Olivia Colman, 52, Opens up About Feeling Nonbinary and How She Describes Herself to Her Husband

by

Olivia Colman recently opened up about her personal identity, sharing that she’s always felt a connection to being nonbinary. The 52-year-old Oscar winner explained that she’s never fully aligned with traditional expectations of what it means to be a woman. She said this internal feeling has sometimes led to disagreements throughout her life, as she doesn’t strongly identify with conventional femininity.

I was fascinated to read that Olivia Colman – you know, the brilliant actress from The Crown and The Favourite – jokingly refers to herself as a gay man to her husband, Ed Sinclair, of 25 years! Apparently, he totally gets it, and she says it’s a huge part of why they’re so happy together. She explained that their relationship works because they’re both comfortable switching roles – sometimes she’s the one needing support, other times it’s him, and they just flow with whatever feels right. It’s such a refreshing and honest take on a long-lasting marriage, isn’t it?

Olivia Colman’s thoughts on gender identity were sparked by her role in the new film Jimpa, a drama about a queer family that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. In the movie, she plays Hannah, a mother dealing with a shifting relationship with her nonbinary child, Frances, while they’re visiting Amsterdam.

Colman said working on Jimpa was eye-opening and helped her realize many people feel that identity isn’t limited to just male or female. She also shared that she mostly surrounds herself with people who don’t have very traditional views on relationships and sexuality.

She pointed out that the men in her life are generally open to exploring different sides of themselves, similar to her husband. Although she and her husband, Ed Sinclair, have been together for over thirty years, she playfully admitted falling in love with him instantly while he was smoking during a play rehearsal – a moment he doesn’t remember at all.

Olivia Colman continues to be a highly successful and acclaimed actress. In addition to her upcoming film, Jimpa, which will be released in UK cinemas later this year, she recently appeared in the dark comedy The Roses with Benedict Cumberbatch. Released in late 2025, The Roses is a fresh take on The War of the Roses, and was written by Tony McNamara, who also wrote The Favourite – a film Colman previously collaborated with him on.

Olivia Colman is starring in the upcoming romantic comedy Wicker, alongside Alexander Skarsgård and Peter Dinklage. She plays a fisherwoman who breaks societal rules by making a companion out of wicker, a performance that’s already been praised at film festivals. From her Oscar-winning role as Queen Anne to her touching part as a mother in Heartstopper, Colman consistently chooses projects that tell a variety of stories. With her new films and her willingness to share more about herself, it’s clear that Colman is embracing a very genuine and exciting period in her career.

Read More

2026-02-09 13:14