Ruaridh Mollica is a Scottish actor best known for his work in the independent film Sebastian, the BBC Three series Red Rose, and Marvel’s VisionQuest.
Born outside of Florence, Italy, but raised in Leith, Scotland, Ruardich Mollica is the son of a Scottish mother and Italian father. He joined a youth theatre club but also kept busy playing snow sports. As an actor, he worked off and on in films throughout his education, including appearances in the series Case Histories and the film Tell It to the Bees. He went on to earn a college degree in computer science, but stopped short of earning his master’s degree in cybersecurity to pursue his career in film. This gamble paid off with roles in the series Red Rose and his breakthrough role in the film (and Sundance sensation) Sebastian, where he plays a culture journalist in London who takes on sex work as research for his debut novel.
Regarding his bisexuality, Mollich has noted that it was his work in Sebastian as well as his move down to London that helped him realize he was bi. As he noted in a profile for The Skinny:
“Max was going on one with sex work, and I was going on one with my queerness,” explains the actor, who says he identifies as bisexual but prefers the term queer. “The circles I moved in at school and uni were not really queer circles, so I only started to learn about queer culture as I was coming out in London.”
Mollich also doubled down on this in an interview with Queerty, and how his queerness came to light and was evolving:
I think, for me, it’s maybe different because my queerness definitely feels like a journey that I’m still going on. And so, for a long time, I knew that I wasn’t straight, but I still felt like I was, and then it was only when I moved to London and had the ability to be myself that I realized, “Oh actually, no, I like men as well.” And that journey—there was a short film I did called “Too Rough,” and that made me look at my sexuality head on. And the same with Sebastian as well—it made me reflect, and that’s what I think this film is meant to do. From this film, I’m living my true self.
Mollich is clear that he is also open to his queerness filtering into his future roles, even if the roles are not explicitly queer.