Olivia Colman on Pronouns, Queer Belonging, and What Jimpa Taught Her

Olivia Colman has spoken about how her latest film, Jimpa, pushed her understanding of trans and non-binary experiences further than ever before.

The British actor, 52, appears in the film as Hannah, a heterosexual mother navigating family, generational trauma, and shifting ideas of gender while supporting her non-binary child. 

Speaking during recent press, Colman described the project as both emotionally grounding and quietly transformative.

A Film About Queer History - and Queer Futures

Directed by Sophie Hyde and inspired by her own life, Jimpa centres on a trip to Amsterdam taken by three generations of a queer family, where Hannah travels with her child Frances to reconnect with her estranged father, a gay man living with HIV.

The role of Frances is played by Hyde’s real-life trans non-binary child, Aud Mason-Hyde, giving the film an intimacy and lived experience.

 Across its runtime, Jimpa moves between the legacy of AIDS-era activism and the present-day language of gender identity.

“I Live Close to Queerness”

Colman has been clear that she does not see herself as queer, but she also rejects the idea that queerness is something external to her life.

I’m technically on the outside, I’m in a heterosexual relationship - but the world I exist in is very queer.

She described the LGBTQ+ community as uniquely generous and open, pushing back against stereotypes often weaponised by critics.

It’s the most welcoming group of people I’ve ever known. If people who are so angry could actually spend time there, I think a lot would change.

Why Playing Hannah Felt Instinctive

Although Hannah is not queer herself, Colman said the character’s position - adjacent, supportive, learning - felt familiar rather than foreign.

I love being welcomed into that community, Some of the most beautiful stories I’ve encountered come from queer lives.

Colman also reflected on her own lifelong discomfort with rigid gender expectations.

I’ve never felt particularly feminine. I’ve joked to my husband for years that I’m basically a gay man - and he understands exactly what I mean.

Rather than framing this as identity confusion, Colman spoke about ease - about feeling at home in spaces that allow contradiction and complexity.

Learning - Not Assuming

Despite her long proximity to LGBTQ+ spaces through work and friendships, Colman said Jimpa marked the first time she had spent sustained time learning directly from trans and non-binary people.

I realised I hadn’t really had that experience before.  And I did learn - properly.

That learning extended to everyday language.

I got better at pronouns, matter-of-factly. Which matters.

John Lithgow and the Weight of Queer History

Jimpa also places Colman alongside John Lithgow, who plays Hannah’s father - a gay man shaped by the trauma and activism of the AIDS crisis.

Lithgow’s casting adds historical resonance, but also complexity. 

In 1982, he received an Oscar nomination for playing a trans woman in The World According to Garp. More recently, his decision to accept the role of Dumbledore in HBO’s upcoming Harry Potter series - tied to J.K. Rowling’s anti-trans rhetoric - sparked debate.

Lithgow has described Rowling’s views as “inexplicable” while defending his choice to take the role.

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