Quotes of All Topics . Occasions . Authors
Some people's gender identity conforms to the sex they were assigned at birth, and some people's identity doesn't. That realization was certainly very freeing for me - and could be very freeing for other people.
Art is so valuable that I think its misuse is really dangerous. When it's used well, when it's telling a story well or creating representation or visibility for something that's really lacking, it can really save lives.
Ithaca is sort of a populated and diverse area. There's a wide spectrum of people living there. In that sense, it was a wonderful place to grow up because it was a microcosm - ultimately, I would learn - of New York City.
I spent so many years not understanding my own gender identity and not having the language for it, and not having those conversations, that now I'm so eager to talk about it. Then I learn more about myself and other people.
The United States has larger enclaves than one might suspect of communities that have simply never engaged with anyone different than themselves or anyone that has an ideology that's different or a background that's different.
The very first time I buzzed my head, I was 21 - I'd had short hair since I was 14 - I just remember it was, like, 2 in the morning, and I just was like, 'I really want to do it. I want to see what I look like and what my head shape is.'
I grew up poor, financially lower class. Worked in restaurants for 17 years while going to acting school and trying to become a working actor. Because I know what it's like to not have money, I turn down roles if I don't want to play them.
'Orange' is fun. Even when we're doing super-intense, emotional, or physical stuff, we're having fun. We're checking in with each other; we know about each other's lives and know each other's families and relationships. We're really friends.
When you see white, cisgendered, heterosexual men having conversations about gender identity where they go, 'Oh, those are your pronouns? OK, great. Let's get back to work,' it allows other people to say, 'Maybe if they can do it, I can do it.'
I think we're at a really critical time in terms of art, and I think it's totally possible to have a project that is entertaining but also moving the cultural needle forward. I think it's one of the reasons I'm so grateful to work on 'Billions.'
What I learned through my research is that the word 'actor,' specifically in reference to those who performed in plays, came about in the late 1500s as a non-gendered word. It applied to all people, regardless of anatomical sex or gender identity.
Damian Lewis is a consummate professional. He is kind. He's compassionate. He's able to engage in real conversation when we're not rolling, and then, the minute we're rolling, he's totally present and reacting truthfully in the moment and listening.
The work that I engage with, whether it's self-generated or collaborative, is uplifting and supporting historically marginalized and disenfranchised people, because when I uplift up those groups, I'm uplifting myself and supporting myself - it works out in that way.
The stories I grew up with, whether it came to queer representation or representation of anyone that was different, it was always a story of, like, very sad, usually ended up with somebody dying, and it made the idea of being queer or different really scary, actually.
In my real life, I'm a Black Lives Matter social justice activist, and so it was incredibly interesting to me to play somebody coming from the totally opposite side, whose beliefs are as deeply entrenched - as deeply felt, and given as much gravity, as I give my beliefs.
There is a great silver lining to the 45th presidency, which is, it's hard to swallow that he is existing, which gives us the silver lining, which is a great uncovering of the historical disenfranchisement and marginalization of so many people in this country for so long.
I would love to do things that teach me new skills. Like, I don't know how to ride a horse. And not that I need a film or television project to teach me that, but it's one of the perks of being an actor, inhabiting a character who has experiences and a knowledge that I don't.
I remember specifically a couple of performances that I saw when I was young - River Phoenix in 'Stand by Me' and also Michael Jackson, in particular his ability to command such power and love while maintaining such deep vulnerability. It really moved my soul from a very young age.
I first started removing the 'she,' 'her,' and 'hers' pronouns from my online material. I was just using my name in place of a pronoun, and that felt really good. Then I read the script for 'Billions' and did a little more research into non-binary, and it just really clicked for me.
I'm really interested in going back in to the history of non-binary people and seeing how many people in history were non-binary but that didn't know it themselves or because we didn't have the language, couldn't talk about it. I know how that felt being a young person not having that language.
Sometimes you have to see the thing to know that it exists. Maybe there's a queer person in a town, but they don't feel comfortable or safe coming out, frankly, and the only representation they feel that they have or connection they have is on television or in a movie, and that's really powerful.
I absolutely think it is more acceptable for people who were assigned female at birth to dress in a typically gender non-conforming way. There was a time when people of all genders had long hair and anyone who wanted to wore jewelry - it was more a sign of status than a sign of femininity, per se.
As someone who is non-binary gender identifying, I feel a particular responsibility to portray members of my community on stage and on screen, not only as fully fleshed-out characters who are integral to the plot, but as characters whose gender identity is just one of many parts that make up the whole person.
I've always been comfortable being the first person at a party, metaphorically speaking - being the first person on the dance floor, saying, 'This is where it's happening, people, and if you don't think so, that's cool, but I think you're missing out.' That's my general philosophy, and it's served me pretty well.
One of the best side effects about working on 'Billions' that I did not anticipate were the number of conversations I had about gender identity with my fellow actors and also members of the crew. From the person holding the boom to the person wiring my microphone, just how many conversations I had with so many open minds and hearts.
I remember, in middle school, we did the musical 'Oliver.' I loved the movie, and I always wanted to play Oliver. It might not have been stated, but the boys auditioned for Oliver, and the girls auditioned for Nancy. But we also did a play called 'Li'l Abner,' and I was really excited that they let me put on a suit and a fake mustache.