If you’re not completely smitten with Russell Tovey, you probably haven’t been watching Looking. The popular British actor, well-known to U.K. audiences for his turn in the the sci-fi hit Being Human and the nostalgic comedy-drama The History Boys, is steadily making a name for himself on this side of the pond. As the boss of Jonathan Groff‘s character Patrick, Tovey’s Kevin has heated up the sexual tension in HBO’s buzzed-about series way past the boiling point. The 32-year-old actor is currently winning raves on the London stage for the gay-themed drama Pass and recently posted the above bare-chested selfie from his dressing room. In his lap is his lucky French bulldog Rocky. The word “Cute” has been redefined for eternity. Maybe there’s some truth to that old saying that dog-owners begin to resemble their pets. Look at the other Instagram photos of master and pup below and tell us which one has the more adorable ears.
Franco C.
I have a bulldog too. Too cute. They’re the best companion dogs.
balehead
It’s true Owners and dogs do look alike….
litper
It’s a crime to be so adorable!
mz.sam
Soooo Cute!…Russell, that is. Here’s LOOKING at ‘ya.
crowebobby
Everything about this guy says “perfect boyfriend” to me if I were 45 years younger, his type, and capable of love.
ted72
He’s husband material
Sohobod
Why is “The Divided Self” of prominent in the picture? Answers on a postcard to…
NG22
Ted72: You’re totally right. Russell is husband material. I’ve read through his Twitter feed, and a couple interviews he’s done, and he just seems so real.
His selfies with Rocky are always adorable. In some pictures, Rocky looks like a koala bear, which I love.
But more importantly, I find Russell more gorgeous every time I see him. If you’re not attracted to Russell Tovey after reading his Twitter feed and looking through his Instagram pics, there’s something wrong with you.
/Enough said. Can’t wait for “Looking” tonight. It’s one of my favorite new shows, along with “True Detective.”
dougmc92
I’ve seen 100s of threads on mostly British sites that constantly proclaim this guy’s looks….sorry, I don’t see it. That being sadi- he is by far the best/most intriguing/interesting character on Looking and does have a certainb sex appeal- it just doesn’t translate to pics.
tdx3fan
He is most definitely a sweet guy and very adorable. I loved him in Being Human (UK) which was actually a good series. I am not really going to get into “Looking” because I am a believer in not giving hundreds to a cable company for very little reason. I buy “True Blood,” but I have not seen anything interesting enough to make me by the box sets of “Looking.”
webfire
I’ve liked him since I saw him on Dr Who. I’m married and I’d marry him and take on two husbands. He’s that cute
diklikkr
It’s so nice to see good looking gay men who don’t have that too perfect ken doll look. French Bulldogs are pretty cool too.
Njmtpa
Yes. Frenchies are all cute and cuddley. Mine has separation angexity He bit me today when I left for the store. While I am out his howls like a baby. Now he is cuddled up next to me in bed.
NG22
I’m sure Queerty will give “Looking for $220/Hour” its own post, but I just finished that episode. [Spoilers] I agree with those who think it’s the best episode so far. We’re halfway through the season, and I feel like each episode is a half hour too short. I can’t believe I have to wait a whole week to see what happens next.
There are some things I’m considering as I wait:
-When will Kevin and Patrick cut through all that tension and screw on the desk?
-Will we meet Kevin’s boyfriend?
-Will Patrick have an existential crisis if he is complicit in Kevin cheating on John?
-Will Dom and Lynn begin dating?
-What are the details Lynn isn’t saying? Did his partner (whom he founded the flower shop with, and whom is M.I.A.) die from HIV/AIDS? Is Lynn, himself, positive?
-Will Dom be able to open the restaurant this season?
-When will the relationship between Augustin and Frank implode? (I know it will; I’m just wondering when.)
-Will Augustin always be dissatisfied with the life he has? Will he reform it for the better? Or in his quest for happiness, will he completely destroy all the good things currently extant?
BigWoody
I first saw him play in ‘Little Dorrit’ on PBS.
An old friend had a fetish for ‘sticky out ears’.
Anyone notice the dildo on the sink in the background of the first pic?
str8notnaro
I like the dog.
I don’t really like selfies – the just strike me as yucky somehow.
At least a lot of them do.
Mike
Nice tit! LOL
SteveDenver
Cute cuteness all around — they’re ALL EARS!
SteveDenver
@NG22: You’re the asshole nobody wants around. I’ve seen the episode, but have no need to spoil it for others.
gjg64
God, that man just gets more adorable every day. Now he has a sweet looking dog too?
NG22
@SteveDenver: Dude, you’re so mature. If you didn’t notice, I put a “Spoilers” label before saying anything about the episode. That’s a common Internet practice. If you read past a “Spoilers” label, you’re doing so with consent.
Furthermore, my point wasn’t even to summarize the episode. If you didn’t notice, I posed questions that only those who saw the episode could appropriately comment on. This is a comments section, so fostering discussion is kind of the point.
alanj
@NG22:
That’s a lot of questions to have after only 2 hrs of tv?
Recently after quite a few movies I’ve only had 1 question, and that has been wtf?
NG22
@alanj: I’m a writer myself, so my wheels constantly spin when looking at this show or any other.
Plot lines are like chess games. All the moves are on the board. It’s just a matter of choosing one. And because this is such a character-driven show, it’s pretty easy to see how the writers are developing the story. If you get the characters, which I feel I do, you get precisely what they’re looking for, and how they’ll undermine themselves and fail others along the way.
alanj
@NG22:
I think Looking is a huge positive for Andrew Haigh.
What do you think of True Detective? The two lead characters are pretty amazingly drawn and we just sat dumbfounded as last nights raid imploded. If anything it’s a bit relentless.
Niall
He can murder my asshole anyday
NG22
@alanj: True Detective is killing me! It’s such a beautiful, compelling show. The lead characters are rich and the acting is impeccable. BTW, that raid episode was startling. The characters–biker types and project gangsters–scared the shit out of me. They’re so dangerous and violence is the only language they speak. I really love that show.
alanj
@NG22:
Because of the way our cable channel repeats I watched Looking and True Detective twice in a row.
The thing I noticed more second time with Looking were the facial expressions, it’s like a second dialogue!
Those TD biker/ gangsters were doubly creepy 2nd time, seemed to have a lot to do with the eyes.
It was also the first time they used helicopter shots as part of the action, normally the aerial shots break up the plot with landscapes and motorways. The escape was like watching an aerial chess game.
What time are those programs on where you are?
NG22
I watch on HBO here in the U.S. “True Detective” airs at 9 PM on Sundays, and “Looking” is at 10:30 PM. I digitally record both of them, but I watch “Looking” live at 10:30. Usually, I watch “True Detective” on Monday nights. Of course, HBO repeats the shows over and over across its channels and throughout its schedule.
I notice the facial expressions in “Looking” as well, but maybe I should rewatch Sunday’s episode just for the fun of it. In particular, Jonathan Groff and Russell Tovey have whole conversations just with the way they look at each other! Do you notice the way Russell lights up when he’s looking at Jonathan and talking to him? And the way the glimmer in his eyes disappears when talking about his boyfriend? And when Jonathan looks at Russell, it’s with such warmth and admiration that it doesn’t matter what he says–he’s falling for his boss. But my favorite look of the night–by far!–was when Russell came back to the office, Jonathan’s friends left, and Russell was looking at Jonathan in the leather vest. He looked in Jonathan’s eyes, looked at his (admittedly hot) body, and kept looking away. It seemed like he was afraid that if he kept looking at Jonathan, he’d fuck him right there, right then. You could see his erection growing on his face. That’s why I feel like people who don’t like this show simply don’t appreciate subtlety–they would rather characters fuck immediately, get HIV, and have to explain it to their partner. They want DRAMA in all caps, the way “Queer As Folk” had melodrama. I feel like this show treats gay people with so much respect and care. It’s like many independent romantic comedies or romantic dramedies which usually feature straight couples.
The white bikers really did have creepy eyes. They were so seedy and dangerous. They were even more disturbing than FX’s “Sons of Anarchy.” They just kill so many people, and seeing all of that violence was like witnessing a street war begin. So credible. So disturbing. So gripping. I loved the aerial shots as well. And the way Matthew McConaughey was able to escape was so compelling. It’s like this show is a high-quality action movie. The drama and the writing are there, and the action is just brilliant.
alanj
@NG22:
HBO is on 2 x Showcase channels here: Looking first airs 8pm then repeats 10pm, TD airs 6.30 then repeats 8.30pm both streamed on Monday. I asked because those early times seem strange but I guess that’s my hangover from free to air days.
My other two guilty pleasures are Shameless and Banshee, I have a love/ hate relationship with both of them. The UK Shameless went off the rails by season 3 so I’m intrigued by the US version which seems to have kept it’s focus on the Gallagher family, I was glad to see Ian ( the gay son) reappear which will change some dynamics. Banshee is cartoon formula for each episode which can seem a bit gratuitous but there is something compelling about the 2 leads and production values.
Can’t wait for Monday, and it’s a long time since I’ve been able to say that about tv! Looking, True Detective, Shameless one after another. Keeps my mind off the scorching heat we’re expecting, our dreadful politics and cricket.
I’ve enjoyed sharing thoughts with you…..
NG22
@alanj: I assume you live in Australia. Greetings. When I studied abroad in London a few years ago (I’m from, and in, New York), I made a friend from Melbourne. I also had a film professor who is an Australian filmmaker (documentary/experimental films about the Aboriginal community). So I feel like I’ve been hearing so many firsthand stories about Australia for years. I so desperately want to go to Australia (though I was not pleased when Prime Minister Abbott came into power). It looks like such a beautiful country. It’s a shame about that heat.
I do not watch “Banshee” because it comes on a channel I do not pay for in this country–Cinemax, which is owned by HBO. Cinemax plays a lot of feature films, produces a few TV shows, and plays softcore (heterosexual) porn between 12 AM and 4 AM–you don’t even see any dicks. In this country, its nickname is “Skin-e-max.” However, I do know that “Banshee” was created by Alan Ball–the same man behind “True Blood,” with Canadian-New Zealander Anna Paquin.
I love “Shameless.” I watch it every week as well. The first season of the U.S. version was the best, but I think it is better this season than it was last.
So I rewatched “Looking” today, and I liked it all over again. I have very quickly become very obsessed with Jonathan Groff. I’m not sure if you know this, but he’s gay in real life. He just moved to Chelsea–a very gay and increasingly posh part of town–here in Manhattan. He’s been working as an actor for almost a decade, and he says for the first time, people are recognizing him on the street. I assume everyone hits on him, because as I said, the neighborhood is very gay, and very social–with lots of bars, lounges, restaurants, and clubs. He also said on a chat show recently that he is “100% single.” He and his co-star, Russell Tovey, have such great chemistry (and did lots of off-camera bonding, according to Russell on Twitter) that I would love it if they dated in real life, but Russell lives in London with his dog. Bummer… But at least I can fantasize about being with him. It has not a shot in hell of happening, but a boy can dream, right???
It’s nice talking to you too, especially compared to all the trolls on Queerty. I apologize for them, as I assume every last one of the trolls is American. We can be such ugly people. 😉