Actually, that’s not fair. Name any transgender actor you know of. Nah, don’t try Chaz Bono, he’s only famous for being Cher’s daughter and started his career as such. (Sorry if my using of pronouns is confusing!)
The reason I’m asking you to enlighten me on the subject is that I just read in the news that Scarlett Johansson has pulled out of ‘Rub&Tug’a movie project about a transgender mobster woman of the 1970-80. Sounds interesting, but I don’t really care if they make this movie or not. What triggered me is the reason - as you might’ve guessed, terrible backlash from the so-called transgender community. The part should be played by a transgender actor. We’ll just ignore the fact that acting is basically pretending to be someone else. That’s an actor job!
Well, I googled the subject and Wikipedia gave me a very short list of a handful of people, most of them considered actors for staring on YouTube videos or for being featured on some obscure LGBT documentary.
There are barely any transgender actors to choose from, yet God forbid a straight woman playing the part of a woman transitioning to a man.
Not only that, but Scarlett Johansson felt necessary to apologize for ever considering the part and announcing her decision to ‘respectfully withdraw’ from the project. I guess respectfully refers not to the studio or movie team, but of course to the mighty transgender community. Even more, she points out the terrible fact that ‘LGBTQ+ characters dropped 40% in 2017 from the previous year, with no representation of trans characters in any major studio release’.
I’ve been out most of the day and, since I was quite pissed with this nonsense, I looked very hard around me, see if I can spot these transgender that need representing in movies. I must have passed more than a thousand people, still I couldn’t see one. Must be because I live in a backwards country.
Since I did some research today, I came across this video debating the (non-)issue of transgender actors and their plight.
Just take a look and tell me if you’d like to see any of them in a movie!
Thanks for reading
So they want special consideration just because they are trans and not because they are good actors? As far as I know, actors playing the part of a criminal are not, in fact, criminals.
When whiners start whining, they have lost all credibility with me. At that point, you deserve no consideration. Start working toward what you want out of life and you may once again earn respect and consideration. Give it to you because you're feeling slighted and moaning about it?? That's an emphatic NO!
Hi, trans actress, writer, and director here.
While it would have been interesring to see Johannson's take on this part, as she is a fine actress, it comes down to who we are.
Trans people, almost by definition, are held to a nearly impossible standard. As a trans woman, I can't be too feminine or I'm just a fag. Nor can I be too masculine, or I'm a potential sex offender. It's a running theme that every trans person, actor or otherwise,are given the third degree by nearly everyone they encounter. Imagine meeting a stranger who only decides to treat you with respect or with cruelty, depending upon what's between your legs. Trust me, its no picnic.
From an actor's perspective, this is also a death knell. These trans actors go through the same schools, can say the same lines, and are just as valid as their cis gendered counterparts. However, nobody wants to cast trans people as anythinf other than an afterthought, for rhe same "whats in your pants"bullshit i mentioned before.
For an actor, a role is LIFE. That means they can pay their rent, buy groceries, you know, live like an actual PERSON. And if people like Johannson are soaking up roles that a trans person can play, then thats how many actors out of work.
Take the example of Zoe Saldana, who is effectively playing every prominent black woman you see. There are plenty of black actresses who are up and coming, and need a break. If Saldana hogs all the good parts, how is anyone going to know about anyone else?
Of all people, Dirty Harry said it best: "how the hell is someone supposed to get experience if nobody gives them a chance?"
I fail to get your point - on the one hand you complain people judge you by 'what's in your pants' , yet you demand that people like you get parts exactly based on 'what's in your pants'. Please make up your mind!
When actors go to an audition, I think they're supposed to say a few lines, not drop their pants...
That is exactly how it is supposed to work. An actor is assigned a part based on their ability, rather than who they are. In theory.
In practice, it's kind of become a circle-jerk, self-important cadre of people with more money than taste. Why else are we getting such a glut of unnecessary remakes and reboots, when they were done properly the first time?
And the point I was trying to make is that "what is in our pants" shouldnt matter. To casting directors, to potential employers, to anyone but a very select few of our social circle. (I could have expressed myself better, I apologize if my words got jumbled)
We're not asking for preferential treatment - at least, not collectively. There are some people out there - trans or otherwise - who want everything catered to them. But these are the exception, rather than the rule.
For the rest of us, we just want the same shot. So what if we miss? Then we can say we tried.