'Spud' actor Troye Sivan fights HIV stigma in his first big-movie role

SA-born Australian pop singer and actor Troye Sivan, whose YouTube videos and music have inspired a generation of young LGBTQI+ people, wants his first major film role to combat ignorance about HIV/Aids.

In Three Months Sivan plays 17-year-old Caleb who is exposed to HIV after a one-night stand on the eve of his high school graduation.

The film details the shame and anxiety Caleb experiences while waiting three months for his diagnosis. Medical guidelines require 12 weeks from exposure to be 100% certain.

Set in 2011, when a positive diagnosis was no longer a death sentence but fear and ignorance remained rife, the film explores the lingering stigma faced by people living with HIV.

“I think there’s a lot of, not necessarily misinformation, but kind of ignorance [about HIV],” Sivan told the Thomson Reuters Foundation in a video call from Los Angeles.

“I would love it if this movie plays a part in getting rid of the stigma about HIV/Aids and educates people that with access to healthcare, this is no longer a death sentence.”

The 26-year-old star rose to prominence after joining YouTube in 2007, coming out as gay in 2013 and becoming known for his music, personable nature and collaborations with other YouTubers. He has more than 7.5-million subscribers.

Sivan released his debut album Blue Neighbourhood in 2015. His second, Bloom, in 2018 peaked at No 4 on the US album charts. He is one of the most streamed artists of all time on Spotify (Top 200) with more than 5-billion streams.

Sivan has had smaller roles in the SA teen drama Spud and Hollywood blockbuster X-Men.

Three Months, which is due to be released on February 23 on the Paramount+ streaming platform, marks his first major lead role.

For the film’s writer and director, Jared Frieder, Sivan was the obvious choice.

“I always thought of Troye for this role,” Frieder said in a video interview, adding that he started writing the script when Troye was rising to fame on YouTube.

Changing times

Sivan was born in SA and raised in Australia. He splits his time between Los Angeles in the US and Melbourne in Australia.

Sivan said he was never schooled on LGBTQI+ issues or HIV/Aids while growing up.

“During sex education at school, I was never taught about HIV specifically. Gay sex was never spoken about.”

There were also few openly LGBTQI+ characters on screen.

“When I was growing up, I remember the two, maybe three times I saw queer stories on TV and film. I remember it being a very formative experience.

“Those were rare moments I remember felt so private to me that I was ‘I need to watch this in the middle of the night’.”

Frieder said he hoped Three Months would help fill the gap for LGBTQI+ people growing up wherever they are in the world.

“I want people to feel less alone. If this movie helps children see themselves on screen, especially queer children, that would be the joy of my life.”

Thomson Reuters Foundation