Yahoo News The Last of Us star Bella Ramsey shares "uncomfortable" decision to enter Emmy race
The Last of Us star Bella Ramsey has said they felt "uncomfortable" submitting in the actress category at this year's Emmys.
The star, who broke out earlier this year for playing Ellie on the acclaimed HBO series, shared that they were genderfluid publicly back in January.
However, as part of a new piece for Vanity Fair, Ramsey explained the difficult decision to submit as an actress for the TV awards, which are still split into lead actor and actress categories.
Related: The Last of Us star Bella Ramsey shares powerful post on Trans Day of Visibility
“The categories at the moment feel extremely gendered with the language around them,” the star said, admitting they considered withdrawing from the race after nonbinary Yellowjackets’ star Liv Hewson did the same.
After speaking to The Last of Us co-creator Craig Mazin about alternatives and options, Ramsey decided to submit as an actress, despite not taking on the label.
“I don’t want the limitations in terms of the language in the categories to be a reason that nonbinary actors like me can’t be celebrated," they added.
Related: The Last of Us star Bella Ramsey lands next lead movie role
“And it can open up a conversation about how it feels – as long as I’m aware of the fact that it’s not ideal, but also that finding alternatives is really complex.”
Speaking further about wider industry changes to accommodate gender nonconforming voices in awards categories, Ramsey said: “For [nonbinary and nonconforming people] to have a say and be part of those discussions and those conversations, that’s really important.
“I just hope there’s more space for nonbinary people to be recognized within [future] categories.”
The Last of Us airs on HBO in the US, and on Sky Atlantic and streaming service NOW in the UK.
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