5 Trans Women Who Played Important Transgender Roles on TV

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Over the past decade, we have seen many transgender roles on TV or big screen, But more often these roles have been played by cis actors like Jared Leto and Eddie Redmayne. But whenever producers cast a cisgender to play trans character, the character loses its power.

But now a days, transgender actors are taking on these roles and bringing visibility to the community. let’s take a look at some of the beautiful trans women portraying trans roles on TV.

1. Laverne Cox ( Orange is the New Black )

Laverne Cox, who plays ‘Sophia Bursett’ on the show ‘Orange is the New Black’. In this show she played a transgender inmate in a women’s prison.

Cox become the first openly transgender person to be nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for her role on this show. Cox was nominated for three Emmy awards for this role. Apart from acting she is an activist for transgender rights.

Also Read: 10 Most Beautiful Transgender Models

2. Nicole Maines ( Supergirl )

Nicole Maines is playing Nia Nal on TV show Supergirl. Nia is a young reporter at the media company CatCo. She is taken under the wing of fellow journalist and superhero Kara Danvers/Supergirl ( Played by Melissa Benoist). She is also the first transgender superhero.

On Supergirl, her superpower identity is Dreamer. Dreamer is an alien “precog” who can dream the future. Her dreams are premonitions of the near future. Later in the series we get to know that She and her family are from a planet called Naltor. Occasionally, this power manifests in the women of her family.

Read More about Nicole maines: TV’s First ‘Transgender Superhero’ Played by ‘Nicole Maines’ in SuperGirl

3. Jamie Clayton ( Sense 8 )

Jamie Clayton is known for her role as Nomi Marks on Netflix series “Sense 8.” In the series, Clayton plays a trans hacker. Besides acting, Clayton is an trans rights activist, and Breaking Barriers for trans visibility in Hollywood.

Talking about the issues trans people face on casting roles, “Actors who are trans never even get to audition for anything other than roles of trans characters,” she tweeted. “That’s the real issue. We can’t even get in the room. Cast actors who are trans as non-trans characters. I dare you.”

Also Read: ‘Sense8’ Actor Brian J. Smith Comes Out as Gay

4. Alexandra Billings ( Transparent )

Alexandra Billings is best known for her role as Davina on Amazon’s “Transparent.” While Transparent may have been more about Maura, But character ‘Davina’ played by Alexandra Billings is also something to look forward to also. She is Maura’s BFF and sister-in-arms. Being a transwoman she brings some weight to a show, and steals every scene she is in.

Besides being a gifted actor, but she is also a singer, educator, and HIV advocate.

Talking with HuffPost She spoke about cis-gendered people taking trans roles. She found it frustrating that the Jared Leto, who played a trans woman in movie “Dallas Buyers Club” and won an oscar for it, didn’t acknowledge the trans community in his acceptance speech at the Golden Globes.

Also Read: 5 Transgender Movies You Must Watch

5. Almost all of the main characters in POSE

Most of the characters on the show are trans women playing trans women. POSE is an American drama television series about New York City’s African-American and Latino LGBTQ and gender-nonconforming ballroom culture scene in the 1980s. At time when being trans was even more dangerous than it is today. When the LGBT community was at hign risk of getting HIV/AIDS when it was a death sentence.

The show boasts five transgender actors played by Mj Rodriguez (Blanca Rodriguez-Evangelista), Indya Moore (Angel Evangelista), Dominique Jackson (Elektra Abundance), Hailie Sahar (Lulu Abundance/Ferocity), and Angelica Ross (Candy Abundance/Ferocity).

POSE is so important, watch it as a form of education, as much as a form of entertainment.