With roles in Hallmark’s The Way Home, Shaftesbury Kids’ The Solutioneers and Apple TV+’s Ghostwriter, non-binary Canadian actor Vaughan Murrae has had a busy few years. It’s their latest role in Epic Picture Group’s coming-of-age feature, Before I Change My Mind (directed by Trevor Anderson) that is garnering attention from audiences and critics. The film premiered at the 75th Locarno Film Festival in the Concorso Cineasti del Presente program for which Vaughan was awarded the Audience Choice Boccalino d’Oro Locarno22 Award for Best Acting Performance. Set in 1987, while the other students wonder if their new classmate is a boy or a girl, Robin (Murrae) forges a complicated bond with the school bully, making increasingly dangerous choices to fit in. In the innovative screenplay, the protagonist’s gender is never disclosed. We spoke to Vaughan about their role in Before I Change My Mind. Read the full interview below…
Before I Change My Mind is now available on digital platforms.
First off, when did you know you wanted to get into acting?
I was relatively young when I started acting. I’ve always had a love for drama, but it was only when I experienced what it was like on set for the first time, that I knew it was something I wanted to continue pursuing. Specifically, the collaborative process of working together with a team of talented people to create art was what made the job so fun to me.
What attracted you to the Before I Change My Mind script?
I remember thinking how unique Trevor’s script was in regards to queer film trends we see now. At its core, Before I Change My Mind is a coming-of-age story about what kind of person Robin will become rather than what their gender is, and I don’t think we have enough queer films like that–where queer characters can exist outside of their queerness. It’s refreshing and very validating as a non-binary actor.
Before filming began, what did you do to get into character as Robin?
*Cue my mother making a 50-slide PowerPoint presentation about the wonders 80s culture and how it’s different from today’s day and age* Jokes aside, I had to think about how Robin’s lack of access to gender-queer terminology affected their childhood and self-image. It’s easier for me to express myself and my identity when I have access to language and pronouns I resonate with. Robin never had that, and I think that impacted their chameleon-like personality and the way they move through the world.
In what ways are you similar to your character, Robin?
I can’t say Robin and I are all that similar, although as a young adult, I can relate to that awkward faze in life where you’re just starting to develop a sense of who you are or what you like. Robin goes through a similar journey through the film and I think that may resonate with an older queer audience who grew up in the 80s like Robin.
Robin and I also like to draw, though they’re way better at it than I am.
Did you have a favorite scene to film in Before I Change My Mind?
The motel roof scene where Carter and Robin gaze at the stars together was adorable and very fun to film (Dominic may say otherwise though, it was quite cold up there). There’s also a scene where rain is involved, and I remember thinking that this was the level of drama you’d act out in the shower, so that was quite fun to film!
What message do you hope audiences take away from watching Before I Change My Mind?
Before I Change My Mind is one of those films that can mean a lot of different things depending on who’s watching. Ultimately, I hope it inspires a new kind of queer storytelling and pushes audiences to want to see more in-depth non-binary and gender-queer characters in film.
You are also starring in Season 2 of Hallmark’s The Way Home. How has that been?
I was a fan of the show before I even got the role, so it has honestly been so exciting. The Way Home is one of those shows that just sucks you in and you find yourself wanting to uncover all of its secrets. Every time I get to play a non-binary character on screen, I get so excited, and Casey is a character I can really relate to.
Can you tell us something about your time filming The Way Home that audiences might not know?
Although it was open-casting in the audition process, Casey was originally a female character. I tried to approach them from a more androgynous angle, and when I got the callback, their pronouns had been changed.
What would be your dream project to work on?
This may seem surprising, but I’d love to play a badass queer character in an action film. You don’t really see gender-queer characters in action. Can you imagine a non-binary John Wick? Or maybe an Indiana Jones type character? That would be cool.
