12 hours ago
Were Dylan O'Brien's Words of Support for Trans Brother a One-Off?
Kilian Melloy READ TIME: 2 MIN.
"Ponyboi" star Dylan O'Brien gave a shoutout to his transgender brother, Julz, in an interview more than a year ago, and Julz responded warmly... but now, Julz says, Dylan has gone incommunicado.
"After a 2024 interview featuring the 'Teen Wolf' star was recirculated online, in which Dylan says he is 'grateful' to have trans people in his life like his younger sibling, Julz O'Brien, [Julz] clarified they haven't heard from Dylan in 'over a year,'" E! News reported.
In his comments to Vulture in an interview posted to YouTube, "Dylan, 33, said that having queer people in his life helped inform not only his day-to-day life, but also his role in the movie 'Ponyboi,' which follows a gender-nonconforming character, played by River Gallo," E! News backgrounded.
Said Dylan: "I have a trans, nonbinary sibling."
The "Teen Wolf star went on to add: "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."
"He didn't check in when I had top surgery," E! News quoted Julz writing in a comment under a May 1 Instagram post about the 2024 article, which first appeared at Vulture. "He didn't even wish me happy bday last week!" Julz added. "But glad I could deepen his experience in this world and make the world love him that much more."
Julz also critiqued the article that talked about the Vulture interview.
"Kinda funny that this article didn't ask me a single thing about myself?" Julz responded in the Instagram post's comments. "It's about me and uses my photo," Julz added. "I'm not even tagged."
In another comment on the Instagram post, Julz corrected: "I'm actually trans masc and go by he/they pronouns 🫶🏼😌".
Twitter users offered thoughts from various perspectives.
In the interview, Dylan spoke to being "uneducated" about issues explored in the 2024 Esteban Arango-directed film, which centers around an intersex person, Ponyboi, played by writer River Gallo. Dylan plays Vinnie, who is both pimp and lover to Ponyboi.
Watch the Vulture interview below.
Kilian Melloy serves as EDGE Media Network's Associate Arts Editor and Staff Contributor. His professional memberships include the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association, the Boston Online Film Critics Association, The Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association, and the Boston Theater Critics Association's Elliot Norton Awards Committee.
