Change of Look
As a gender-expansive person I understand that there are some aspects of me that others might have questions about.
Especially about my hair and/or the lack of it.
I have chosen to include this page within my website to help to open a constructive and respectful dialogue and to empower production and casting colleagues who may be wanting to talk with me about it.
I welcome any and all respectful questions that come from a position of genuine curiosity, and will do my best to support them.
However, I acknowledge some folks are shy in this area, so I offer this FAQ for your comfort in the hopes it is helpful.
Christophe/Audrey
How does your gender affect your outward appearance?
My look can and does vary a lot from. One of the key ways my look has changed since I came out in 2021, is that have not regularly worn facial hair in my day-to-day life since then. I found that my facial hair led people to assumptions about me that often only noticed and valued the ‘masculine’ parts of me, rather than the whole person.
Would you ever consider regrowing facial hair for a role?
As an actor, since I am able to grow it, I am prepared to consider facial hair roles, with the understanding that since it would make me unable to comfortably express my feminine side for as long as facial hair is required, I would expect to receive the usual ‘Change of look’ fee with a proportional addition to reflect the duration I would be forced to wear said facial hair.
Would you ever consider cutting your hair for a role?
Short answer: Very unlikely.
Long answer: I really don’t want to & I feel that if you like my performance, then I feel strongly that you should be open to all of me.
Why?: There are 3 main reasons I feel the way I do:
1) My cultural background comes from continental Europe. I am half-French and half-Italian. Though I love my adopted home country of Ireland, I also remain strongly bonded to my cultures of origin and in those cultures, it is extremely normal for male identifying, masculine men, particularly an older man to wear his hair long.
2) Across my career so far, I have played many roles that required short hair on the character. These have been as diverse as replicating an actual individual who lived (as with when I played the 9th Viscount Powerscourt), through to playing a WWI era English soldier. Every time, good HMUAs have been able to style my very co-operative hair in such a way as to obscure its true length, without any huge delays to the production (see also the pictures beneath).
3) As a gender expansive person I do spend some of my time outwardly expressing in a traditionally ‘feminine’ way. While that might not make sense to someone who lives another gender expression, for me, my long hair also helps me to connect with and express my more traditionally ‘feminine’ side.
Can we hire you as a drag act?
Short answer: Not at this time.
Why?: Drag is a specific art form that requires a specific skillset. I am not a drag queen. I am a gender expansive person. I am open to playing roles where the character is male, female, non-binary, or trans.