Hey, "Torchwood" fans! Check out Captain Jack's Facebook page!

We thought you might like to get to know Captain Jack Harkness on Facebook (we know we would!). So today we've managed to get Captain Jack to friend us and now we present you with the Time Agent's very own Facebook Info page:

"Torchwood"'s John Barrowman: "I Love Captain Jack, what he stands for and represents."

by

Michael Jensen, Editor of AfterElton.com

In so many ways John Barrowman is perfectly suited to play Torchwood’s omnisexual Time Agent Captain Jack Harkness, who returns to North American television screens next Monday night when Torchwood: Children of Earth debuts on BBC America. (The five part mini-series aired on BBC1 in the U.K. last week.)

Both the character and the actor are self-possessed, confident and extraordinarily handsome men. Each has a joie de vivre and an impishly racy sense of humor which has occasionally been known to get them in trouble (a stopwatch anyone?). Each also tends to speak their mind no matter what the issue and – perhaps most importantly for our purposes – each have become gay icons in their own right.

Barrowman recently took time out of his very busy schedule to chat with AfterElton.com about why he loves the part of Captain Jack so much, Jack’s relationship with Ianto Jones (and Barrowman’s relationship with the man who plays him), his real life relationship with partner Scott Gill and why he’d love to work with Neil Patrick Harris.

[Note: This interview was conducted before all five episodes of Children of Earth had been provided to AfterElton.com]

AfterElton.com: You're actually our first three-peat interview, the first person we've talked to three different times.
John Barrowman: Woohoo! We've had a threesome then!

AE: Oh, I don't want to go down that road!
JB: [laughs]

AE: I obviously don't want to spoil anything about Children of Earth, but it sounds like Jack and Ianto fans aren't getting exactly what they want in terms of a big happy romantic relationship. But it seems the relationship is going to be explored in some really interesting ways nonetheless. What you can you tell our rabid Janto fans to expect?
JB: I'm kinda under wraps with that also. They're going to get the relationship explored, and they're going to get the humor. They're going to get everything they want, but they're also going to get stuff they don't want. Which is kind of like a real relationship anyway.

AE: I think that's what makes it so interesting.
JB: Yeah. What's really astounded and amazed me is how popular that relationship has become, and not just amongst men but also with women. Women want to see that develop more than the Jack and Gwen relationship, which I think is an absolutely brilliant reflection on society.

AE: There are so many women who are into gay male relationships. It's amazing.
JB: This is a John personal belief, but I have a lot of female friends, and I think they see a man who is — and I don't mean this in a stereotypical gay way, so please don't think I'm doing that — but is a little more sensitive, but also masculine. I mean, I like my cars and all that kind of stuff. I'm aggressive, I'm ambitious, but yet, I can go up to my female friend —and it's such a stupid little thing — but I can say, "That doesn't look good on you. Go change into something else and we'll go out and you'll look fantastic."

It's that kind of thing. They see something in gay men that they actually want in their straight men.

AE: Did Russell T. Davies or any of the writers ever discuss the reaction to Jack and Ianto with you to get your thoughts on developing the relationship?
JB: No, they haven't. I'll be totally honest with you. I'm not one of those actors who gets involved in that stuff. That's not my business. I'm hired as an actor to play the character, get it across, be the personality on television, and they trust me to do that. I therefore trust them with the writing and the decisions and choices they make, because that's what they're there to do.

AE: Speaking of Ianto, do you ever tease Gareth David-Lloyd about what a big gay following he's developed, what a gay icon he's become?
JB: He loves it. He absolutely knows that he's a big gay iconic figure, and believe me, Gareth is of that generation of men — he's in his late twenties — but he doesn't care whether it's a man who flirts with him or a woman.

Of course, he's straight, Gareth likes women, but I flirt with him all the time. He teases me. He kisses me all the time. He's from a different generation, and it's absolutely wonderful to see, because there's a lot of guys his age out there who are friends of mine, and they've got girlfriends, and the girlfriends love when they flirt with me.

AE: With all that kissing going on over there, I'm not sure who to be more jealous of: you or him.
JB: [laughs]

AE: I'll just be jealous of both of you. As you and I discussed previously at the TCA tour, Torchwood even now, two years since I last talked with you about this, remains almost alone of all the science fiction programs and movies, including Star Trek and Star Wars, to include any significant gay content. As a gay man who pays attention to gay issues and is an advocate and is aware of these things, how much does it mean for you to be a part of Torchwood and being a part of the only show that has this great representation?
JB: I am extremely proud to be a part of Torchwood for all those aspects you just mentioned, because, to be totally honest with you, I never went into the business to become an advocate or what I call a militant gay, if that makes sense, and I mean that in a funny way.

As things changed and developed, I realized how important it is to speak up and say things and fly the flag so to speak. When I was growing up, I only had Billy Crystal to look up to on television, and he wasn't like me, so I couldn't look up to him. The fact that there are so many other great role models out there now, gay men and women, that's why I have to fly the flag. If I can help a teenager growing up in Boise, Idaho who knows he's gay, and can look at me and say, "If he can do it, then so can I," then damn it, I'm going to do it.

It is important to have characters like Jack, like Ianto, to show the normality of their relationship on television, to show even people who are not gay that this is the way it is. Love is love no matter who you love.

AE: It comes through on almost everything you do. I have to ask, do I hear your dogs barking in the background?
JB: Yeah, I'm sorry. I'm out in the backyard and they're having a bit of a rough tussle with each other.

AE: No, that's great. People will get a kick out of that. They discuss your dogs on the site. They discuss everything about you on our site.
JB: [laughs]

AE: Russell T Davies recently said he could see the series going on for six more seasons. Would you want to stick around that long?
JB: Yes. No question in my mind, yes. I love the character. I say this and I don't mean it in a silly way, but I love Captain Jack. He's changed my life. The fact that I'm sitting here looking at the sea from my back garden over a swimming pool, that's how much he's changed my life, and I'm so appreciative of that.

I'll say this publicly, if someone said to me, "You're only going to play Captain Jack for the next ten years," I'd be happy with that. I'd be content. I love what he stands for, I love what he represents for people. I also love that he is the first heroic gay [science fiction] character out there, and played by a gay man. Why would I want to abandon that?

AE: I love how appreciative you are of what the show has done for you. Sometimes you hear people who are successful in something and they almost seem to resent it.
JB: I'll be honest with you, I don't get that. When I got into this business, in the back of my head — I'll be honest with you — I got into it because it was what I wanted to do, but in the back of my head there was always that element of "I could become famous." Fame came after many years of work, and I would have been content doing West End musicals, but this fame thing came along and I absolutely love it. I think it's brilliant.

I don't understand other people. You can't tell me that this wasn't in the back of your head that this might happen. It does happen. Why do you resent it? It's changed your life. It's given you everything you could possibly imagine. Why do you resent it?

Some people who are cynical try to make me sound like I'm gushy and over-the-top, and if that does sound that way, then that's just who I am. I'm appreciative of it. I have a nice house with a lovely view, I have a couple of nice cars, and that's all because of this fame thing that's happened, because of the people who watch the program, and put me there. That's why I like my fans. That's why I like to talk to people.

AE: I know that people love that you and Scott are such a visible public couple. How is Scott these days?
JB: He's great. He's overseeing our house in London right now. After 16 years of living in it — and that's in my book also, there's a whole chapter on Scott and I in the book, about our dynamic and how our relationship has developed, the ups and downs and all that kind of stuff — but he's doing fine. I'll see him tomorrow because I'm going up to London. He's there overseeing the work on the house. What can I say? He's doing great. He's still as handsome as ever.

Barrowman with partner Scott Gill

AE: I've been hearing reports that you've talked occasionally about wanting to have kids. Is that something you guys are considering?
JB: The reason that came up is I'm broody, to be honest with you. Scott is not as broody as I am, but a few years back he went out to Cambodia. I sent him out there and hooked him up with a couple friends of mine who have a charity, and he went out and designed and built an orphanage in Cambodia for children who are rejected from their families because of some kind of physical deformity.

He came back and said, "You can't go there." I was going to go out there and raise the profile for publicity. And I asked why, and he said, "Because you'd come home with every single one."

I probably would. I'd be like the gay Angelina Jolie. Gangelina. [laughs]

We've talked about adopting, and I've also talked about having one of our own, and we're looking into it, but at this point nothing is happening with that aspect because we've got to get this house by sea we just bought sorted out to be a big family house instead of just an escape.

AE: Two quick questions then I'll let you go. Any chance U.S. audiences are going to get to see you in something over here any time soon? Are you pursuing roles in the States?
JB: I'm not pursuing anything, but I've had a lot of offers. Brothers & Sisters wanted me on to play Rob Lowe's brother. Rob instigated that because we've worked together before and we got along great. I couldn't do that because of my Torchwood schedule. There are a lot of things I've been approached about.

ABC, I think it was, one of the major networks came and said they had a project they really wanted me to do, and I couldn't, it was a pilot. Things are happening. I'd love to come over, because you know what? It's about time you had an openly gay — I'm sorry, you do. He got #1 [on the AfterElton.com Hot 100]. I voted for him. He was number one on the list.

AE: Neil Patrick Harris.
JB: Yeah, but we need more of them. We need to let more people see how normal it is. It doesn't matter what you do in the bedroom for the job that you do.

AE: It's funny you mentioned Neil, because that brings me to my last question. In 2008 on our Hot 100 List, Jake Gyllenhaal barely beat you out for the number one spot, and I mean barely. It was really close. And this year, Neil beat you out for the top spot. I personally blame BBC for not airing Torchwood sooner. If Torchwood had aired in April, you very likely would've come in at #1.
JB: The fact that I'm still on that list is amazing. If I'd have been #50 I would have been happy.

AE: Why does that matter to you?
JB: It matters to be on the list. It matters to me because, to be totally honest with you, a lot of the men on there are guys who are "straight," or we think they are. To have the top two now be openly gay men, who are representing the gay community, and who are also watched by the gay community, that people can look at and say, "Hey, he's like me and he's in that position." That's a great accolade to have, so just the fact that I'm on that list, and it's voted on by gay people. It's brilliant.

And even if I was, say 50, the fact that I'm on it would be an accomplishment to me. It doesn't matter what number you are. For me, second is great. Like I said last year, "Who wouldn't want to be behind Jake Gyllenhaal?" And now Neil, I've always wanted a thin blond in my life, and there he is right in front of me. [laughs]

AE: There you go. I think you and Neil share so much in common, and that's the reason you guys are #1 and #2.
JB: I would love working with him some day. I think there's got to be something for the two of us. I know who he is and I'd like to think — I'm sure he doesn't know who I am — but if he did, I would love to do something with him workwise. The thing I love about him is that he always plays straight characters.

AE: Yeah, he does.
JB: He's an openly gay man and he's always cast as a straight guy. In Britain, I've played straight and gay characters, but the fact is he's a testament. That's why I voted him #1. He's a gay man playing straight boys. I love that. He should win an Academy Award. You get all these straight actors going, "Oh my God, it was so difficult playing a gay character."

Shut up. It is not. It wasn't that hard. You're just getting an award because it's something — I shouldn't say that. That's terrible, but you know what I mean with that whole thing. How difficult is it really? You're just portraying a relationship. You're not playing a "gay." [laughs]

AE: Well how many times have we seen a straight man lauded for playing a gay role, and when was the last time you heard a gay actor told, "Oh my God, I can't believe you played straight so well." I totally get where you're coming from.
JB: Exactly. That's exactly what I'm trying to say. It's like, "Come on!"

Editor's note: For those who have already seen TW: COE, please do not put spoilers in the subject lines of your comments.

Torchwood: Children of Earth premieres on BBC America Monday, July 20th.