Jamie Lee Curtis discusses genderless categories 'as the mother of a trans daughter'

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By James Kay

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Jamie Lee Curtis has used her platform to support genderless categories at awards ceremonies, but added it can be "difficult."

Curtis, 64, is a household name with notable performances in the Halloween franchise which propelled her into stardom in the late 70s.

Despite being a high-profile actress, her nomination at this year's Oscars for Best Supporting Actress in Everything Everywhere All At Once was her first-ever nod by the Academy.

The 64-year-old went on to win the award, taking after her parents Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh who were also nominated for separate Academy Awards.

During her acceptance speech, Curtis said: "My mother and my father were both nominated for Oscars in different categories. I just won an Oscar!"

As is customary at the ceremony, the winners of the awards attend the press room where they are interviewed by reporters, and Curtis was very candid about non-gendered award categories.

The actress is a long-standing ally to the LGBTQ+ community, and her daughter Ruby Guest announced that they were non-binary in 2020, and the Halloween star officiated their wedding to their partner Kynthia.

Watch Curtis in the press room below: 

During the interview last night, Curtis said: "Obviously I would like to see a lot more women be nominated so that there's gender parity in all the areas and all the branches, and I think we're getting there.

"We're not anywhere near there. And of course, the inclusivity then involves the bigger question, which is, how do you include everyone when there are binary choices, which is very difficult."

Addressing the press room, Curtis continued: "As the mother of a trans daughter I completely understand that. And yet, to de-gender the category, also, I'm concerned [that] will diminish the opportunities for more women, which is something I also have been working hard to try to promote."

She concluded: "So it's a complicated question, but I think the most important thing is inclusivity and more women."

Curtis' acceptance speech was certainly emotional as she shared her triumph with the cast and crew of Everything Everywhere All At Once, and her friends and family.

Ensuring to name everyone individually she proudly declared: "We just won an Oscar," before the speech ended with the 64-year-old becoming teary as the realization of what she had accomplished washed over her.

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Jamie Lee Curtis with her Oscar. Credit: Sipa US / Alamy

When asked about whether her parents were watching over her last night, Curtis replied: "I don't believe in a world where there are people up there looking down.

"I think we are them in our actions and in our deeds and in our ideas. And then we build our own. We give them to our children and that's how the world goes on. So I am a product of them. And I am a proud product of them. And I know that they will be incredibly proud of me."

Featured image credit: Sipa US / Alamy