.
Lachlan Watson, 19yo American actor, who rose to fame playing transgender teenager Theo Putnam in Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.
VOGUE · TISH WEINSTOCK · 21ST JULY 2020 · 6 MIN READ
Netflix's
non-binary'
Sabrina' star
Lachlan Watson
Growing up, what was the significance of make-up for you?
For me, it was about freedom. I started playing with make-up when I was 11 or 12. I would do other people’s make-up and I was always fascinated with complementing people’s features. It was just this fun little way of me being able to connect with people.


How did gender play into that?
At the time, the gendering of it all barely even crossed my mind. It took me so long to realise that those things affected me and were going to be cages for me. Putting on make-up was so satisfying for me. It never fit into the ideas of, ‘Oh well, I’m doing this to look more female,’ or ‘I’m doing this to look like someone else.’

What was your relationship with beauty when you came out as male?
I still did a lot of make-up — it was still my coping mechanism in a lot of ways. But I look back on it now and it feels more like I was putting on a mask. The other day I looked in the mirror — it’s the first time that I’ve had hair this long since I was nine — and I pulled my hair back to the undercut I used to wear and I had this moment where I was like, ‘This is what I looked like when I identified as trans.’ But I felt so different. It was the first time that I realised I was putting myself in a cage back then. I had this specific look that I wouldn’t let myself get out of.
Make-up, beauty and fashion contributed to that. I didn’t let myself wear the colour pink for two years and wore shoes that were the smallest men’s size I could find, which meant they were way too big. All of these silly things. I started doing drag make-up instead of just putting on make-up because I thought it was the guy’s way of wearing make-up. Every time I put it on, I had a character in mind. I wasn’t letting [me] be myself. It took a long time for me to break out of that.
I had this crisis where I would be in my bed and start doing my make-up at 3pm, and I would stay up until sunrise. I did make-up pretty much every night. It made me realise that make-up wasn’t just about me putting on a different version of myself — it was something that was bringing my real self out.


Should make-up be separated from the concept of beauty and gender?
Ultimately, it’s just paint on a canvas. The idea that women are the only ones who are expected to conform to this beautiful ideal is silly. If you are a woman in any shape or form, and you walk out of the house without make-up, I’ve always thought it was strange that it’s still considered a revolution, as if you’re revolting against the idea of being a woman. It’s backwards that feminine-leaning people are caged within this idea of having to be pretty. Not only do femme people not have to be pretty, masculine people have always been pretty and are more than welcome to be such.
Beauty is inextricably linked to the concept of perfection and scars are often hidden. And yet, you proudly reveal all of your scars online. Can you tell me a bit about that?
I’ve always felt like scars tell a story. I’ve dealt with scars in many aspects of my life. I’ve dealt with scars that have been [caused] by falling in a river; I’ve dealt with scars I’ve chosen specifically to get through top surgery; and I’ve dealt with scars that I’ve given myself. And they all mean something very different to me, but they all represent growth. The underlying thing that they all share is how something happened and I healed from it. It’s not just about how much I was struggling before I got top surgery. It’s not about how much I was struggling when I was self-harming. It’s about the fact that I grew from it. To me, that’s not something to hide.


Where do you get your confidence from?
Part of it comes from being in such an extreme state of unacceptance, but diamonds are only made through pressure. I go back and forth on acknowledging my struggle and what it did for me to become better, but I don’t like giving younger kids who may not ever experience struggle the idea that the only way you can get to this acceptance is through pressure.


How would you describe your approach to beauty now?
I have horrible impulse control, so I always go instinctually about what I want to wear. I get a lot of inspiration from Instagram. Everywhere you look, there’s someone being free with make-up. It makes me so happy to see other people doing things where they’re like, ‘I want to look like a freakish alien baby.’ It makes me so hopeful for the future because what other generation has the freedom to do shit like that?
"For me, it was purely about feeling good about myself, practising and playing with colour. I remember doing rainbow eyeliner for one of my first theatre performances. It was like battle armour.
About
Publications
Zed - 2020
VOGUE · TISH WEINSTOCK · 21ST JULY 2020 · 6 MIN READ
Netflix's non-binary'
Sabrina' star
Lachlan Watson
Lachlan Watson, 19yo American actor, who rose to fame playing transgender teenager Theo Putnam in Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.


Growing up, what was the significance of make-up for you?
For me, it was about freedom. I started playing with make-up when I was 11 or 12. I would do other people’s make-up and I was always fascinated with complementing people’s features. It was just this fun little way of me being able to connect with people.


How did gender play into that?
At the time, the gendering of it all barely even crossed my mind. It took me so long to realise that those things affected me and were going to be cages for me. Putting on make-up was so satisfying for me. It never fit into the ideas of, ‘Oh well, I’m doing this to look more female,’ or ‘I’m doing this to look like someone else.’


"For me, it was purely about feeling good about myself, practising and playing with colour. I remember doing rainbow eyeliner for one of my first theatre performances. It was like battle armour.


What was your relationship with beauty when you came out as male?
I still did a lot of make-up — it was still my coping mechanism in a lot of ways. But I look back on it now and it feels more like I was putting on a mask. The other day I looked in the mirror — it’s the first time that I’ve had hair this long since I was nine — and I pulled my hair back to the undercut I used to wear and I had this moment where I was like, ‘This is what I looked like when I identified as trans.’ But I felt so different. It was the first time that I realised I was putting myself in a cage back then. I had this specific look that I wouldn’t let myself get out of.
Make-up, beauty and fashion contributed to that. I didn’t let myself wear the colour pink for two years and wore shoes that were the smallest men’s size I could find, which meant they were way too big. All of these silly things. I started doing drag make-up instead of just putting on make-up because I thought it was the guy’s way of wearing make-up. Every time I put it on, I had a character in mind. I wasn’t letting [me] be myself. It took a long time for me to break out of that.
I had this crisis where I would be in my bed and start doing my make-up at 3pm, and I would stay up until sunrise. I did make-up pretty much every night. It made me realise that make-up wasn’t just about me putting on a different version of myself — it was something that was bringing my real self out.


Should make-up be separated from the concept of beauty and gender?
Ultimately, it’s just paint on a canvas. The idea that women are the only ones who are expected to conform to this beautiful ideal is silly. If you are a woman in any shape or form, and you walk out of the house without make-up, I’ve always thought it was strange that it’s still considered a revolution, as if you’re revolting against the idea of being a woman. It’s backwards that feminine-leaning people are caged within this idea of having to be pretty. Not only do femme people not have to be pretty, masculine people have always been pretty and are more than welcome to be such.
Beauty is inextricably linked to the concept of perfection and scars are often hidden. And yet, you proudly reveal all of your scars online. Can you tell me a bit about that?
I’ve always felt like scars tell a story. I’ve dealt with scars in many aspects of my life. I’ve dealt with scars that have been [caused] by falling in a river; I’ve dealt with scars I’ve chosen specifically to get through top surgery; and I’ve dealt with scars that I’ve given myself. And they all mean something very different to me, but they all represent growth. The underlying thing that they all share is how something happened and I healed from it. It’s not just about how much I was struggling before I got top surgery. It’s not about how much I was struggling when I was self-harming. It’s about the fact that I grew from it. To me, that’s not something to hide.


Where do you get your confidence from?
Part of it comes from being in such an extreme state of unacceptance, but diamonds are only made through pressure. I go back and forth on acknowledging my struggle and what it did for me to become better, but I don’t like giving younger kids who may not ever experience struggle the idea that the only way you can get to this acceptance is through pressure.


How would you describe your approach to beauty now?
I have horrible impulse control, so I always go instinctually about what I want to wear. I get a lot of inspiration from Instagram. Everywhere you look, there’s someone being free with make-up. It makes me so happy to see other people doing things where they’re like, ‘I want to look like a freakish alien baby.’ It makes me so hopeful for the future because what other generation has the freedom to do shit like that?
Zed - 2020