After winning gold at the 2008 Olympics, Matthew Mitcham OAM became a household name, even more so because he was an out gay man. Since then, he’s been married and divorced, moved to London, overcame addiction, won SAS Australia, joined OnlyFans, and immersed himself in theatre. As I discovered, it’s somehow fitting that his latest play is called Afterglow.
Photo credit: SGC Creative Photos
Tell us about your role in Afterglow.
Matthew Mitcham: The play is about a gay couple navigating a modern relationship. Josh, the character I play, and his partner Alex have been together for nine years and are expecting a baby. But a character named Darius is introduced, turning everything on its head. He shakes up what the men thought was an unbreakable situation. It’s something quite relatable for many gay couples, and the play navigates the ups, downs of all that.
How did you create the character?
Josh is based on the play’s writer and his personal life. Some details have been changed, but it’s about his experience. I don’t feel you need to have had the experience to play the part faithfully. You just need a level of imagination and empathy, and then certain emotions are dictated by what’s in the script. But what isn’t is completely up to the actor, and I’ve immersed myself in this character by considering his experiences and what has shaped him. Things that make him defensive, get under his skin, or bring him joy, and how he responds to them.
Matthew Mitcham in a scene from Afterglow
How did the role come about?
I was approached to audition, which I found quite an honour. The writer and producer recommended me based on my existing body of work. But I still went through the audition process, where we discussed the play’s themes, how I related to the character, and what my experiences were like.
“It’s a bit cliché, but I’d love to play Frank-N-Furter from The Rocky Horror Show.”
Is there more theatre in your future?
Totally. I love theatre and performing. I’ve already done a couple of plays in London, and Afterglow feels like a lovely next step. I do miss the music of the cabaret show I did for five years, touring Australia. When I moved to the UK, it all kind of disintegrated because I found it difficult to make the connections and to get into the scene. London is quite an expensive city, and I needed to earn an income, so life took a turn into the corporate world out of necessity. It’s only in the last couple of years that I found myself in a position to immerse myself in theatre again. It came with the realisation that I was missing creativity and art in my life, so I started doing plays.
Tell us about Jock Night, in which you were cast.
It was written by Adam Zane, who was in the original UK version of Queer as Folk. It had a run in Manchester and another at the Seven Dials Playhouse, in the heart of the West End. It was very well received. I could draw from personal experience, as I was playing a spiralling drug addict who was trying to pull everybody else down with me.
Matthew Mitcham and Matthew Predney in Afterglow
Do you have any dream roles?
It’s a bit cliché, but I like the idea of playing Frank-N-Furter from The Rocky Horror Show, but I’ll have to wait a few years for that! I enjoy watching straight men in that role because it feels more subversive – for them. I’d also love to play Elder Price or Cunningham in The Book of Mormon. I’d love a role where I could be completely stupid and ridiculous. But I’m almost aged out of the Book of Mormon, because I’m nearly forty! Those elders are usually around eighteen, and there’s no amount of makeup and face tape that can take twenty years off me. Maybe ten, but not twenty!
“I have a great relationship with OnlyFans, where they’ve had me do media to help break the stigma.”
Are you still playing the ukulele?
Several of my favourite ukuleles were destroyed a couple of years back, and it took me a good year or so to buy another one. The last time I played was a few months back, when I sang It’s Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas.
How did the relocation to London come about?
I followed a boy here, I got married and divorced and ended up staying. That was six years ago, and it’s now my home. If I feel rooted here and love London life. My daily commute is cycling across Waterloo Bridge, where I look up at Big Ben and see Westminster, with the London Eye on the other side. I walk my dogs along the rocky banks of the Thames and walk through Trafalgar Square each day, thinking I’m on a Monopoly Board. It’s so cool! So, I have all these pinch-me moments. I find that stuff exciting, and it brings me a flutter of joy. I don’t love the weather, though, but I guess that almost makes me English! If I’m living at a place where I complain about the weather, then I’m almost naturalised! I also see a lot of celebrities in London.
Matthew Mitcham and his ukulele Photo credit: SGC Creative Photos
Such as?
I’ve said hello to Hannah Fry and Kitty Scott-Claws, I’ve walked past Tia Kofi and Joanna Lumley parked in front of me at the supermarket (Laughs). I also interacted with Madonna when I was performing in an immersive theatre experience, I temped for Victoria Beckham for a couple of weeks, and Prince Edward’s cavalcade drove past me. Oh, and I caught up with the international Australian superstar Trevor Ashley last week after seeing him perform in The Producers.
What music and singers are you into?
My taste in music is all over the place! I like pop music such as Ariana Grande, Kimbra, and Demi Lovato. But I also love indie music like Goldfrapp, The Cat Empire, Amanda Palmer, Basement Jaxx and Grimes. I can’t leave out Jazz and cabaret either! Edith Piaf, Bette Midler, Postmodern Jukebox and The Andrews Sisters are wonderful. I even love Trixie Mattel’s country music.
“Robbie Manson reached out for advice before starting his OnlyFans page, so it was only logical that we would get together.”
How would you sum up your Olympic diving career?
My time as an Olympian was a blast! I had so many adventures all around the world, with wonderful things, places and people. The Olympic Games themselves are one of the most extreme natural highs you can get, especially if you happen to do well. When I retired, I didn’t care what role I performed; I just wanted to keep going to the Olympics.
Do people on the street recognise you?
Yes, sometimes. Normally, it’s older Aussies. Younger people don’t know I exist! The occasional middle-aged gay man will recognise me, which is lovely. But I get invited to events at The Houses of Parliament, as I work for Proud Sports.
Matthew Mitcham Photo credit: SGC Creative Photos
How does Proud Sports work?
It’s a multisport club with the goal of facilitating access, not just for LGBTQ people, but for everyone. The goal is to create safe, grassroots, sporting environments with easy access. For a queer person, especially, trying something new can feel quite scary. We remove that barrier and offer badminton, squash, volleyball, tennis, pickleball, and ping-pong, and we are looking to expand into swimming. We also have a hiking and theatre program.
Did you hear about former AFL star Mitch Brown coming out as bi?
Oh yes, it makes my little gay heart sing every time a person feels able to be themselves in the sporting world. One of the things that made it even more special was Mitch coming out as bi. There’s very little bi visibility in general, but especially in sport and especially with men. I think if you pass as straight, it can sometimes be easier for a bi person, but it also comes with extra challenges. It’s an in-between place where you are not accepted by gay or straight men. Cynical people would see Mitch as a disingenuous gay boy coming out. Some people do come out as bi before coming out as gay, but to come out as bi, when it’s so much easier these days to come out as gay, almost invalidates that sexual gateway argument. I think that makes it more genuine and authentic for Mitch identifying as bisexual, so good for him! I read how one female journalist asked him to prove it, which is kind of sexual harassment. That made me sad, but from what I saw, he handled it well. I think Mitch Brown is really fucking cool!
“I openly wondered how many future stars, who were gay, left sport before they got the chance to become champions.”
You’ve been in a few reality shows, including coming in second on Dancing with the Stars Australia, and you won SAS Australia with Tim Robards. The latter must have been quite gruelling.
I loved it! The physical stuff involved extensive training beforehand. I trained harder than I’ve ever trained before, and I pushed myself to do all those weird things. Can you imagine running eight kilometres in boots and up hills while wearing a 20-kilogram weight vest? It was extreme! I don’t think I struggled with the psychology of it, because my brain is accustomed to extreme situations.
Tim Robards has been in DNA a few times, including our cover model.
I already knew Tim from Dancing with the Stars, and he’s the loveliest man. Back then, I thought he was a bit intimidating. I mean, he’s so hot! I felt jealous of his pretty privilege (Laughs). That whole compare and despair thing. But I was the only one making myself miserable with that. Tim works very hard and does an incredible job, even in the acting world.
But you’re both hot and have been on our cover!
(Laughs) That cover shot is not my favourite. I was so young and twinky. I’d be happy for a do-over at some point. But let me make sure my body’s snatched!
You’ve also had some success on OnlyFans. You once said you’ve earned three times as much income compared to athletic sponsorships.
Yeah, and I’m still doing it. I have a great relationship with OnlyFans, where they’ve had me do media to help break the stigma and promote the male content creators. I would not call myself a leading content creator, but I’ve developed a lovely relationship with my followers. To be honest, you get out of it what you put into it. If you want to be successful, it’s all about promotion. Traditionally, you would expect that being a porn star would be mutually exclusive from being like a television presenter. But the fact that I have an OnlyFans page and still commentated on the Commonwealth Games in mainstream media is kind of cool.
Matthew Mitcham and his ukulele Photo credit: SGC Creative Photos
What about your OnlyFans collaboration with New Zealand rower Robbie Manson?
I’d known Robbie for many years before our collab in 2024. He reached out to me before the 2012 London Olympics because he was considering coming out. So, we met up at the Olympic Village, had a lovely chat and stayed in touch. He also reached out for advice before starting his OnlyFans page, so it was only logical that we would get together. And we did do a little something for our wonderful supporters in Paris 2024.
Do you still dive?
I tend to only dive for exhibition purposes these days. I did a few dives at the EuroGames in Lyon, France, last year. I also did a few dives when I was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in Fort Lauderdale. That was a huge honour for me.
And must have been very special, even surreal?
Yes, I was presented a medal from my childhood idol, Greg Louganis, who also became a friend. Now that I think about it, the ceremony itself was a bit of a culture shock. Most of the people being inducted were much older. The only other person I knew there was my friend Michael Klim, who won gold at the Sydney Olympics. So, out of the 300 people in the room, it seemed like Greg and I were the only gays. I guess that makes sense, given I was the first openly gay Olympic Champion. That was a privilege I only had because when Greg was dominating in diving during the 1980s, sexuality was still not spoken about openly in sports media.
Matt with Matthew Mitcham
But you certainly changed that. Was it addressed at the event?
When the inductees had a chance to speak, all the speeches focused on their particular moment in time. All nice, but all very heteronormative, thanking their spouses and coaches. So, I took the opportunity to highlight that it wasn’t until 2008 that the world had its first openly gay Olympic Champion. But I also explained that it nearly didn’t happen because I had retired two years earlier, because I was training in an environment that made me feel alienated and unhappy. I emphasised that my gold medal was only possible because I trained with a coach named Chava Sobrino, who actively created an inclusive environment. That brought a monumental improvement in my mental health and motivation, taking me from retired to Olympic Champion in fifteen months.
What an amazing twist for your career and life!
Yes, I openly wondered how many future stars, who were gay, left sport before they got the chance to become champions. To think it was because they didn’t have the benefit of an inclusive training environment as I did. I finished my speech with a challenge that to retain the best sporting talent, we need to help make their respective sports more inclusive. For all athletes! It was a little political and felt risky delivering it to a room of predominantly older American Southerners, but it received the best reception of the night. Bless their hearts!
Afterglow is at Chapel Off Chapel, Melbourne, Jan 30 to Feb 21 and Eternity Playhouse, Sydney, Feb 26 to March 22. For more: afterglowplay.com/australia
Also visit: proudsports.co.uk
Follow Matthew on Instagram @matthewmitcham88
