Ciarán Griffiths has the perfect response when people mock him for playing a gay character. (Channel 4/ Getty Images)
Corrie star Ciarán Griffiths has the perfect go-to response when dealing with ignorant hecklers who give him grief for portraying a gay character.
The actor, who has also starred in soaps like Holby City, Waterloo Road, and EastEnders, is perhaps best known for his role as Mickey Maguire in beloved drama series, Shameless.
In the BAFTA-winning show, Mickey Maguire was a gay gangster, who had feelings for Ian Gallagher and spent the series trying to come to terms with his sexuality while keeping it a secret from his family and friends.
In real life, Griffiths is a straight man, but his portrayal of a gay character has resulted in some teasing and mocking from the general public.
To deal with the irritating interruptions, Griffiths has developed the perfect response to idiotic questions about his sexuality.
“It’s usually a bunch of drunk lads,” he said, per The Daily Star.
“They know I am not gay and then one lad will say, ‘I have to ask this question’ and he’ll get all his mates’ attention and say, ‘Are you gay?’
“They all fall about laughing but I generally reply, ‘Ask your dad!’ I did that once and ended up having to leave the club.”
In some instances, though, Griffiths decides it’d be better to hold his tongue and ignore the comments.
“I once had a run-in with a few builders who were working near me. They asked if I was the guy off Shameless and when I said yes they started up, ‘The gay one, the gay one’.
“They were all from Liverpool and giving me stick. I was going to go back and sort them out but thought better of it.”
Griffiths noted that girls sometimes ask him the same question, but it doesn’t affect his dating success in the slightest.
“I don’t mind it when girls ask the question and I do all right for girlfriends,” he quipped.
It sounds like Griffiths takes the questions and comments in his stride – if anything, it’s just a compliment to his acting.
In fact, Griffiths made the character of Mickey into a fan-favourite from the beloved series and left many heartbroken when he departed the show in season nine.
Now, you can catch the actor on the cobbles of Coronation Street as the notorious recurring character, Damon Hay.
Coronation Street airs on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 8pm on ITV1 and ITVX.