Dylan O'Brien Says Having A Trans Nonbinary Sibling Has "Deepened" His Life

19 April 2024, 16:01 | Updated: 26 April 2024, 15:17

Watch the original Ponyboi trailer

By Sam Prance

Dylan O'Brien also spoke about the importance of representation when discussing his new movie Ponyboi.

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Dylan O’Brien has opened up about having a trans sibling and why it was important for him to star in his new film Ponyboi.

Earlier this month (Jan 20), Ponyboi premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival to widespread critical acclaim. Based on the short film of the same name, Ponyboi tells the story of Ponyboi, a young, intersex sex worker who is on the run after a drug deal goes disastrously wrong. Dylan O'Brien stars in the film as Ponyboi's pimp and secret love interest Vinny.

Now, Dylan has said that having multiple LGBTQ+ friends and family members has been a huge gift to him as a person.

Dylan O&squot;Brien says he&squot;s "so grateful" to have a trans nonbinary sibiling — Dylan O'Brien says he's "so grateful" to have a trans nonbinary sibiling. Picture: Monica Schipper/Getty Images for IMDb, @julzbob417 via Instagram

Speaking to Vulture about Ponyboi and the role LGBTQ+ people play in his life as a cisgender, straight man, Dylan said: "I have a trans, nonbinary sibling and I know people in my personal life as well who are queer and I am so grateful for how much it deepens my experience in this world."

Dylan's sibling Julz O'Brien is nonbinary and they use they/them pronouns. Julz often shares photos with Dylan on their Instagram account and has referred to the actor as their "very first best friend".

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A post shared by 🥀julz they/them/dude/bro/bruh (@julzbob417)

Discussing Ponyboi with Adobe, Dylan said that he wanted to star in the film because of how important representation is. Dylan explained: "The way that the industry can make changes, and create more opportunities, and spread stories that we're not so used to seeing is hugely impactful."

He continued: "River Gallo, who is my costar, grew up not really seeing anyone like them on screen before. What a tremendous moment to represent a community that is so widely unrepresented."

Dylan O’Brien on Experiencing New Worlds Through Film at Sundance

Dylan ended the video by saying: "Going in, I was extremely uneducated on intersex and the intersex community. This was such an enlightening experience to me and [River is] someone that I hold so dearly to me now that I'll have with me for the rest of my life as a friend."

As well as Dylan, River Gallo, Victoria Pedretti, Indya Moore and Murray Bartlett star in Ponyboi. The film is currently yet to get a cinema or streaming release date.