"I underestimated how significant that was to me. I really did. I thought, it's not that I'd played it down, but I didn't know what it would do to me physically."
Aldridge recalled how the sense of relief lasted for days. It was accompanied by pride that he could openly stand with and support his community. The actor felt more at ease about his passion for musicals and drag queens. If he were the latter, he said his name would be Sue Blime.
Ben Aldridge poses at the Warner Music and Ciroc Brit Awards Party at The Nomad Hotel on February 11, 2023, in London, England | Source: Getty Images
Aldridge is not one to put his love life under the spotlight. He hasn't been publicly linked to anyone, but he spoke about being in a relationship with a fellow actor. He refused to name his former lover, saying:
"I won't name names. But it was basically a well-known actor at the time, and he was very conscious of it not being in the press, for him."
Following his break up with the mystery man, Aldridge was heartbroken and sought therapy to deal with his pain. During his sessions, more internal issues — less related to the relationship and more to his sexuality — surfaced that had remained subconsciously hidden.
A year after coming out, Aldridge played Matthew Venn, a gay detective investigator in the crime novel-based series "The Long Call." Speaking about playing Venn, the 37-year-old said he "couldn't not do this."
He connected much more profoundly with this character than in his previous roles. In 2022, he starred as Kit Cowan, another queer character opposite Jim Parsons, in the romantic comedy "Spoiler Alert." Earlier in 2023, he portrayed a queer onscreen romance in a more grave setting.
Aldridge starred in the thriller film "Knock at the Cabin," — a story about a couple and their daughter taken hostage by a group of armed strangers — opposite Jonathan Groff (his onscreen husband), Dave Bautista, and Rupert Grint.
ncG1vNJzZmimlazAb63MqKSapZFjsLC5jm1ncWhhanqlu8SsZJudnmKurbDRopugnV2drrexjJpkoa2jl66vsIytn55mmKm6rQ%3D%3D