Liv Hewson, who plays teen Van on “Yellowjackets,” has opted not to submit themselves for Emmy consideration for the hit Showtime series’ second season.
Hewson, who is non-binary, told Variety on Wednesday, “There’s not a place for me in the 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. It’s quite straightforward and not that loaded. I can’t submit myself for this because there’s no space for me.”
Their character, Van, is a lesbian in a relationship with fellow stranded soccer teammate Taissa (played as a teen by Jasmin Savoy Brown). Adult Van is played by “Six Feet Under” alum Lauren Ambrose, who joined the series this season and reconnects with Taissa (played as an adult by Tawny Cypress) 25 years after the crash.
The first season of the dark drama, which charts the desperate survival of a stranded women’s soccer team after their plane crashes in the wilderness, netted seven Emmy nominations, including one each for Lead Actress Melanie Lynskey and Supporting Actress Christina Ricci.
Emma Corrin, who played Princess Diana in Season 4 of “The Crown” and is also non-binary, has also lamented the lack of gender neutral categories. In November 2022, they told the LA Times that “trying to justify” being nominated for awards in female categories is “difficult.” Corrin was nominated for an Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series Emmy in 2021, as well as actress categories at the Golden Globes and Critics Choice.
Several awards groups have opted to go with non-gendered categories recently, including the Independent Spirit Awards and MTV Movie Awards. In 2022, the Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland also opted for gender-less acting prizes.