Update: Luke Evans will portray Dr. Frank-N-Furter in a new production of “The Rocky Horror Show” on Broadway at Studio 54. It opens on April 23, 2026.
Researching the lives of the people I write about in this Tumblr is fascinating. I learn from others’ experiences coming out. But when I began researching actor Luke Evans, I was surprised by how much his story hit close to home. I’ll explain at the end…
Luke Evans is a Welsh actor and action movie star. He has performed on London’s West End Stage in productions of Rent, Miss Saigon, and Avenue Q. But he’s best known for his film roles such as Aramis in “The Three Musketeers” (2011), Zeus in “Immortals” (2011), Bard the Bowman in the Hobbit Trilogy, Dracula Untold (2013), and Gaston in Disney’s live-action “Beauty and the Beast” (2017).
Evans is gay. In 2024, he was interviewed by Jack Guinness for the Queerphoria podcast where he described growing up as a Jehovah’s Witness—a deeply conservative religion that condemns homosexuals and kicks them out if they don’t “repent”. When he began to realize he was gay, Evans felt guilt and feared he would be kicked out of his home.
At the age of 14, he sought counseling from the Samaritans (a non-religious UK charity that provides help). He was driven there by a Jehovah’s Witness friend who did not know the purpose of the visit:
“So I went to this Samaritan's office, and this very nice man opened the door… And I sat with him and I said, look, I'm going through these feelings. I don't know what to do. I live in a home of Jehovah's Witnesses. I can't talk to anyone. I feel completely alone. My friend outside doesn't even know that you are, you know, why I'm here.
And he said very few words, but I remember them very clearly. He said, “You’re not alone.” And he said, “I'm a gay man and I'm very happy. I have lots of friends and I have a good life. And you will too. There's nothing wrong with you. You just have to get through what you have to get through right now.” And when you're ready, you can leave home. And you will, because you'll need to find your people.
And I walked out the door, got in the car, and my Jehovah's Witness friend asked, “So did he fix you?” And I went, “Yeah, take me home.” And of course, he didn't fix me. He just made me realize there was nothing to fix.
And I went home and I somehow then got through the next two years. But knowing that there were people out there, people like me. And I just needed to get to the point where I could leave home and not hurt my mum and dad and start again.”
Evans left home at the age of 16.
Evans has been in a relationship with Fran Tomas since 2021.
NOTE: Luke Evans’ story hit close to home because for about 3 years (between the ages of 11 and 13) I was involved with the Jehovah’s Witnesses. There is a section in Luke’s interview where he talks about the Jehovah’s Witness beliefs - it’s exactly as I remember it. I think a lot of my fear of being discovered as gay comes from those experiences. I knew the JWs condemned homosexuals and kicked them out of the church.
When I was a kid, my older sister studied with them, and my parents made me go to her meetings because they didn’t want her to drive alone. Eventually (but reluctantly), I had my own Bible study. It was during this period I began to realize I was a homosexual. And I learned the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ puritanical views.
Thankfully, I was able to quit the Bible study, and I never formally became a Jehovah’s Witness (but two sisters and both parents eventually converted). But for too many years, I tried to keep my secret from them. I finally told them a week before my partner died from AIDS.
