‘Cis’ actors playing trans characters. Males actors getting away with doing it whilst female actors apologise for thinking about it

[RaPumPumPumPum]

Watching Dallas Buyers Club and idly wondered if Jared Leto ever got any stick for playing a trans woman. All Google could throw up was he was heckled by a person once. He’s never been questioned or criticised for it and certainly has never made an apology for it.

Then I remembered Scarlett Johannsen apologising a few years ago for just considering playing a trans man. Halle Berry also dropped out a project to play a trans man and apologised. Both heavily criticised, harassed on social media and ‘called out’.

I can’t think why people attack women for thinking about playing a trans character, but don’t even say anything to men for actually doing it. It’s almost like they’re trying to control what women do, what they say and how they feel

I can’t think why people attack women for thinking about playing a trans character, but don’t even say anything to men for actually doing it. It’s almost like they’re trying to control what women do, what they say and how they feel

It’s almost like the trans rights movement is a men’s rights movement. If it wasnt, the focus would be on gaining rights for transmen.

Eddie Redmayne, Danish Girl.

@Aroundtheworldin80moves

Eddie Redmayne, Danish Girl.

He got away with it, until he defended JK Rowling. Then the blades of retrospective cancellation came out.

I've been watching Money Heist and there is a woman playing a trans identified man in the show, I believe she was criticised for taking that role too.

Julie Hesminhalgh apologised for playing Hayley Cropper.

Do any of those people identify as cis?

Fact is women can't do anything unless men, transwomen included approve.

Patriarchy has changed the dress code but it's still Patriarchy it's just woke now.

I'm sure Julie H does

Kind of feel for anyone who has an extra barrier to succeeding in that industry, but yy to the imbalance re female performers.

Has anyone been at Julianne Moore (I think) for Transamerica, or Terence Stamp for Priscilla? Guess it's too long ago.

Felicity Huffman not Julianne Moore. Actually I don't know if Felicity Huffman is trans.

Oh blimey! No she isn't, but she's the college scandal woman who went to prison.

Is it OK for trans actors to be given parts as non-trans characters, though? Surely they're limiting their roles if they can only ever play their own gender....

Re: Terence Stamp - there was a furore about the casting of a recent tour of the musical. Lots of apologies and promises to "do better", etc IIRC. So it's a grievance that's really only popped up in the last few years.

Think Jeffrey Tambor got a lot of kudos out of Transparent until he didn't and had to bow out.

Have read USA acting approach different from here.

USA approach is it's necessary to relate to character in whatever way.

I assume this is what leads to USA films seem to have actors who play exactly the same character (play themselves) in every single role.

There was quite a fuss when Julie Hesmondhalgh was cast in Corrie

That's nearly 25 years ago - but Classic has been showing her early episodes in the last few months

Are we getting to the stage that people can only play themselves on stage and screen?

I saw an interesting conversation with Danny Miller from Emmerdale on IACGMOOH. He's been playing a gay character for years. I've never seen it, but apparently it's (currently) ok for a straight man to play a gay man on a soap. I wonder how long that will be acceptable. Interestingly when I googled "Danny from Emmerdale" the first thing that came up was "is he gay?"

The upshot of this will be terrible actors in terrible films which we wont want to see.

It appears that new wave feminism has resulted in the removal of spine

Surely if transwomen ARE women, then a woman could play one.

I do get that making a living as a trans performer can't be easy and it must be frustrating when a part comes up that you're uniquely qualified for and someone else who isn't as qualified gets it.

@PermanentTemporary

I do get that making a living as a trans performer can't be easy and it must be frustrating when a part comes up that you're uniquely qualified for and someone else who isn't as qualified gets it.

Although i agree with you…that pretty much describes every actor ever

Patriarchy has changed the dress code but it's still Patriarchy

Beautifully put

I saw an interesting conversation with Danny Miller from Emmerdale on IACGMOOH. He's been playing a gay character for years. I've never seen it, but apparently it's (currently) ok for a straight man to play a gay man on a soap. I wonder how long that will be acceptable. Interestingly when I googled "Danny from Emmerdale" the first thing that came up was "is he gay?"

I think Russell T Davies said recently that he will only be casting gay actors to play gay characters. A lot of people agreed with him on Twitter, but there was some disagreement from gay actors, such as James Dreyfus and Neil Patrick Harris who said it was a daft idea as the whole point of acting is, well, to act.

Are we getting to the stage that people can only play themselves on stage and screen?

I think a lot of theatres have recently committed to only casting trans characters in trans roles. Gets them a bit of good press anyway (that is probably disproportionate to the number of roles out there) but hey as long as they're seen to be doing something, innit.

I get the rage every time I see Eddie Redmayne’s face advertising Cabaret.

He, an able-bodied ‘cis’ man played Stephen Hawkins, the trans person in The Danish Girl and now a gender non conforming / camp part in Cabaret …. and he was one of the key denouncers of JKR.

I believe actors act. But also that they shouldn’t be discriminated against. The film industry is guilty of wanting everyone beautiful, young, thin and flawless.