Jamie Lee Curtis is “concerned” that making awards gender neutral will “diminish the opportunities for women”.
The 64-year-old actress – whose child Ruby came out as transgender in 2021 – acknowledged how “very difficult” it is to promote inclusivity with gendered categories but is unsure of how best to tackle the subject without shutting out females.
Asked how she felt to have made this year’s list of female nominees, Lee Curtis said backstage at Sunday’s Academy Awards – where she won the Best Actress in a Supporting Role for “Everything Everywhere All At Once” – it was a “surreal and proud” experience.
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But she added to reporters at Los Angeles’ Dolby Theatre: “Obviously, I would like to see a lot more women be nominated so that there’s gender parity in all the areas, in all the branches. And I think we’re getting there.
“We’re not anywhere near there, and of course inclusivity then involves the bigger question which is, how do you include everyone when there are binary choices? Which is very difficult.
“As the mother of a trans daughter, I completely understand that.
“And yet to de-gender the [categories] also, I’m concerned will diminish the opportunities for more women, which is something I also have been working hard to try to promote.”
Lee Curtis reiterated the importance of “inclusivity” generally and of including women specifically, in Hollywood and wider society.
She added: “Basically just f***ing more women anywhere, any time.”
Earlier in the evening, she insisted winning her first Oscar was recognition for more than just her.
She said: "I know it looks like I'm here by myself but I am not, I am hundreds of people, The Daniels, Jonathan, Ley Line, the entire crew, my bae Michelle, Ke, Steph, the group of artists who made this movie - we just won an Oscar.
"To my dream team, we just won an Oscar.
"To my family, my beautiful husband Christopher Guest, our daughters Annie and Ruby, my sister Kelly, we just won an Oscar.
"To all of the people who have supported the genre movies I have made these years, the hundreds of thousands of people, we just won an Oscar together.
She then grew emotional as she paid tribute to her famous parents, Janet Leigh and Tony Curtis.
She added: "And my mother and father were both nominated for Oscars in different categories. I just won an Oscar."