It’s Just A Matter Of Time Until There’s A Pool Of Bankable Transgender Actors, Says Susan Sarandon

I look forward to the day when there’s a pool of bankable transgender people that could act. I don’t know if I was transgender that I would only be wanting to play transgender people. I would think that I would want to be playing a woman or a man and not a trans man or a trans woman. I can’t think of very many actresses at that age who are bankable or good enough to pull that off that are not trans, so I think we were so lucky to get Elle. But I think it would be fabulous […] I don’t like to get into that argument because what does that mean, that I should be upset at all the gay women that took my parts? You can go on and on, but I think it would be great down the line. Certainly in the modeling world, you have a lot of trans people that are working. 

So I would hope that the emphasis would not be on that conversation, but would be on whether or not we did a good job and Elle did a good job bringing you in, and making you empathize with this person and treated that person with respect and dignity. That that would be where the conversation would go. But let’s hope the day comes when there’s a pool of trans actors that could be going up for all kinds of things. I would hope to continue to get parts that are written for women my age that don’t go to someone 30 years younger, and I would hope there are more minorities that are in all kinds of parts that aren’t just prostitutes, and, you know what I mean? There’s a lot that could be changed in casting to represent the world. So we’ll see. I think right now the issue is very early on.”