Nonbinary Actor Liv Hewson Says They Can’t Submit Themselves for Emmy Consideration
This article was originally published by Vanity Fair.
Yellowjackets actor Liv Hewson has chosen to sit out the Emmy race this year. The nonbinary star, who plays Vanessa “Van” Palmer on the series, has stated that it would not make sense for them to submit in the gendered acting categories.
“It would be inaccurate for me to submit myself as an actress. It neither makes sense for me to be lumped in with the boys,” they said. “I can’t submit myself for this because there’s no space for me.” While Hewson won’t submit in the acting categories, they are still committed to campaigning for the show and supporting their costars this season.
The Showtime hit’s second season is currently airing, and sees Hewson’s character, Van, and the other stranded soccer players dealing with darker and darker circumstances. The first season of Yellowjackets earned seven Emmy nominations, including a lead-actress nomination for Melanie Lynskey, a supporting-actress nomination for Christina Ricci, and a drama-series nomination.
Gendered awards categories have become a point of contention in the past couple of years. Some awards bodies, including the Independent Spirit Awards, the Grammys, the British Independent Film Awards, and the Gotham Awards, have switched to nongendered categories in an effort to be more inclusive. But major awards like the Oscars, the Tonys, and the Emmys have maintained the gendered categories. In February, Justin David Sullivan, who is trans nonbinary and appears in the Broadway musical & Juliet, opted out of consideration for the Tony Awards.
In 2021 the Emmys announced that any nominee or winner would be able to request that “performer” be put on their nomination certificate and/or statue, in what seemed like the first step toward a more inclusive event. But the acting categories have remained gendered, leaving nonbinary performers—including other strong contenders like Emma D’Arcy for House of the Dragon—to decide where, and if, they’ll submit. For Hewson, the choice was clear.
