‘ELLIE AND ABBIE’ STAR ZOE TERAKES BECOMES FIRST NON-BINARY ACTOR IN CONSIDERATION FOR ALL-MALE CATEGORY AT AACTA AWARDS

October 15, 2021

In by Dov Kornits

Voting for this year’s AACTA Awards closes on Monday 18 October

Actor Zoe Terakes makes THEIRStory today as the first nonbinary Australian actor in consideration for Best Lead Actor in a Feature Film at the 2021 AACTA Awards.

Terakes made the history-making decision to enter in the category, which will see them recognised amongst their male peers for their performance as the cool and complex Abbie in romantic comedy Ellie and Abbie.

Abbie became one of the most beloved characters of the coming-of-age rom-com, which tells the story of Ellie (Sophie Hawkshaw), a year 12 student and captain of her school, who has recently realised she has fallen for a girl in her class, Abbie (Terakes). The film premiered at the Mardi Gras Film Festival in 2020 as the first Australian film in 27 years to open the festival and received a national theatrical release on November 19, 2020.

Terakes said: “It’s not an easy decision. I’m not a woman, but I also don’t feel entirely like a man. I’m a boy human. A human boy. And so, until there is an awards system that accommodates for genderqueer/trans folks, we’re gonna have to make the system work for us. I’m an actor, not an actress. I definitely feel more aligned with “male” identifiers. And I don’t want to be nominated for the gender of the character I’m playing. Yes, ‘Abbie’ in the film is female. But Eddie Redmayne wasn’t nominated for Best Actress at the Oscars when he did The Danish Girl.

“So, listen. It’s all a bit confusing and feels a bit, to quote Missy Higgins, “triangle trying to squeeze through a circle” but until we de-gender awards ceremonies altogether, I’ll be up for nomination in the category that most aligns with my gender; best male actor.”

In a group statement AACTA said: “While AACTA have had other non-binary entrants and nominees in the past, this is the first time a non-binary actor has engaged in the conversation and exercised their right to choose which award suited them. To the best of AACTA’s knowledge, Zoe is also the first person to enter a gendered award for a role portraying a different gender character.”

Voting in the AACTA Awards determines which productions, performers and practitioners will be honoured with Australia’s highest screen accolade. Voting is exclusive to AACTA members, with members drawn from every sector of the screen entertainment industry. Voting for this year’s AACTA Awards closes on Monday 18 October, 2021.

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