Olivia Colman reveals why she avoids theatre: “I’m terrible at it”
The English star, known for powerful roles in 'The Crown', 'The Favourite', and most recently 'Wonka', has opened up about the one kind of acting she feels she simply cannot do.
Oscar-winning actress Olivia Colman is once again breaking the mold and this time with some deeply personal revelations about gender and identity in addition to why queer stories speak to her heart.
The British star we’ve loved in everything from ‘The Crown’ to ‘The Favourite’ has shared that she has “always felt sort of non-binary”. And it’s clear this perspective guides the projects she chooses.
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In a candid interview with ‘Them’ magazine, Colman opened up about feeling at home in stories that explore queer lives.
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“I think it’s a community that I love being welcomed into,” she said. “I find the most loving and the most beautiful stories are from that community. And I feel really honored to be welcomed.”
“I describe myself to my husband as a gay man”
Colman didn’t stop at queer storytelling. She went all in on sharing her own personal identity. She revealed she often feels like she has “a foot in various camps” when it comes to gender and sexuality.
In a charming twist of honesty, she told her husband she thinks of herself as a “gay man,” and he’s totally on board with that.
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“I’ve never felt massively feminine in my being female,” Colman explained. “Throughout my whole life, I’ve had arguments with people where I’ve always felt sort of nonbinary. Don’t make that a big sort of title! But I’ve always described myself to my husband as a gay man. And he goes, ‘Yeah, I get that.’”
She also admitted that most of her close friends aren’t strictly heterosexual. “The men I know and love are very in touch with all sides of themselves,” Colman said highlighting how her world is full of people who embrace fluidity and self-expression.
Heartstopper and Jimpa: Why queer stories matter
Colman’s affinity for queer narratives isn’t just theoretical. She’s promoting her new movie ‘Jimpa’, directed by Sophie Hyde, in which she stars alongside John Lithgow and Aud Mason-Hyde.
The film tells the story of a mother taking her non-binary teen to visit her gay grandfather in Amsterdam. This is a tale that resonates deeply with Colman’s own understanding of identity.
“Throughout my career, I’ve been drawn to stories that explore complexity in love and identity,” she said. “There’s a kind of honesty and tenderness in these stories that I find really beautiful.”
While Colman was speaking about inclusion and understanding, co-star Aud Mason-Hyde addressed a more complicated topic: John Lithgow’s casting as Albus Dumbledore in the upcoming HBO ‘Harry Potter’ series. The casting stirred conversation because of JK Rowling’s past criticisms of trans rights.
Mason-Hyde, who worked closely with Lithgow on ‘Jimpa’, praised the actor for his warmth and respect. “He is such an incredibly talented actor, but also such a beautiful human to make work with. I never felt invalidated or questioned in my identity or in my transness by him,” Mason-Hyde told ‘OUT’.
However, Mason-Hyde admitted there was a bittersweet side. “There’s an element of this that feels vaguely hurtful,” they said, referring to Lithgow taking a role linked to Rowling. “But also, that can’t take away from the beautiful work we did together and how authentically he played his role in this movie.”
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