“Amazing!”: Toni Collette didn’t realise Hereditary had a big LGBTQ+ following
Toni Collette was unaware of how the LGBTQ+ community championed her performance in Hereditary. Released in 2018 to widespread critical acclaim, the Australian actress led the A24 horror as Annie, the matriarch of a grief-stricken family who – because they haven’t got enough on their plate with the death of their bonkers grandmother – become haunted by a mysterious and supernatural presence. (Hail Paimon.) Collette’s performance was lauded – especially for her now-iconic dinner scene monologue – and she was considered a shoo-in for a Best Actress nomination at the Academy Awards.
After she was snubbed, social media – particularly LGBTQ+ users – rallied behind Collette and condemned the Oscars. “Why wasn’t Toni Collette nominated for an Academy Award?” Drag Race star Katya tweeted at the time, with her UNHhhh co-star Trixie Mattel responding, “Because horror and comedy aren’t legit to old stuff white people.” Amethyst, another Drag Race alumni, memorably went viral with a lip-sync performance to the aforementioned monologue.
During a junket for her new Prime Video series The Power, we asked Collette if she was conscious of how heavily the role has been endorsed by LGBTQ+ people. “I didn’t know that.
That’s amazing,” she said, before explaining her reasoning for starring in the film. “Sometimes I think about that film and about my need to do it.
