Jamie Lee Curtis discusses ‘complicated’ topic of gender-neutral awards categories after Oscars win

Curtis’s daughter Ruby publicly shared she was trans in 2021

Jamie Lee Curtis has shared her thoughts on the “complicated” topic of gender-neutral awards categories.

The Halloween star won her first Oscar aged 64 on Sunday (12 March) night for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Everything Everywhere All At Once.

The film was the big winner of the night, taking home seven awards including Best Picture.

Find the full list of winners here, and all the live updates from the ceremony as it happened here.

Speaking in the press room after her win, Curtis was asked how it felt to be one of 65 women nominated at this year’s Oscars.

Describing the experience as “surreal”, she 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. I think we’re getting there [but] we’re not anywhere near there.”

Curtis then turned her attention to the subject of gender-neutral awards categories, explaining that she approached the subject as “the mother of a trans daughter”.

Curtis won her first Academy Award on Sunday (AFP via Getty Images)

“And of course, inclusivity then involves the bigger question which is, how do you include everyone when there are binary choices? [It’s] very difficult and as the mother of a trans daughter, I completely understand that.

“And yet, to degender the category, I’m concerned will diminish the opportunities for more women which is something I also have been working hard to try to promote.”

Earlier this year, the Brit Awards faced backlash after failing to nominate a single woman in its Best Artist category.

Curtis concluded that the question was “complicated”, adding: “But I think the most important thing is inclusivity and more women. I mean, basically just f***ing more women anywhere, anytime, all at once.”

In 2021, Curtis shared for the first time that Ruby, her daughter with director Christopher Guest, is transgender.

The actor has been an outspoken supporter of trans rights, with Ruby saying in a joint interview that she hadn’t been scared to come out to her parents.

“It was intimidating – but I wasn’t worried,” she said. “They had been so accepting of me my entire life.”

Curtis compared the experience to “speaking a new language”, saying: “It’s learning new terminology and words. I am new at it. I am not someone who is pretending to know much about it. And I’m going to blow it, I’m going to make mistakes. I would like to try to avoid making big mistakes.”

Last year, Curtis officiated Ruby’s World of Warcraft-themed wedding to her partner Cynthia.