The casting of cisgender actors in transgender roles in two upcoming films have us scratching our heads and wondering if Hollywood will ever learn its lesson about letting trans actors portray themselves on the big screen.
E! Online reports that Les Misérables heartthrob Eddie Redmayne is set to play Danish painter Lili Elbe (who, in 1931, was the first trans woman to have sex reassignment surgery) in The Danish Girl. Redmayne says he has been busy researching the part, meeting with many trans women and hearing their stories. “I have put on dresses and wigs and makeup. I’m beginning to embark on that and trying to find out who she is.”
In addition, Elle Fanning is scheduled to play a trans boy in the indie drama Three Generations, which will also star Naomi Watts and Susan Sarandon. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the film tells the story of Ray, a New York City teen who transitions from female to male, and his single mother, who struggles to come to terms with raising her only daughter as a son.
The casting of Fanning, 16, has already received criticism from transgender rights advocates who believe performers from their community should be getting a fair shot at these parts. But despite the success of Orange Is the New Black‘s Laverne Cox, it seems Hollywood still has a lot of work to do regarding trans visibility. With more and more films and television shows depicting characters who are transgender, one would expect there to be an equal rise in opportunities for trans performers. But for the most part, this does not seem to be the case. With the notable exception of Orange‘s Sophia, most trans roles still go to cis actors.
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
Scroll down for a look at some noteworthy portrayals of transgender people onscreen, some lauded, some blasted.
John Lithgow, The World According to Garp (1982)
The actor told The Huffington Post that to play the part of former football player Roberta Muldoon, he “just decided to underplay everything [and] make her a perfectly normal person — in fact, a person who is utterly unaffected.” Lithgow, who earned an Academy Award nomination for his work, called the character’s self-actualization “revolutionary.”
Rebecca Romijn, Ugly Betty (2007-2008)
Having based her character in part on some of her transgender friends, Romijn took a delicate approach when creating the role of conniving Alexis Meade. “I would never, ever, ever want to insult or offend,” the actress told Marie Claire. “The role is going to open itself up to people’s jokes — I mean, that’s just the way it is. But I want to make everybody aware that I am not the unofficial spokesperson for the transgender community.”
Ted Levine, The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
Much criticism was hurled at the Oscar-winning film for its perceived demonizing of trans people. Not only was the character of Buffalo Bill a serial killer, which was perceived as a direct response to mainstream society’s transphobia, many felt it portrayed trans people as perverts, which then embedded the notion into the minds of moviegoers worldwide. The film’s director, Jonathan Demme, later acknowledged his “directorial failing” in the handling of the character.
Hilary Swank, Boys Don’t Cry (1999)
While Swank’s portrayal of trans man Brandon Teena earned the actress an Academy Award, she angered Teena’s real-life family by referring to her character as “he” during her acceptance speech. Trans activists, however, applauded the actress’s use of the pronoun.
Cathy Moriarty, Soapdish (1991)
Scheming opportunist Montana Morehead, a buxom blonde who plays on her considerable assets to advance her career as a soap star, is revealed to be a transgender woman during a live broadcast. However, the scene’s punchline (Garry Marshall gasping “She’s a boy!”) elicited plenty of groans from transgender moviegoers.
Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club (2013)
Despite critical praise for his performance as Rayon, a trans woman battling drug addiction and AIDS, Leto was heckled at a film festival by a trans woman who called out his accolades as “trans-misogyny.” Leto countered that by insisting only trans performers play trans characters, “you’ve made sure people that are gay, people that aren’t straight, people like the Rayons of the world would never have the opportunity to turn the tables and explore parts of that art.”
Felicity Huffman, Transamerica (2005)
Huffman received acclaim for her portrayal of Bree, a transgender woman who embarks on a journey with a son she didn’t know she had. But many viewers balked, calling the film cissexist and decrying its reinforcement of stereotypes.
Glenn Close, Albert Nobbs (2011)
While not transgender in the traditional sense, Glenn Close’s portrayal of a woman who lives as a man in order to find work in 19th century Dublin opened a dialogue about gender identity and a person’s right to self-identification, which led all the way to the red carpet. The film was nominated for three Academy Awards and a GLAAD Media Award, among many others.
RiBrad
Without the “star power” of Eddie Redmayne or Elle Fanning, these films would never get made. It’s true across the wider film industry these days, stars green-light films. There is a very shallow pool of experienced trans actors to even audition from and as for trans stars? Well you mentioned her already: Laverne Cox. And obviously Laverne isn’t going to be right for every trans role. I think we should be happy that trans stories are being told in mainstream films and stop demanding that only trans people can play the roles. Do we next demand that gays only play gays, straights only play straights, mothers only play mothers etc etc?
Ms Urethra Johnson
…And straight roles should ONLY be portrayed by straight actors… and STOP using that hidious word: cis-whatever it’s WAY more offending then “spornosexual”. If you want to wrap yourself in Post-it LABELS, have at it gurl…Leave us more-than-just-sexual faggots alone.
nf0603
Thanks to the trans police, we will never get another movie like Mrs. Doubtfire or Tootsie because it might offend having a “cis” (goddamn I hate that word and loved when South Park made fun of it) actor play a role of a guy who dresses as a woman.
Caine
thank you nf0603 you took the words right out of my mouth. trans police – I love it. hollywood doesn’t have to learn ANYTHING on the issue. Actors Act. gotta go, I think i have she-mail.
aliengod
@nf0603: I agree with you. These new gender terms are ridiculous. And the “trans police” need to go. Their over-the-top pc makes me wish they’d find a new group to latch onto. LGB has nothing to do with T.
Seems like every move we make these days is being policed by one group or another. It’s laughable, but on the news today was a story about how DirecTV is catching hell because in their new commercial Rob Lowe plays a nerd who is pee-shy. The International Parureses Association (apparently paruresis means pee-shy) has demanded they stop the commercial because it’s insulting to them. Thankfully, DirecTV refused.
Chris
Hollywood already knows: It’s about money. To argue that ANY trans-person has the drawing power that these actors have stretches credulity. ….. And to those who argue it’s about artistic integrity, the eyes roll heavenward with the response: When will they learn…. Oh yeah, just because a few people get upset does not mean that something is either an artistic or a financial failure; it just means that you can’t please everyone.
demented
The ugly fact is that there are no trans stars large enough to get a movie about trans people made. It is unfair, but getting a movie about trans people made with a cis star is better than nothing… which is what you’ll get otherwise.
As for the movie mentions, I believe Buffalo Bill wasn’t actually supposed to be transgender. He seemed more like an Ed Gein clone.
And I’m amazed you didn’t mention Terence Stamp’s beautiful and hilarious role as Bernadette Bassenger.
bbg372
@demented: Dr. Lector explains in the film that Buffalo Bill is not trans: “Billy hates his own identity, you see, and he thinks that makes him a transsexual.”
tardis
Well, Exodus is starring white actors with slaves being compromised of colored actors.
demented
@bbg372: Ah thank you. 🙂 I couldn’t remember the exact quote, but that was it.
vklortho
I thought Rebecca Romijn was absolutely amazing in Ugly Betty. Her and Carmen from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia are really the only trans portrayals in media I actually like. I dislike that they hired a cis man to play the role of a trans woman(I wish they would at least compromise and cast a cis woman), but I have long ago learned that Oscar bait gets made based on radical transformations so I just have to accept that baiters gonna bait.
Vince Smetana
“Hollywood still has a lot of work to do regarding trans visibility.” Queerty still has a lot of work to do with understanding how entertainment gets made.
@bbg372:
Hannibal Lector was also a liar.
Clarice Starling: “There’s no correlation between transsexualism and violence. – Transsexuals are very passive.”
IvanPH
So only straight actors for straight roles? Oh puhlease, stop whining transpolice.
Crov
DOn’t forget Chloe Sevigny in the British miniseries Hit and Miss.
QJ201
Being trans auditioning a trans role requires some talent aside from successfully transitioning.
Candis Cayne, loved her as an NYC nightlife performer, and yes she was the first trans actress playing a trans role in Primetime TV, but GURL….did you take acting lessons from Madonna?
BJ McFrisky
Yeah, right. And men have a legitimate complaint because Linda Hunt played a man in “The Year of Living Dangerously.”
restoretherainbow
It’s incredibly disappointing when LGBT actors are not given the chance to play LGBT characters. What compelling reference does a straight actor have that would make their rendering of an LGBT character more substantial? In reality, it’s the LGBT actor who knows the nooks and crannies of our world and would have a far more authentic and powerful reference point for fleshing out the dimensions of an LGBT person. Sadly, it comes down to studio leadership or lack thereof. The entertainment industry lost it’s innovation a generation ago and all we have left is Michael Bay, reboots and formulaic shlock.
bbg372
@Vince Smetana: Dr. Lecter is not a liar. Everything he told Clarice was true. He simply made her work to get it.
Dr. Lecter: Billy is not a real transsexual. But he thinks he is. He tries to be. . . . Billy hates his own identity, you see, and he thinks that makes him a transsexual.
AxelDC
Exactly how many transgender celebrities do you think there are? Actors are actors because they can play roles, not because they fit their identities.
Honestly, how dare you ask people to accept transgendered people and then criticize them for showing their support in a major film. Felicity Huffman did an amazing job in Transamerica, which did more for transgendered PR than anything else they have done for themselves the past decade.
Please don’t call me “cisgender”. I find the term offensive and I don’t like being labeled any more than you do.
Rick
I HAVE A NEWSFLASH FOR YOU QUEERTY: Hollywood is in the business of MAKING MONEY, honey. I do agree that transgender actors should play trans roles….so audition them; as many as you can find. Until the fucking cows come home, audition them! But if they can’t act, sweetie, THEY CAN NOT ACT. Hence, a “name” gets used in the film. It’s not rocket science. I’d rather see a cisgender (oh my FUCK, that’s a hideous word) actor play a roll WELL than see a transgender actor mutilate it. But that’s just me.
demented
@Vince Smetana: Actually, he wasn’t the only one to say that. In a scene deleted from the theatrical movie (it was on the DVD) Crawford and a surgeon have a discussion about the topic.
OzJosh
If you’ve ever wondered why a British, American or Australian actor might be cast to play, say, a South African or a New Zealander, here’s the answer: even though South Africa or New Zealand might seem to be developed countries with their own theatre, film and TV, the pool of genuinely good, not to mention movie-star charismatic actors in those territories is actually exceedingly small. In NZ Australian actors are often cast to play leading men, because the local pool of leading men is, to put it kindly, less than impressive. I’m sure the local actors disagree, and I’ve no doubt they’re extremely annoyed about it. But that’s the cold, hard commercial reality. Now apply the same logic to transgender actors. What exactly is the available pool of experienced transgender actors? What is their experience? Are they going to be able to carry a multi-million dollar film. So until there is talent like that available trans roles will just have to be played by other actors. The alternative is not telling trans stories at all, ever. And the obvious corollary of insisting that only trans actors play trans roles is that only straight actors should play straight roles – thereby dooming all gay actors to only ever playing gay characters. Now is that a good idea?
jmmartin
@RiBrad: Precisely. Thank you.
Uppity
@OzJosh: Thank you! A voice of common sense. If any of the critics can cite at least three trans actors of the right age, race and experience to play the Redmayne and Fanning roles, please enlighten us. People outside the industry seem to think anyone can just walk onto a set and be an actor. It’s like when Jared Leto copped criticism for being hired for Dallas Buyers Club; the producers were too polite to say it, but essentially that was an extremely tightly budgeted film shot at breakneck speed with no room for fuck ups. You don’t put an inexperienced player in that environment. It’s no different from any highly professional workplace.
stranded
A transgender woman is a biological male so why is it so offensive to have a male actor play a trans woman? It would be perferable to have a trans female actor but being trans isn’t enough and being a good actor isn’t enough. You got to have a name and the talent. I guess i’m not sensitive to this issue. I try and think about in terms of race, but I can’t see it as the same.
VampDC
It’s called ACTING. And i think there’s actually a great social improvement when an actor or actress people love takes on a gay or trans role because it shows people…hey if actor X is that open to trying new things, maybe i should too.
Mykaels
Fine. Laverne Cox can only play trans roles from now on. She may never, ever play a female role.
Neil Patrick Harris can only play gay roles. He can never play a straight male again.
Eric McCormick may only play straight roles. He may never play a gay role again.
There. Satisfied? Wow, progress sure looks…bigoted.
bnard620
@OzJosh: thank you, cause this is common sense that a lot people seem to ignore