Terry Hu’s gender identity explained

The third and final installment in the Disney Channel Original musical series Zombies 3 is being lauded for including a non-binary character for the first time in the studio’s history. Upon release, Terry Hu’s portrayal of the blue-haired non-binary alien ‘A-Spen’ has been particularly noted by reviewers and audiences alike.

Terry Hu also revealed that “while A-Spen is non-binary, it’s not the focal point of their identity” and appreciates the normal treatment of a minority character in the movie. This is a major step towards inclusivity and representation by Disney which has otherwise been called out for its lack of diversity.

Terry Hu is non-binary and feels “really grateful” for being Disney’s first non-binary character

Terry Hu’s convincing depiction of a non-binary character should come as no surprise as the actor is non-binary off-screen as well. The 26-year-old actor’s feature debut in Zombies 3 was met with support from the LGBTQ+ community.

“There was this one teen that came up to me that was like, ‘I’m gay, and I just want you to know seeing this was so impactful. You are making a direct impact on people’s lives. And I was like, ‘Oh my God’. I feel so grateful that sometimes I don’t know what to say besides thank you from the bottom of my heart,” Hu told Them Magazine.

Besides, Hu acknowledged the lack of representation in Disney’s earlier works and admitted to feeling apprehensive about the possible hate they could receive for playing a queer or non-binary character. However, they did not let the fear of backlash stop them from accepting the part and are instead proud of representing their community.

“It breaks my heart because I think a lot of the people that are going to hate my character or me only see us as the thing they don’t “agree” with – queer, nonbinary, Asian, etc. I wish they would just get to know me as a human, first and foremost,” they added.

Nevertheless, in an exclusive interview with Hollywood Life that took place before the movie’s release, Hu expressed that they had been a fan of Disney since childhood and could not wait to see the reaction of fans to their character. They said:

“I just feel really, really grateful. And honestly, honored to be in this position. Seeing the impact [the movie’s musical number] is having, and hopefully, my character will have, and my presence will have, I’m stoked.”