THE BEAUTIFUL IN-BETWEEN

THE BEAUTIFUL IN-BETWEEN
'An Unapologetic Conversation on Identity, Power, and Presence'
Exclusive Interview with Darwin Del Fabro
Featured in 'Innerviews'
Hosted by Allié McGuire

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​There are some stories that aren’t just told—they’re lived, rewritten, and embodied. Sitting down with Darwin Del Fabro felt less like an interview and more like a shared moment of reflection between two people who’ve spent time on the margins, now meeting in the middle with open hearts. In this conversation, Darwin speaks not only as an artist but as a trans woman who is still becoming—truthfully, powerfully, and unapologetically.

ALLIÉ: Let’s start by talking about growing up. Growing up, I always felt like I was orbiting around the edges of things but never quite landing. I’ve learned to see that as a kind of gift, but it took time. So my first question for you is this: was there a moment when what made you feel different started to feel like a power instead of isolation?

DARWIN: Interesting. I think the power and the isolation are all together. Sometimes isolation gives you power. Since I was young, I started to have feelings and thoughts. I began singing when I was three. I always had the support of my family, but as I used to say, some journeys require solitude. Those are the moments you start to find yourself. When you stop listening to others’ voices and others’ constructions or ideas of who you will be, and instead ask yourself, Who do I want to be?—that’s where strength appears. For me, that came early on. It took a process, a moment, to build the person I am today. But the strength was always there.

​ALLIÉ: I love you saying that sometimes this journey requires moments of solitude, giving you the space to listen to yourself rather than to those outside of you. You know, there are roles we take on in life—roles I’ve taken on not on a stage, but in real life—that felt less like choices and more like truths finally allowed to breathe. So I’m curious, has there ever been a character or performance where you thought: This is a piece of me that I’ve never been able to show until now?

DARWIN: Right now, Lily—the play I’m doing. Putting myself there as a writer and owning the narrative of my own story, there’s nothing more powerful than that.

I was just talking with a friend yesterday about how privileged I am to be in New York, living with the arts I adore and sustaining myself with them. That’s not the reality for most trans women in the world. The average life expectancy for a trans woman is 35 years old. Many of us leave school early, afraid of the world, and often our only option is sex work. So there is a risk, an urgency, that I fortunately don’t experience in the same way. With the privilege I have, and the time that privilege gives, I started writing this play—trying to tell our story, at least my story, as a version of what I hope inspires others.

Looking back, most of the works I’ve done were on different journeys, but I was always defending the same thing. There was always queerness involved.

When I did They/Them, it was the first time a non-binary kid was the protagonist of a slasher movie. I was so proud to be part of that. Before that, in Brazil—the place with the highest murder rate of trans women—I performed Lili Elbe: Transformations when I was just 14. I first got Lili’s diaries at 13. That story inspired me to educate and tell her truth.
For me, art and life are always mixed together. Each character becomes part of me. And as an actor, even when the script isn’t there, I try to bring myself to the role.

Here in America, they’re not writing Brazilian roles for trans women—it’s so specific. So you have to invent, or exchange with writers and directors, to see if they’ll open the door to a little more diversity.

ALLIÉ: Yes. I love how you put that—it made me think about how often it is art imitating life, life imitating art. That space between them feels so real and so true.

DARWIN: Yes, but it’s also a challenge. Since I was young, I created excuses not to see problems. I was always working, grateful to be working in Brazil. Then, when I moved to America, I had to learn English—I couldn’t speak a word nine years ago. There were challenges, barriers, and goals. But I also realized strength can be tricky. You can bury yourself in work. I lived at the beach in Brazil and Panama but never went, saying I didn’t like the sun. That wasn’t true—I was just hiding.

I never dated for ten years. Why? Because I was always working. Sometimes strength masks vulnerability. But vulnerability is powerful and beautiful. That’s what theater brings us—it’s life, not perfect. Mistakes happen on stage. That is the magic. I don’t want perfection; I want sincerity and truth.

​ALLIÉ: That’s beautiful. And I love how you share that realization: Here I am on the beach, but I don’t go to the beach because I’m working. Sometimes work becomes the safe place we hide in.

DARWIN: Exactly. And there is strength in that, too. But the reality is, Brazil has been the most dangerous country for trans women for 13 consecutive years. Transitioning meant choosing a life full of problems—with business, friendships, healthcare. But we keep fighting because we want to be the truest version of ourselves. There’s nothing more empowering.

I used to be private, but now I think—2025 is here, elections happened, gender questions are everywhere—I want to look back in 5 or 10 years and say: I did my part. I showed beauty on the stage, truthfully.

ALLIÉ: Yes—showing up in truth, authentically you. That takes strength.

DARWIN: And we need to demystify things. If you’re not trans, don’t be afraid to touch the subject. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. I’m Darwin—I believe in evolution. I will keep trying to become a better version of myself. I’ll make mistakes. Let’s connect, let’s make mistakes together, and have sympathy—for ourselves and for others.

ALLIÉ: Yes. But let’s talk about labels. They almost make me itch. I’ve always found more truth in the in-betweens—not this, not that, but something else. You move through those spaces with so much grace. How have you found peace—and maybe even power—in that in-between space?

DARWIN: I think we’re always in between if we’re vulnerable and open. That’s the magic. Part of me is still the boy from Rio who gave me strength. And part of me is the woman I’ve become. I’m a mix of all my experiences.

I had the support of my dad—my best friend—who told me, Go, I’m here. Share everything with me. That gave me the courage to plan my transition: two years, seven surgeries. I had to prepare, to feel safe and supported.

Labels? Sometimes they’re important, but they depend on each person’s journey. Same with stereotypes—there’s always some truth, but how do we build from there? Cinema and theater influenced me deeply, but I had to deconstruct and rebuild myself.

I’m still searching, still writing roles that inspire people. We need more diversity—because the world is diverse. That’s why I live in New York. It’s a small place where everyone interacts, where cultures collide. I hope to see that diversity reflected more in movies, series, and theater.

​ALLIÉ: Yes. The beauty of cinema and theater is stepping out of yourself and into someone else’s reality. Then, when you come back to yourself, you bring something new with you—strength, perspective, insight.

​DARWIN: Exactly. That’s what Lili gave me. When I first read her diary at 13, I didn’t know who I would become, but I knew I wasn’t alone. There’s a passage where she writes:

Dear future self,
I wonder who you’ll be when you read this.
Will you be happy?
Will you be at peace?
Will you have found the courage to embrace everything you are?
I hope so.
I hope you’ll look back at this moment and see it for what it is--
a beginning, a declaration, a promise never to give up on yourself.

When I read that, I was moved to tears. Even if she lived in Denmark in 1933, her words gave me strength.

ALLIÉ: Thank you for sharing that passage. I don’t know if you can see, but I actually have goosebumps on my arm.
One more thing before we go. Sometimes I meet people who are still waiting for permission to be themselves. If one of them is sitting with us here right now, what would you tell them—not as Darwin, but as you?

DARWIN: I don’t like the word permission. We don’t need permission to be ourselves. We just need to remove the layers. It’s a challenging journey, and everyone’s reality is different. But the one thing I would say is this: You are beautiful.

It took me so long to find beauty in myself. When I finally did, I started seeing a much more beautiful world. Find beauty in yourself, and then embrace the world with that beauty.

Yes, there is hate, yes, people will challenge you—but keep searching for happiness, for beauty in yourself and in others. And protect yourself, because the world isn’t always kind. But conversations like this? They’re beautiful. ∎

Find & follow Darwin on Instagram:
​@darwindelfabro