roles, admitting: “It’s not the same playing field.”
Referencing It’s A Sin, he said: “No queer role on It’s a Sin was not played by somebody who was not queer themselves.
“And then I noticed on my social media, a lot of… I have to say straight white male actors saying, ‘It’s ridiculous actors are just actors’, and you think this is where the privilege is – under their nose.
“I kept saying to people, ‘But guys what you don’t realise is, if it was a level playing field, then that would be true’.”
Emmerdale airs weekdays at 7.30pm on ITV.
