FILM

BRIGETTE LUNDY-PAINE

Actor

In November 2019, Atypical star Brigette Lundy-Paine made headlines when they came out as nonbinary on Instagram. In their life and career, Lundy-Paine has been a guiding light to LGBTQ+ young people. Their Atypical character, Casey, is a queer teen navigating coming out and young love. Thousands have lauded the positive impact of Casey’s relationship with classmate Izzie (Fivel Stewart) in the #CazzieNation hashtag.

On the big screen, Lundy-Paine continues to break the mold in films like Bombshell, about sexual harassment at Fox News, and Bill & Ted Face the Music, the surprise hit of the socially distanced summer. As Billie, the daughter of Ted (Keanu Reeves), Lundy-Paine brought a “genderlessness” to the part that defied tropes while literally representing the next generation of Hollywood. This representation is essential when, as GLAAD reports, no film from a major studio featured trans or nonbinary characters in 2019. Off-screen, Lundy-Paine finds other ways of being creative. “I’ve been painting lately,” they share. “Currently working on a nude of my upstairs neighbor inspired by Botticelli’s Primavera.” Lundy-Paine is also a cofounder of Waif, an alternative art magazine for “waifs,” described as “whores,” “prudes,” “nudes,” and “dudes.” The magazine recently held a fundraiser hosted by artist Sina al-Qamar for the top surgery of one of its community members, Mia. In a year marked by much fear and division, Lundy-Paine stands by the Golden Rule. “This year I’ve learned how important being gentle is, both to yourself and to beings around you.”