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Interesting, and somewhat sympathetic, article in the NY Times today:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/31/movies/new-roles-for-trans...
Discuss.
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Comments
Like the man says
transgender characters tend to be played by non-transgender actors, who perhaps do amazingly well, it's a bit like having someone black-up rather than use a black actor, when there are some available.
The drag queen or porno-image, or the victim in films tends to be our lot, and while these elements do exist, they don't represent the majority of MtF trannies.
The film Gunhill looks quite thought provoking in suggesting transsexuals may be real people after all - there's a revelation!
Angharad
Angharad
Public Recognition
It's interesting that you raise the issue of actors in blackface. I can't help wondering, if like there, when minorities get to depict themselves in film, if the public recognition factor doesn't lead to some additional degree of acceptance.
The example of Charlie Chan also comes to mind, back in a day when Chinese characters in film were often caricatures. He, too, was played by a white actor.
Somehow, appearing on the credits in a major motion picture offers a form of legitimization in the public psyche. In a much earlier time, a woman appearing on the stage amongst men was scandalous and horrible assumptions were made. There was a gradual symbiosis of audience and performers until the professionalism and humanity of the stage actress was no longer questioned. That took perhaps over a century from when it started. Film has been much quicker. Blacks, Chinese, Native Americans and other minority and ethnic groups got their opportunities in rapid succession in the 20th century. The last decade has largely normalized the gay and lesbian actor in the public's mind.
It would be nice to think that transgendered characters and performers can and will go this same path, and that it's starting.
___________________
If a picture is worth 1000 words, this is at least part of my story.
I'm not real
"The film Gunhill looks quite thought provoking in suggesting transsexuals may be real people after all - there's a revelation!"
I'm not real I'm a figment of my own overactive imagination. (giggle)
Lizzie :P
Bailey's Angel
The Godmother :p
Transgender Actresses -- New York Times Story
There is the Transamerica (film) that might be of interest, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transamerica_%28film%29
May Your Light Forever Shine
May Your Light Forever Shine
I've mentioned this before...
...Candis Cayne portrayed Billy Baldwin's transsexual mistress in Dirty Sexy Money on ABC a few years ago.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Candis_Cayne
As far as Transamerica goes, it remains an oddity, and still didn't stray too far afield, acting wise, since the 'trans-woman' was portrayed by Felicity Huffman. The thing about it is that producers want to make money, and very rarely take risks, which sends a signal to writers and directors that if they want to get their stories on the screen, it's better to play safe. The way to break the mold still remains independent pictures; 'independent' television is almost non-existent. So it's two steps forward vs. one step back for the TS community in regard to accurate portrayals that deal with serious drama as opposed to stereotypical comedies or 'genetic' women playing ts women.
Of course, a good read as a companion piece to Pippa's great blog is Julian Denver by Paula Dillon. A excellent story with promise for the future for the performing arts. Thanks to Pippa and Paula both.
Dio vi benedica tutti
Con grande amore e di affetto
Andrea Lena
Love, Andrea Lena
Got halfway thru "Ticked-Off Trannies w/ Knives"
...tonite before I had to give up. I don't think this movie deserves the notoriety that GLAAD's protest gave it, without their outcry it would probably be forgotten by next week. I don't think TRANNIES will color people's view of the transgendered any more than ACE VENTURA impacted the conservation or animal-rights movements. And if only it was as funny as ACE VENTURA. Or THE LOVE GURU, or PAULY SCHORR FUCKS A WATERMELON. I got as far as I did because it seemed to promise John Waters style outrageous humor, and I don't think every film has to be a deliberate public consciousness-raiser, but the only thing marginally funny here was the less scripted sounding banter between the drag performers (not sure if they identified as women or gay men but they used feminine pronouns with each other and the characters' femme personae seemed like more than just their stage act...). There might have been a decent comedy about their lives, but instead they went for the shock value of a violent exploitation flick (with bad-splice editing jumps and simulated scratchy lines like on a worn film print, derivative of GRINDHOUSE in case you didn't get the joke from the bad lighting and their wooden acting). I got thru the jarringly ugly attack on three trannies by a trio of jeering hateful transphobes---I won't spoil it too much for you but someone dies, laying the groundwork for what I assume will be the drawn out revenge sequence, full of hilarious castrations---but what made me turn it off was the Kill Bill/Karate Kid/etc. spoof of the trannies' martial arts training at some farmhouse or someplace in a zen-ish golden light. The sophomoric humor in this scene was even more painful than the bloody hair-caked baseball bat in the previous chapter, and my pain threshhold finally gave out...
~~hugs (I NEED them), Veronica
And remember...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifLqzLEB3E0
I think there are several fairly famous stealth TS actresses.
And it's possible that there are ones that not even I suspect! (laff at self)
There were rumors around 1990 that Dr. Biber (Stanley of Trinidad, CO) did GRS on a known actress under super secret conditions. (I can't remember if the rumorers said where or not.)
The one I'm more or less most sure of is Daryl Hannah. I was just viewing images of her from Blade Runner. This is not proof that she's TS, but either make-up artists on BR put male looking "facial putty" on her face to masculinize her features, along with the heavy make-up, or she had facial feminization surgery soon after. Other than that, I just think she looks M2F and looked it more in BR.
Hugs and Bright Blessings,
Renee
Ready for work, 1992.
Hugs and Bright Blessings,
Renee