Zoe Terakes (born March 22, 2000) is an Australian actor who most notably played Reb Keane in ''

Wentworth Wentworth may refer to: People * Wentworth (surname) * Judith Blunt-Lytton, 16th Baroness Wentworth (1873–1957), Lady Wentworth, notable Arabian horse breeder * S. Wentworth Horton (1885–1960), New York state senator * Wentworth Miller (born 1 ...

.''

Life and career

Terakes is

non-binary Non-binary and genderqueer are umbrella terms for gender identities that are not solely male or femaleidentities that are outside the gender binary. Non-binary identities fall under the transgender umbrella, since non-binary people typically ...

and trans masculine, and came out to the acting industry at age 19. Terakes attended

SCEGGS Darlinghurst , motto_translation = Let Your Light Shine , established = , type = Independent single-sex primary and secondary day and boarding school , denomination = Anglicanism , oversight = , educational_authority = New South Wales Departm ...

for high school. They completed their HSC whilst appearing on stage in ''

A View from the Bridge ''A View from the Bridge'' is a play by American playwright Arthur Miller. It was first staged on September 29, 1955, as a one-act verse drama with ''A Memory of Two Mondays'' at the Coronet Theatre on Broadway. The run was unsuccessful, and M ...

'', a theatre production in Sydney from director Iain Sinclair. This production led them to receive

Sydney Theatre Awards The Sydney Theatre Awards are annual awards to recognise the strength, quality and diversity of professional theatre in Sydney, Australia. They were established in 2005 by a group of major Sydney theatre critics. The awards recognise mainstage and ...

for Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role in an Independent Production, and as joint winner, the Best Newcomer Award. The production also scored Terakes a

Helpmann Award The Helpmann Awards are accolades for live entertainment and performing arts in Australia, presented by industry group Live Live Performance Australia (LPA) since 2001. The annual awards recognise achievements in the disciplines of musical th ...

nomination. Terakes had not considered acting as a career, until their grade 11 drama teacher recommended visiting an agent who ended up securing them work. At the age of 17, Terakes made their on-screen debut in the role of Pearl Perati, a homeless teenager, in ''

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

's Janet King'' alongside

Marta Dusseldorp Marta Dusseldorp (born 1 February 1973) is an Australian stage, film and theatre actress. Her television credits include ''BlackJack'', ''Crownies'' (and its spin-off '' Janet King''), ''Jack Irish'' and '' A Place to Call Home''. Early life an ...

. Other theatre credits of Terakes include ''Metamorphoses'' and ''The Wolves'' for The Old Fitz and Henrik Ibsen's theatre production of ''A Doll's House Part 2'' at the

Melbourne Theatre Company The Melbourne Theatre Company is a theatre company based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Founded in 1953 as the Union Theatre Repertory Company at the Union Theatre at the University of Melbourne, it is the oldest professional theatre compa ...

. Terakes played transgender man Reb Keane in season eight of Australian TV series ''

'', the critically acclaimed reboot of ''

Prisoner Cell Block H ''Prisoner'' (known in the UK and the US as ''Prisoner: Cell Block H'') is an Australian television soap opera, which broadcast on Network Ten (originally The 0-10 Network) from February 27 (Melbourne) February 26 (Sydney) 1979 to December 1 ...

''. About the experience of obtaining the role, Terakes stated: "''I really fought for it. I emailed the producers to let them know how important it was to have a trans person telling this story. It was also terrifying, because suddenly I had the role and I felt the weight of the trans community on my shoulders. I didn't want to get it wrong.''" Their character, Reb, was a trans man (assigned female at birth) and was terrified of being sentenced to prison after a robbery goes wrong. In 2020, the feature film ''

Ellie & Abbie (& Ellie's Dead Aunt) ''Ellie & Abbie (& Ellie's Dead Aunt)'' is a 2020 AACTA award winning LGBT romance comedy film written and directed by Monica Zanetti, in her feature directorial debut. It is based on her own 2016 stage play. The film stars Sophie Hawkshaw, Zo ...

'' was released where Terakes plays the title role of Abbie. In the same year, Terakes appeared in the

Foxtel Foxtel is an Australian pay television company—operating in cable television, direct broadcast satellite television, and IPTV streaming services. It was formed in April 2018, superseding an earlier company from 1995. The service was establi ...

drama about euthanasia titled ''

The End The End may refer to: Films * ''The End'' (1953 film), a film by Christopher Maclaine * ''The End'' (1978 film), a comedy by Burt Reynolds * ''The End'' (1997 film), a Canadian film of 1997 * ''The End'' (1998 film), a skateboarding document ...

''. Terakes signed a petition criticizing the lack of LGBTQ representation in the Australian production of '' Hedwig and the Angry Inch'' the show and expressing “disappointment” over the casting of actor

Hugh Sheridan Hugh Sheridan (born 30 June 1985) is an Australian actor, singer, television presenter who is known for their role as Ben Rafter in the television series ''Packed to the Rafters''. Sheridan is a four-time Logie Award winner, in the Logie Award ...

in the lead role of Hedwig, whom many believe to be a transgender character. They, along with David Campbell, Michaela Banas, and others, shared an open letter on Instagram addressed to the Sydney Festival, explaining why trans representation is vital when telling the story of a trans character. The Australian producers, Showtune Productions, cancelled the show. In 2021, Terakes played wellness retreat worker Glory alongside

Nicole Kidman Nicole Mary Kidman (born 20 June 1967) is an American and Australian actress and producer. Known for her work across various film and television productions from several genres, she has consistently ranked among the world's highest-paid act ...

Asher Keddie Asher Keddie (born 31 July 1974) is an Australian actress. Beginning her career in the television series ''Five Mile Creek'' in the mid 1980s, Keddie received wide recognition for her role in the television series ''Offspring''. Her significant ...

and

Melissa McCarthy Melissa Ann McCarthy (born August 26, 1970) is an American actress, comedian, producer, writer, and fashion designer. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including two Primetime Emmy Awards, and nominations for two Academy Awards and tw ...

in ''

Nine Perfect Strangers ''Nine Perfect Strangers'' is a 2018 novel by Australian author Liane Moriarty. It was published on September 18, 2018 by Macmillan Australia. It is a ''New York Times'' Bestseller. Synopsis Nine people from different walks of life attend a ...

''. In 2022, Terakes confirmed news of their gender confirming surgery. Terakes also joined the filming of the Marvel project Ironheart.

Filmography

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Terakes, Zoe Living people Australian LGBT actors Australian television actors Transgender film actors Transgender television actors Non-binary film actors Non-binary television actors Australian non-binary actors Australian film actors Transgender non-binary people 2000 births