Emma D’Arcy, the British actor who stars in HBO’s hit series House of the Dragon and is nominated for a Golden Globe award, recently opened up about the importance of clothing for trans and non-binary people. In a first-person interview with Highsnobiety Magazine, D’Arcy shared how clothes play a fundamental role in the way gender-fluid and trans people identify themselves.
For D’Arcy, who identifies as non-binary and uses they/them pronouns, clothes are a form of armor that is essential to who they are. They explained that outfits are a tangible way to control how people see you, and for gender-fluid or trans people, clothes play an even more significant role in expressing their identity.
As a trans-masc presenting person, D’Arcy feels that clothes are particularly crucial in their life. They expressed that clothing is central to how most people express themselves, but for them, it’s even more important because they feel different in different outfits.
In House of the Dragon, D’Arcy plays the female character Rhaenyra Targaryen, which requires them to dress in a more feminine-presenting way. D’Arcy admits that this makes them want to dress more masculine in their personal life. However, they emphasized that their gender identity does not limit the roles they take on, as they are comfortable playing female-presenting characters and are good at it.
Despite D’Arcy’s success, they have faced battles in the industry due to their non-binary identity. They have had to deal with ignorance and pressure to present as a woman, which they found unsustainable. However, D’Arcy stopped pretending and became nominated for the Golden Globes as Best Actress, ironically demonstrating the industry’s limitations.
In conclusion, D’Arcy’s experience highlights the importance of clothing for gender-fluid and trans people, demonstrating how clothing is a way to express and control identity. Furthermore, D’Arcy’s success in the entertainment industry despite facing obstacles due to their non-binary identity shows the importance of visibility and representation.