10/18/2026
Have any of you followed her career over the years?
Comedian and actress Suzy Eddie Izzard spoke candidly about her mental health and gender identity earlier this year, revealing how living openly as a transgender person had helped her maintain a positive outlook on life.
The 64-year-old entertainer, who first came out in 1985 and began using she/her pronouns in 2020, made the comments during an interview published in February 2026, while discussing her career, personal experiences and an ambitious theatrical production of Shakespeare's Hamlet.
At the time, Izzard was appearing in Toronto, Canada, where she had taken on the challenge of portraying all 23 characters in a one-person adaptation of the famous tragedy.
The production required her to switch between male and female roles, something she felt reflected her own experiences of gender identity.
Speaking to Toronto Life, she explained: "As a trans person, I want to honour both the male and the female characters."
Her portrayal of Ophelia had been particularly well received, and she expressed satisfaction with the response from audiences.
"I’ve had great reactions to my Ophelia, which I’m very pleased about. I’ve been out as a trans person for 41 years now, and my mental health is strong because of it."
Izzard also shared the philosophy that had helped shape her approach to challenges throughout her life.
"Amid all the dishonesty in the world right now, what I say to people is, 'If you see a negative, do a double positive.'"
Reflecting on her ability to challenge expectations, she added: "One of my superpowers is that I look and sound quite ordinary, but I’m doing extraordinary things."
Born in Aden in 1962, Izzard grew up in Britain and went on to establish herself as one of the country's most recognisable comedians.
Her breakthrough came during the 1990s, when her distinctive approach to stand-up comedy, combining surreal observations, history and storytelling, earned her a devoted following.
She later expanded into television, film and theatre, appearing in a variety of dramatic and comedic roles while also becoming known for her charity fundraising and political activism.
Although comedy had been central to her success, Izzard had increasingly explored more serious acting opportunities.
During the February interview, she was asked whether her background in stand-up encouraged her to introduce humour into her interpretation of Hamlet.
"No, this is a drama," she replied.
"The grave-digging scene in Hamlet is very funny, as is the character Hamlet’s own wit. But this is a tragedy about a family and a country tearing itself apart, so don’t get the wrong end of the stick."
She also made clear that moving into dramatic theatre had not meant abandoning her comedy career.
"I have my comedy, and I can do it whenever I want to. I didn’t cauterise that."
The performer compared her ability to embrace different forms of entertainment with her decision to use both Suzy and Eddie as names.
"But it’s like how I’m named both Eddie and Suzy. I don’t have a dead name and I don’t have a dead career. Both can live."
Izzard publicly adopted the additional name Suzy in 2023, having previously explained that she had wanted to use it since she was around ten years old.
Her openness about gender identity had already been part of her public life for decades.
During a 2020 appearance on Sky Arts' Portrait Artist of the Year, she discussed her preference for female pronouns after being questioned by one of the participating artists.
"It feels great, because people just assume that ... well, they just know me from before. I'm gender fluid."
She continued: "I just want to be based in girl mode from now on. One life, live it well."
Those remarks became another significant moment in her long history of speaking openly about gender identity, particularly as conversations about transgender experiences received greater public attention.
Looking back at her February 2026 interview, Izzard's reflections offered an insight into the personal confidence she had developed since first coming out more than four decades earlier.
Her comments also highlighted how she viewed her career and identity as connected parts of the same life, rather than separate chapters that required her to leave the past behind.
