Hollywood’s love affair with the new non-binary Brit Pack: After MeToo sex scandals, Tinseltown is desperate to appear woke, says insider, as it embraces stars like The Last Of Us’s Bella Ramsey, The Crown’s Emma Corin and House of Dragon’s Emma D’Arcy
It is a transatlantic love affair that has been going on for years.
From Kate Winslet’s star-making turn in Titanic to Keira Knightley launching her career in Bend It Like Beckham, Tinseltown has long had a ‘thing’ for British actresses.
Now, however, Hollywood is abuzz with talk of a new ‘British invasion’, by a generation of young stars who have landed the best parts in the biggest TV and movie hits – but who shun convention by talking openly about having a ‘fluid’ gender.
Heading this new non-binary Brit Pack is Bella Ramsey – who has been lauded by critics for her brilliant portrayal of Ellie in Sky Atlantic’s post-apocalyptic drama The Last Of Us – and Emma Corrin, who played Princess Diana in the latest series of The Crown, and identifies as ‘queer’.
Once a term of homophobic abuse, queer is now an umbrella term widely used either by people who are not straight, or who believe their biological sex does not align with either a male or female gender – hence, non-binary.
Heading this new non-binary Brit Pack is Bella Ramsey (left) and Emma Corrin (right)
And the reason that these ‘non-mainstream’ British actresses have been so successful?
Ultimately, it’s all about Hollywood’s money-making machine. According to a leading producer with the Walt Disney Company, the biggest film studio on the planet: ‘It’s all about the bottom line.
‘These days, everything is about being LGBTQ, non-binary, gender-fluid, pansexual. Youngsters who make up audiences today don’t want to be labelled or put into a specific box.’
The source explained that the race to cast non-binary British actors followed the outcry over the #MeToo and ‘#OscarsSoWhite’ scandals: ‘When #MeToo happened, it prompted a debate that only highlighted how white, mostly men still held power in the studios. That hasn’t changed – but those white men wanted to hang on to their jobs so Hollywood suddenly, and cynically, became very woke.’
He added: ‘Brits have always had a far superior standard of training, and so suddenly this new generation started getting leading roles in some of the biggest projects in town.’
Here are the seven leading lights of the non-binary Brit Pack:
Cara Delevingne, 30
‘I’m pansexual’
Starred in: Suicide Squad, Carnival Row, Anna Karenina
The trailblazing supermodel-turned-actress was one of the first big names to openly discuss her sexuality – and fluid gender.
‘The thing is with me, I change a lot,’ Cara told Variety magazine in 2020. ‘Some days I feel more womanly. Some days I feel more like a man. I always will remain, I think, pansexual.
‘However one defines themselves – “they” or “he” or “she” – I fall in love with the person. People were like: ‘So you’re gay?’ And I’m like: ‘No, I’m not gay.” ’
Cara has been romantically linked to Harry Styles, Will Smith’s son Jaden, singer St Vincent, actress Ashley Benson and singer Miley Cyrus. She is now dating musician Minke, 31, real name Leah Mason.
Cara Delevingne is the trailblazing supermodel-turned-actress was one of the first big names to openly discuss her sexuality – and fluid gender
Bella Ramsey, 19
‘My gender has always been very fluid’
Starred in: The Last Of Us, Game Of Thrones
Landed first major role as young noblewoman Lyanna Mormont in Game Of Thrones. But it is as Ellie, the feisty lead in The Last Of Us, a girl who has immunity against a fungal plague decimating the world, that the Nottingham-born actress has become one of the hottest young stars in Hollywood.
One agent told The Mail on Sunday that Bella is now being offered roles in TV shows for ‘$500,000 [£416,800] an episode’, and ‘is being swamped with movie offers’.
Bella recently revealed to The New York Times: ‘I guess my gender has always been very fluid – I’m very much just a person. Being gendered isn’t something I particularly like.’
Last week, she said after having used a non-binary ‘they’ pronoun ‘a lot of times recently, I’ve been saying use “she”, because it’s easier’.
Bella Ramsey – who has been lauded by critics for her brilliant portrayal of Ellie in Sky Atlantic’s post-apocalyptic drama The Last Of Us
Emma Corrin, 27
‘I’m queer and non-binary’
Starred in: The Crown, Lady Chatterley’s Lover
Came out as ‘queer and non-binary’ in July 2021 and later posted a selfie wearing a wedding dress with the caption ‘Ur fave queer bride’. Emma said: ‘In my mind, gender just isn’t something that feels fixed and I don’t know if it ever will be.
‘There might always be some fluidity there for me.
‘I feel much more seen when I’m referred to as “they”, but my closest friends, they will call me “she”, and I don’t mind because I know they know me.’
Last year, Emma posed for a publicity picture wearing a chestbinder – strips of cloth that flatten the breasts which are often used when a biological female is transitioning.
Emma has said: ‘If you have a platform and you’re able to use it, that’s obviously so important.’
Emma Corrin, who played Princess Diana in the latest series of The Crown, and identifies as ‘queer’
Emma D’Arcy, 30
‘Non-binary’
Starred in: House Of The Dragon
Started acting at Oxford University and became a global star playing Rhaenyra Targaryen in the Game Of Thrones prequel House Of The Dragon. Has described feeling pressure about sexual orientation.
‘When I was starting out, I really felt that I had to present as a woman to find success in this industry. It wasn’t sustainable and I stopped pretending.
‘Weirdly, at that point, I got nominated for Best Actress for the Golden Globes [2023], which is like beautifully ironic.
‘The most important thing is, for me, it implies that the space for trans people and gender non-conforming people is getting bigger all the time, so I feel very privileged. In terms of queerness, the only good reason for being out as a non-binary person, publicly and professionally, is that I hope it will let younger people who may feel similar know that there is room in this industry for them.’
House of the Dragon’s Emma D’Arcy has described feeling pressure about sexual orientation
Eliot Sumner, 32
Identifies as ‘no gender’
Starred in: No Time To Die, The Gentlemen, Infinite Storm
The child of rocker Sting and Trudie Styler and born biologically female. Eliot has said: ‘I don’t believe in any specifications. I think forever I was trying to figure out maybe… what I am.
‘But I don’t think anyone should feel pressured to have any kind of label or tag on them. We should treat everybody the same. I don’t like to be put down to a specific thing. We’re all human beings.’
In a long-term relationship with Austrian model Lucie Von Alten.
Eliot Sumner, 32, identifies as ‘no gender’ and is the child of rocker Sting and Trudie Styler
Ella Hunt, 24
‘Queer and happy to be out’
Starred in: Lady Chatterley’s Lover, Les Miserables (2012 film), Cold Feet, Dickinson
Began acting as a youngster, debuting in the 2011 supernatural horror film Intruders, which helped Ella land a part in the big-screen version of Les Miserables.
Ella was then given roles in ITV’s Cold Feet and Endeavour before Hollywood producers took notice. Announced on social media in 2021: ‘I’m queer and happy to be out.’
Dating Thomas Bartlett, a US singer and pianist who performs as Doveman.
Ella Hunt, 24, said she is ‘queer and happy to be out’
Jameela Jamil, 37
‘Pansexual’
Starred in: The Good Place, Marvel’s She-Hulk: Attorney At Law
The first solo female presenter on BBC Radio 1’s Chart Show, Jamil moved to Los Angeles in 2016 and landed a leading role in NBC’s The Good Place. Publicly declared herself as ‘queer’ after being named as a judge on Legendary, a US reality TV show.
Jamil said she had not previously discussed her sexuality because ‘it’s not easy within the south Asian community to be accepted’.
Since 2015, she has been in a relationship with Mercury Prize-winning musician James Blake.
Jameela Jamil, 37, publicly declared herself as ‘queer’ after being named as a judge on Legendary, a US reality TV show
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