As its title suggests, Netflix’s Kaos is rife with the kind of scheming and power struggles only Greek myth can realize. But the atmosphere behind the scenes, for the queer cast at least, couldn’t be more wholesome. Two trans stars have recently opened up about their experience on set and the queer representation the series champions.

Like nonbinary creator Charlie Covell’s earlier Netflix outing,The End of the F***ing World, their latest series is a black comedy about misfits coping with it all. Kaos kicks off when Zeus (Jeff Goldblum) discovers a wrinkle in his forehead and grows paranoid, believing that the wrinkle is a sign his reign will end. Meanwhile, three mortals discover mysterious connections to one another and get involved in an insidious plot concerning the gods.

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While many elements of classical mythology have been updated for a modern take, the Greek gods are still as queer as they were back then. A particular example are the three fates—Atropos, Lachesis and Clotho—all played by queer actors Sam Buttery, Suzy Izzard and Ché.

In an interview with PinkNews, Buttery described how Covell fostered a welcoming and collaborative environment. “It was really great to have everyone in a space where you could feel differently from day to day,” Buttery said. “Charlie then changed the pronouns of the character in the script to now align with the pronouns that I was using. I just think that is just such a gift to have someone like that.”

Buttery also had nothing but praise for her trans costar Suzy Izzard, who acted as a kind of mentor on her gender journey. “Sometimes people would use he instead of she, and Suzy would say: ‘Oh, sorry, didn’t they let you know? I’ve been promoted. I’m now ‘she’,” Buttery recalled.

“She was just so gracious with it. She’s been great at equipping people with great phrases. I used it myself, but when people come up to her and say, ‘Why are you wearing women’s clothes?’ She said, ‘They’re not women’s clothes. They’re my clothes.’ It’s such a good comeback.”

Trans masc actor Misia Butler portrays Caeneus, a human who was born female and transformed into a man after being raped by the god Poseidon. For Butler, this mythical figure has long held a special significance. “I learned about the character in school, so I’m like, even more obsessed,” he told Radio Times.

“To just experience such incredible writing that really allows for a trans masculine character to have such, well, character outside of their identity is really special. I think that it doesn’t happen so often and I feel very blessed for that.”

Recalling a scene from early on in his audition, Butler recognized the broader impact of trans representation through a personal lens. “I just know that if I was watching this scene as a child, as the child that I was,” he said, “I would feel immeasurably seen and just have had a much stronger experience because I would have been represented in such a strong way.”

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