Skins creator Bryan Elsey Sets The Record

Skins creator and show-runner Bryan Elsley recently addressed concerns among gay fans about the switch from the UK version’s gay character (Maxxie) to the U.S. version’s lesbian character (Tea) in an interview with AfterElton.com. These concerns centered mostly around whether the switch was made in an effort to pander to an American audience typically squeamish about male gay sexuality.

Elsely first addresses the process by which Maxxie became Tea. “As I went through the audition process, it gradually became apparent to me that I actually couldn’t replace Mitch (Hewer, the actor who played Maxxie). I couldn’t find a kid who could bring the same tenor to the performance. And I’d met Sofia (Black D’Elia, the actress playing Tea)… it was mainly because I did not have someone in front of me with the magic I needed for (a gay male lead).”

When asked point blank whether or not he was catering the characters of Skins U.S. toward America’s uncomfortableness with male gay sexuality, Elsley seemed almost offended.

Said Elsley, “Do your readers honestly believe that? That it's harder to have a gay male character [than a lesbian one]? That's certainly not why we did it. You only have to look at Glee. It's got strong gay characters… I would never make that decision, and if I really felt that, that would have made me feel less likely, rather than more likely, to (make the switch to Tea). Because we are writers, and we don't follow anyone's agenda.”



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