Luke Evans Searched for Gay Roles Before 'Our Son' but 'Hadn't Found the Right Story' (Exclusive)

"Every time I've read the script, I wept," the actor told PEOPLE at the Tribeca Film Festival premiere of his upcoming movie "Our Son"

Luke Evans's latest role is one he's waited a long time for.

The actor spoke with PEOPLE at the Tribeca Film Festival premiere of his upcoming drama Our Son on Saturday in New York City. Evans opened up about stepping into one of his first major film roles as a queer character.

"I've been ready to take that step for ages. I just haven't found the right story [until now]," says Evans, 44.

And while he reads "loads of gay stories and scripts," he says he "just hadn't found the one that I wanted to play. And this was something I hadn't seen before, and it's clearly something that we're all going through."

"Divorce is as right for a gay couple as marriage, and I hadn't really seen that, and when I read it, every time I've read the script, I wept," Evans says. "So I just thought, 'Maybe this is a good time, and this is a good role to pick up and do.' "

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Related: Luke Evans and Billy Porter Perform Surprise Duet at Tribeca Film Festival: Watch

Our Son follows a couple (Evans and Billy Porter) in the middle of a custody battle over their 8-year-old son.

Evans told PEOPLE he's "glad" he chose to star in the film "because it was a wonderful experience: traumatic at times, painful at times, very real, very visceral and very relatable."

According to the Beauty and the Beast actor, "You don't have to be gay to enjoy this or understand this story."

"People all over the world go through divorce, breakups and custody battles," Evans said. "Families break up all the time, but this is the story of hope, and how they get through it, and how a new chapter is started, but a different kind of chapter."

Evans, who is openly gay and dating Fran Tomas, previously acknowledged in an interview with The Telegraph published in November that "gay people have definitely missed out on gay roles," when asked about quotes Doctor Who showrunner Russell T. Davies gave last year.

Related: Luke Evans Responds to Claims That He Was 'Hiding' His Sexuality: 'I've Never Been Ashamed'

Though The Telegraph didn't specify Davies's quotes, the latter said in a 2021 interview with The New York Times that he believed, for the most part, only gay actors should be permitted to play gay roles.

Though Evans is "not sure about that," he did concede that he understood where Davies was coming from and "totally think(s) that things do need to change."

"But from my perspective: firstly, I wouldn't have had a career if gay people played gay roles and straight people played straight roles," said Evans, who played a gay character on Hulu's 2021 series Nine Perfect Strangers. "I'd have played two roles out of the 36 projects I've worked on, or whatever [the number] is."

Evans also revealed that he believes it's more important that "the right person gets the job," whatever said job may be, based on "talent and ability, and a bit of luck and timing."

Our Son is directed by Bill Oliver and also stars Robin Weigert, Andrew Rannells, Isaac Powell and Phylicia Rashad.

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