Perhaps Nava Mau was always an actress, but it took years for her to adopt the term as self-description. Born in Mexico City, as a child she performed in a junior version of
Cats—her first dramatic role, one she still describes with affectionate humor—but she didn't consider acting as a career path until years later, when she wrote, produced, directed and starred in the short film
Waking Hour. She found a natural rhythm within the short-film medium, where she could wield more artistic license than was typical for a young trans Latina creator in an industry where the facade of progressivism often shielded bigotry. For one of the first times ever, she felt true autonomy over how the world viewed her.
After completing work on a few other short films, Mau was couch-surfing in Los Angeles when she received a suspicious DM on Instagram from a random account offering her an audition. The message included a typo, so she figured it was spam. But, like many hungry actresses, she was eager enough for a lead that she sent over her email address. As it turns out, the message was more than just legitimate—it was an offer to audition for the HBO Max show
Genera+ion. Mau submitted her tape and, within weeks, was cast as Ana, the aunt-turned-surrogate-mother to Greta, her niece who's struggling to come to terms with her sexuality. In the teen dramedy, Ana is a beloved guardian and role model, a welcome shift for LGBTQ characters, who often serve as narrative cautionary tales or, worse, the butt of jokes. On-screen and off, Mau exhibits a graceful confidence, one that may have required practice at first but is now comes as naturally to her as breathing. She knows she belongs on your television.
Currently at work on an anthology and looking ahead to—fingers crossed—a
Genera+ion season 2, Mau chatted with ELLE.com about the importance of visibility, and the power of knowing how to take up space.
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