Parry Glasspool plays one of the most famous gay characters currently on British TV: Harry Thompson in Channel 4’s Hollyoaks. In our June 2017 issue, we undress Parry for a steamy cover shoot and dive into his career, his future ambitions and his role as an ally for young men in the gay community.
From the emotional minefield of coming out, to learning how to support his boyfriend as he battled a crystal meth addiction, Harry Thompson’s storylines on Hollyoaks confront often controversial subject matter, in what is an honest reflection of the changing landscape for LGBT+ people in the 21st century.
As such, his role has a far-reaching and positive impact, particularly on young men around the UK. Whether giving young men the confidence to come out or speak openly about mental health, Parry doesn’t take lightly the influence of his platform:
“I get lads messaging me saying ‘your storyline really helped me come out to my family’ or ‘I haven’t come out to my family yet, but this has made it easier’, which is nice to hear.”
On the groundbreaking three-hander that tackled crystal meth addiction, Parry enjoys being able to explore an issue which is affecting our community in real-time:
“I thought it was really rewarding, being able to slow down and concentrate on people.”
