Liv Hewson: the Canberra-raised actor behind Yellowjackets' Van

Liv Hewson is one of Canberra''s most successful screen exports, best known to international audiences as Van Palmer in the acclaimed survival thriller Yellowjackets. Born and raised in the capital, Hewson grew up in the inner-south suburb of Hughes and attended Alfred Deakin High School and Canberra College before leaving for an acting career that has since taken them around the world.

From Canberra to Hollywood

Hewson''s breakthrough came as Abby Hammond in the Netflix horror-comedy Santa Clarita Diet, which ran from 2017 to 2019 alongside Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant. The same year they appeared in the teen drama film Before I Fall, and they have also had roles in the second series of Jane Campion''s Top of the Lake and in the Marvel miniseries Inhumans.

Since 2021 Hewson has played the fan-favourite character Van in Yellowjackets, the story of a girls'' soccer team that survives a plane crash in the wilderness. The role has drawn wide critical praise and cemented Hewson''s place among a strong cohort of Australian actors working in American television.

A voice for non-binary representation

Hewson, who is non-binary and uses they/them pronouns, came out at 16 and has become a prominent advocate for LGBTQ representation in the screen industry. In 2020 they received a Human Rights Campaign Visibility Award. They have also been an outspoken critic of gendered acting categories at awards shows, declining to submit for Emmy consideration on the grounds that male and female categories leave no place for non-binary performers.

Alongside acting, Hewson is a playwright, and continues to use their profile to push for broader and more inclusive storytelling. For Canberra, they are a reminder that the capital''s schools and suburbs have quietly produced a steady stream of national and international talent.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org, out.com.

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