Lili Reinhart: Being bisexual is not just ‘a phase’

Actress Lili Reinhart welcomed Disney with the creation of her first bisexual protagonist in the animated series The Owl House, saying that “too often people have told me it’s a phase”.

The Riverdale actress, who came out as bisexual in June, says she’s glad Luz Noceda’s character in The Owl House now exists, “because I’m met with ‘you’ll grow out of it’ comments, but I do not know that is true “.

“I think it’s important to make it normal, because I feel in cinema and TV. The characters are usually gay or straight. There are not many bisexual characters – but it needs to be normalized, “she adds.

“There are a lot of bisexual people, including me. Before, I felt that people were invalidating what I said by telling me I was going through a phase.”

Reinhart plays Grace in the new Amazon movie Chemical Hearts, an unsatisfied teenage girl who wears androgynous clothes and walks with a cane.

They capture the heart of hopeless romantic Henry, played by Austin Abrams from The Walking Dead, but he discovers that she is awakened by trauma and sadness.

It is based on the best-selling young adult novel, Our Chemical Hearts by Krystal Sutherland, but Reinhart, who also produced it, is of the opinion that “it is not another teen romance”.

Since finding fame in Riverdale, Reinhart has stepped up in the critically acclaimed all-female drama, Hustlers, of 2019, explaining that “at this point, I try not to play too many teenage characters.”

“I want to play something creatively different from Riverdale, so I was a little nervous about another teen character. But when this came up, I thought these characters could play in any setting, not just high school.”

It is also important, she thinks, to show teenage heartbeat from a male point of view, “because we normally follow the girl and the girl’s heartbeat”.

“But this is written from the boy’s point of view, he’s trying to get her attention and has trouble getting to know her. It’s something a lot of people do not explore in the space for young adults,” she adds.

The actress, who was born in Ohio and moved to LA as a teenager, has openly talked about her struggles with anxiety and depression, saying she wishes there were more resources available to help her with her school days.

“I was not fully aware of the resources I had when I was younger,” she explained. If only someone had told me I could listen to a podcast about depression, or watch a TED talk about how to live life to the fullest.

“It should be implemented in a classroom at school, where you can talk about what you do to take care of your mental health. I loved one normalized from the fear I had, because then I had my first panic attack in eighth grade, I did not know what was happening to me, I did not understand it. None of my friends had experienced it and it was so scary. “

She also asks LGBT teens “to understand how many options we have in this day and age”.

“Times change, and at school there was one gay child who was out and about, but some people hid their sexuality because they were afraid to go out.

“I hope people know they have stores and communities that are now so ready to support young people who make decisions about this. There are a lot of open arms out there.”

But Reinhart says she still suffers from anxiety and that it has become more intense as she gets older,

“I try to combat it. I do weekly therapy and I practice meditation, I try to be present and enjoy the present. I do not want to look back and think I am ruining my life,” she says.

“In this movie you see a lot of fear. With especially the character of Henry, many times in your life when you are in love with someone, you get an idea of ​​who you want them to be and you hold out for them to to change.

“That’s something that anyone who’s been in a relationship or in love can relate to – I know I can. You’re waiting for someone to evolve into the person they will be, but that’s a real “unrealistic expectation and it’s a selfish way of looking at love because it benefits you. Henry wants Grace to change his timeline.”

The actress is reported to have broken up with her Riverdale co-star Cole Sprouse earlier this year and has some advice on getting a heart attack.

“Hopefully solid ground will not shift is very unrealistic. Heartbreak and trauma are really a part of life and it’s sad, but also going through life and trying to prevent Heartbreak is impossible.

“If you set yourself up with that expectation, you will be disappointed. It should not stop you from pursuing love. I have never let the fear of heartbeat stop me.”

Chemical Hearts will be released on August 21 on Amazon Prime Video.

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