Actor: Lachlan Watson from Maiden. Photos Courtesy of Oliver Barile & Lachlan Watson. Top, pants, coat, socks, ruff, and hat: Oliver Reinard. Shoes: John Fluevog. Jewelry: The Shiny Squirrel.
In Maiden, directed and photographed by Oliver Barile, we follow a protagonist caught between spectacle and scrutiny, punished not for who they are but for their refusal to reconform to societal standards. It’s one half fairy tale and one half historical nightmare.
Top, pants, coat, socks, ruff, and hat: Oliver Reinard. Shoes: John Fluevog. Jewelry: The Shiny Squirrel.
The subject presents themselves rather outlandishly and is faced with the terrible trials and tribulations of their supposed death, though they manage to miraculously survive and persevere through each increasingly heinous medieval torture device.
Top, pants, coat, socks, ruff, and hat: Oliver Reinard. Shoes: John Fluevog. Jewelry: The Shiny Squirrel.
Ultimately, the character survives unspeakable trials while wrapped in opulence, color, and full fashion, all while withstanding the grotesquery.
Jacket: Oliver Reinard. Pants: Rachel Sacksner. Shoes: Michael Kors. Jewelry: The Shiny Squirrel.
It’s this balance of pageantry and pain, of defiant self-expression under threat, that closely parallels Lachlan Watson’s own experience as a transgender actor in Hollywood, and the experiences of transgender people around the world.
Jacket: Oliver Reinard. Pants: Rachel Sacksner. Shoes: Michael Kors. Jewelry: The Shiny Squirrel.
Much like the protagonist’s surreal survival in the face of destruction, Lachlan has had to endure an industry that both demands visibility and punishes authenticity. Their story of advocating for themselves on the set of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and being asked to compromise their identity to fit a marketable mold underscores the very themes Maiden seeks to interrogate: Who gets to tell the story, and at what cost?
Jacket: Oliver Reinard. Pants: Rachel Sacksner. Shoes: Michael Kors. Jewelry: The Shiny Squirrel.
Beautiful, ungovernable, and deeply rooted in today’s times, Maiden explores how transgender identity can be both armor and target.
Shirt and pants: Oliver Reinard. Shoes: John Fluevog. Gloves and jewelry: The Shiny Squirrel. Bag: Lorena Cordero (from Flying Solo).
As the metal doors of this imagined torture chamber swing open, so too does the space for a deeper conversation. Lachlan’s ongoing journey is much like the story in Maiden. They invite us to look at what it truly means to survive the system and still dream of changing it.
Shirt and pants: Oliver Reinard. Shoes: John Fluevog. Gloves and jewelry: The Shiny Squirrel. Bag: Lorena Cordero (from Flying Solo).
With that, we sat down with Lachlan to talk about the emotional toll of playing transgender characters on screen, what change in Hollywood could look like, and the future they hope to build.
Shirt and pants: Oliver Reinard. Shoes: John Fluevog. Gloves and jewelry: The Shiny Squirrel. Bag: Lorena Cordero (from Flying Solo).
HBZVN: If you were to paint an honest picture of what it’s like being transgender in Hollywood right now, what would that look like?
Front piece, Chloe Zhou. Dress, Monjia. Pants: Madeline Malenfant. Sheer layer: Otkutyr (from Flying Solo). Shoes: Camper. Jewelry: The Shiny Squirrel.
There’s a lot of pressure to be politically palatable both on and off the screen. Some days, I’ll be applauded for bringing my authentic voice and queer identity to a role. On other days, that same queerness will be the reason I lose a potential role.
Front piece, Chloe Zhou. Dress, Monjia. Pants: Madeline Malenfant. Sheer layer: Otkutyr (from Flying Solo). Shoes: Camper. Jewelry: The Shiny Squirrel.
There have been times when I’ve felt expected to dilute my transgender identity in order to be seen as more accessible and marketable to a worldwide audience. In the past, I’ve even felt pressured to choose between my transness and my career as a whole. In my experience, Hollywood makes one feel like you can either be transgender or have a successful acting career—never both. My goal is to help rewrite that story.
Front piece, Chloe Zhou. Dress, Monjia. Pants: Madeline Malenfant. Sheer layer: Otkutyr (from Flying Solo). Shoes: Camper. Jewelry: The Shiny Squirrel.
HBZVN: Have there been moments in your career where you’ve had to push back or compromise in order to stay true to yourself?
LACHLAN WATSON: Quite a few. For example, I played a transgender character named Theo on Netflix’s The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina from the ages of 16 to 18, and I often noticed similarities between Theo’s story and the personal stories I had previously shared with the writers.
Dress and wrist cuffs: Chloe Zhou. Jewelry: The Shiny Squirrel.
Over the course of the two years it took to film the show, it felt more and more like I was being asked to relive my own transition in front of millions of strangers, with no control over how or when those stories were to be seen and heard. I learned very quickly the value of speaking up and the weight of knowing when to take a step back.
Dress and wrist cuffs: Chloe Zhou. Jewelry: The Shiny Squirrel.
HBZVN: In The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, how did you deal with that situation?
LACHLAN WATSON: To the best of my ability, I advocated for myself and what I felt was right. I tried to advocate for transgender representation as a whole, even when I was made to feel like an inconvenience.
Dress and wrist cuffs: Chloe Zhou. Jewelry: The Shiny Squirrel.
On one occasion, I even delayed production in order to ask for a rewrite of Theo’s original coming-out scene. I wanted it to better align with what I felt were the realities of coming out as transgender to a conservative family member, and it was worth it. I’m extremely proud of how the scene ended up playing out.
Top and pants: Madeline Malenfant. Corset: Chloe Zhou. Shoes: John Fluevog. Jewelry: The Shiny Squirrel.
HBZVN: When you imagine the future of Hollywood, what do you hope trans representation will look like?
I hope we keep pushing for stories in which transgender characters have depth and layers beyond their identities alone.
Top and pants: Madeline Malenfant. Corset: Chloe Zhou. Shoes: John Fluevog. Jewelry: The Shiny Squirrel.
I hope transgender actors like myself are able to break free from current societal restraints and pursue careers based on who we are and what we want to do, not based on the ideas and politics we’re expected to represent. I hope to be acting in a world where my transness is one of the least interesting things about me.
Top and pants: Madeline Malenfant. Corset: Chloe Zhou. Shoes: John Fluevog. Jewelry: The Shiny Squirrel.
Photographer/Director: Oliver Barile @oliver.barile
Talent: Lachlan Watson @lachrwatson
M.U.A.: Sterling Tull @sterlingtullnyc
Hair: Takayuki Umeda @um_takayuki
Stylist: Madisson Yarnell @madissunnyy
Designer: Oliver Reinard @olivereinard
Designer: Chloe Zhou @chloezhoustudio
Set Design Lead: Pan Moncada @pangaeaxo
Nails/Set Design: Marisa Gizelle @naranjjajuice
Props Fabrication/Design: Elsa Wong @yo.k3
Videographer: Brandon J. Ramones @bjramones_
Photo Assistant: Dylan Vanessa @veryfreakingcool
M.U.A. Assistant: Veli Sadiku @velisadiku
Talent Assistant: Kayden Strauss @kaydenmichaelphoto
Harper’s Bazaar Vietnam
