“I Saw the TV Glow” and “Bill & Ted” star announces name is now Jack Haven

The actor who starred as Maddy in I Saw the TV Glow is reintroducing themselves to the world.

The nonbinary performer has announced that they will be going by the name Jack Haven from now on. Formerly known as Brigette Lundy-Paine, they are also known for roles in Atypical and 2019's Bill & Ted Face the Music.

"I am changing my name, going by Jack Haven now," they wrote in a Tuesday Instagram post. "Haven is after my great great uncle, Haven Gillespie who was a songwriter known for the xmas hit 'Santa Clause is Coming to Town' which he wrote on the subway in 15 minutes. And first name Jack has stuck."

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Haven went on to explain that they first began using their new name two years ago, in a workshop led by Iranian actor Saman Arastoo. "I said I was using it in safe spaces," they noted. "Saman said use it in dangerous spaces. So I use it in the men's bathroom."

The “dangerous space” Haven alludes to may also be a reference to the United States, as their announcement comes one day after President Donald Trump's inauguration, which saw him declare that, "It will henceforth be the official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders: male and female." Trump later began the process of making the policy official, signing an executive order declaring that the federal government will only "recognize two sexes, male and female" and that "these sexes are not changeable and are grounded in fundamental and incontrovertible reality."

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Haven, who came out as queer in 2018, announced they were nonbinary the following year, explaining in a since-deleted Instagram post that they go by they/them pronouns. "Always felt a lil bit boy, lil bit girl, lil bit neither,” they wrote at the time, per Them. "Scary af to come out n been rly putting this off. But I feel I owe it to myself and to all of us who struggle w gender.”

Related: Jane Schoenbrun explains I Saw the TV Glow's mind-bending ending — and why the key is in the title

The nonbinary actor appeared in such films as Alexander Payne's Downsizing and Destin Daniel Cretton's The Glass Castle, before breaking out as Casey Gardner in the Netflix series Atypical, where they played the older sibling of the show's autistic main character, Sam (Keir Gilchrist). Later seasons of the show see Casey explore her sexuality, eventually coming out as bisexual. More recently, Haven received wide acclaim for their portrayal of Maddy in I Saw the TV Glow, a film that writer-director Jane Schoenbrun has identified as a trans allegory.

Haven's additional credits include Bombshell, Bill & Ted Face the Music, and Tina Romero's upcoming queer horror comedy, Queen of the Dead.

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