The Last Of Us star Bella Ramsey has called for “more space” for non-binary actors at awards shows.
The star, who first broke out on Game Of Thrones, revealed earlier this year that they are gender-fluid.
Speaking to Vanity Fair in a new interview, Ramsey discussed their “uncomfortable” experience submitting themselves for the 2023 Emmy Awards and how more needs to be done to make non-binary actors feel welcome and represented.
“The categories at the moment feel extremely gendered with the language around them,” they said, going on to reveal that they ended up submitting themselves for an actress category despite not identifying with the term.
“I don’t want the limitations in terms of the language in the categories to be a reason that non-binary actors like me can’t be celebrated,” Ramsey added.
“And it can open up a conversation about how it feels – as long as I’m aware of the fact that it’s not ideal, but also that finding alternatives is really complex.”
They went on: “For [non-binary people] to have a say and be part of those discussions and those conversations, that’s really important.
“I just hope there’s more space for non-binary people to be recognised within [future] categories.”
Speaking in a new interview with The New York Times earlier this year, Ramsey opened up about their gender identity.
“I guess my gender has always been very fluid,” the actor said. “Someone would call me ‘she’ or ‘her’ and I wouldn’t think about it. But I knew that if someone called me ‘he,’ it was a bit exciting.”
Ramsey revealed that she ticks the “non-binary” option on documents, adding: “I’m very much just a person. Being gendered isn’t something that I particularly like. But in terms of pronouns, I really couldn’t care less.”
Another actor calling for gender-neutral awards is The Crown star Emma Corrin, who said that they “hope for a future” where the best actor and best actress categories at major awards are merged into a single gender-neutral category.
Speaking to BBC News, the star, who added they/them pronouns to their Instagram bio last year, argued that the categories aren’t inclusive enough “at the moment”. “It’s about everyone being able to feel acknowledged and represented,” they said.
“It’s difficult for me at the moment trying to justify in my head being non-binary and being nominated in female categories,” Corrin added. They won a Golden Globe and was nominated for an Emmy for their performance as the young Princess Diana in season four of The Crown.
They acknowledged the complication that could occur when it comes to non-binary actors playing roles that match the gender they were assigned at birth. “When it comes to categories, do we need to make it specific as to whether you’re being nominated for a female role or a male role?” they said.