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The Last of Us star Bella Ramsey, who is non-binary and uses they/them pronouns, has urged for the preservation of gendered awards for best actor and best actress.
Major awards shows, including the Grammys, the Film Independent Spirit Awards, and the Gotham Awards, have in recent years made the switch to gender neutral categories. For example, the latter replaced its best actress and best actor categories with a single category for outstanding lead performance.
Ramsey, 21, however, has argued on the latest episode of The Louis Theroux Podcast that “it’s important that we have a female and male category,” explaining it’s paramount that “recognition for women in the industry is preserved.”
They acknowledged that they “don’t have the answer, and I wish that there was something that was an easy way around it,” before trying to come up with an alternative name for the category, such as “best performance in a female character.”
The Emmy-nominated actor then realized that their suggestion would exclude actors portraying non-binary roles.
Last year, Ramsey earned an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for their role as Elle in HBO’s post-apocalyptic video game adaptation, The Last of Us.
Though they admitted that being labeled an “actress” didn’t feel quite right, they were ok with competing in that category.
“I have a guttural, ‘That’s not quite right,’ instinct to [being called an actress],” Ramsey said. “But I just don’t take it too seriously… it doesn’t feel like an attack on my identity.”
Speaking about their coming out as non-binary, they insisted they didn’t do it because it was “trending” but because they “grew up more as a little boy than I did a little girl. It’s been very obvious since I was young. I always called myself a tomboy, but it wasn’t that I was a boyish girl, I was always like a bit of an in-between. Leaning to most of the boys side.”
“I always felt more masculine or more on that side of the spectrum. I guess at the moment I don’t feel like I have access to femininity,” Ramsey added.
Their remarks come in surprising contrast to other high-profile, non-binary actors, including The Crown’s Emma Corrin, who have spoken out in favor of gender neutral award categories.
In 2022, Corrin told the BBC they “hope for a future in which that happens.”
“It’s difficult for me at the moment trying to justify in my head being non-binary and being nominated in female categories,” they said. “It’s about everyone being able to feel acknowledged and represented.”
English (US) ·