Jeremy Irons in Brideshead Revisited

Saying I enjoyed Brideshead Revisited when I was a teenager would be an understatement. Seeing it was a life changing event. The relationship between Charles and Sebastian was depicted in a timid way by today’s standards, but it was a revelation at the time. I remember locking myself in my room and watching it on my small B&W portable with the sound turned way down so my family wouldn’t hear the dialogue. I hardly breathed while it was on because I didn’t want to miss a thing. I literally sat on the edge of my seat and stared at the TV with singular intent. I thought about nothing but the story while it was on. I didn’t think about the past or plan for the future. I was completely in the moment.

I became a fan of Jeremy Irons after that. I’ve enjoyed a number of his performances over the years. However, I have to admit that when I see him now, I can’t help but think of the absurd and insensitive comments he made about marriage equality. I can hardly believe that he actually said he was worried about it because he feared fathers would start marrying their sons. When asked why opposite sex marriages haven’t led to fathers marrying daughters, he replied that they were afraid of having babies with two heads or something. He showed no empathy or concern for the same-sex couples that might want and benefit from marriage, and he was quite annoyed when his opinion became the butt of jokes. I just don’t want to believe he said such things, but I suppose he did.