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Identifying as a trans person comes with a lot of harmful stigmas that continue to make representation and inclusion all the more difficult — but seeing yourself represented on screen is one of the ways to combat those ideas. Especially when those trans people are absolutely thriving.
Even with the increase in anti-trans laws and rhetoric, there are plenty of Hollywood celebrities that not only bring trans representation to the forefront but also use their platforms to advocate for more equality in the world for everybody.
It's always great when Hollywood winds up actually casting trans actors to take on trans roles, and these 20 actors are not only slaying the roles they're in, but advocating for their rights by utilizing their ever-growing platforms.
You may know Jinkx Monsoon as The Queen of All Queens of RuPaul's Drag Race,but this comedy genius has hardly scratched the surface of what her talent can bring us. You can catch her in the upcoming season of Doctor Who.Doctor Who.Outside of that, she's constantly performing with other RuPaul favorite BenDeLaCreme, and their holiday specials are always available for streaming.
Hunter Schaefer is quickly becoming a Hollywood icon after crushing her performance in Euphoria and leading the pack in The Hunger Games prequel. Catch her in the upcoming production of Mother Maryand literally slaying every single runway she ever sets her foot on. Seriously, though, how is it even legally possible for anybody to be this fierce?
Miss Benny made some major waves after starring in Netflix's Glamorous and coming out as trans in a moving essay. She doesn't quite have any new film projects coming out just yet, but she's hardly begun stepping into the spotlight and it's only a matter of time before she shines even brighter.
Ts Madison has slowly gained popularity over the last few years in appearances like Bros and Zola. Catch her in upcoming episodes of Hush and Trans-Me. Outside of that, in producing her reality show The Ts Madison Experience, she ultimately went on to become the first black trans woman to both star in and executive produce her own reality series.
Zoe Terakes is a major trans actor from Marvel's Ironheartseries. Not only do they star in a Marvel show, but they're also the first trans actor to be included in the MCU. As the series continues, you can also catch them in upcoming episodes of Australia's The Office.
Morgan Davies is an Australian actor who's consistently using his voice to advocate for transgender rights. He most recently made waves for his performance of Netflix's One Pieceas Koby in the live-action adaptation and in this year's Evil Dead: Rise. The roles have garnered him some rave reviews among critics and fans alike, and his fan base continues to grow on a daily basis.
Nicole Maines is very vocal in her support for her fellow trans community. She had a starring role in the second season of Yellowjackets after starring as Nia Nal in DC's Supergirl. She continues to use her rising platform to advocate for trans rights and is working to help the world move to a more inclusive space.
After dominating the screen as Angel Evangelista in Pose, Indya Moore shot to stardom and continues to grow. They were also named one of Time's 100 Most Influential People in the World back in 2019 and continues to spread their influence around the world. Keep an eye out for them in their upcoming role in Aquaman.
Elliot Page's transition was highly publicized and he has since been an irreplaceable voice within the trans community. As he continues on with his role as Viktor Hargreeves in The Umbrella Academy, he's also lending his voice to Naya: Legend of the Golden Dolphin and ARK: The Animated Series.
Laverne Cox was a fan-favorite on Netflix's Orange is the New Black. She was the first transgender person to be nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award in an acting category for her role on the show, and she continues to remain fabulous in its wake. Keep an eye out for her as Desiree in Clean Slate and Uglies.
Michaela Jaé (MJ) Rodriguez was another incredible actress from pose who has big dreams she'd still like to fulfill. Having just wrapped in American Horror Story, keep an eye out for her in upcoming projects like Wildfire in pre-production and Skincare in post.
Elliot Fletcheris best known for his work on MTV's Faking It, Freeform's The Fosters, and Showtime's Shameless. As of now, he doesn't have any current upcoming projects moving in 2024, but he still uses his platform to spread awareness and advocate for trans rights.
Brian Michael Smith played a trans character on Queen Sugar prior to coming out as trans himself. He also starred in 9-1-1: Lone Star and is going to be in I Wish You All the Best and Paula, Why? within the next year or so. Outside of his acting roles, he's actually well-known for his advocacy for trans representation in the media, as well.
Another Pose star that continues to make wavelengths after being on the show is the incomparable Dominique Jackson. Her next project, The Patience of Vultures, has just begun pre-production. She also received the 2023 National Leadership Award issued by the Task Force in an effort to advance freedom, justice, and equality for all members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Alexandra Scott Billings was the first openly transgender character on TV in 2005's Romy and Michele: In the Beginning. Her most recent role was as Malibu in Queen Tut. She also works as a theater professor at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. She was also awarded the Human Rights Campaign's Visibility Award in 2016 for her service to the LGBTQ+ community.
Chella Man is an incredibly inspiring deaf transgender Chinese-American actor who delivered an important film called The Device That Turned Me Into a Cyborg Was Born the Same Year I Was, which he wrote, co-edited, co-produced, directed, and starred in. He was previously cast as Jericho in Titans, and although he doesn't have any upcoming projects, he continues to inspire everyone through his Instagram and social postings.
Known for her role in HBO Max's reboot of Gossip Girl, Zion Moreno is slowly starting to leave her footprint in the Hollywood sphere. She hasn't had any acting gigs following the series wrap of Gossip Girl, but she remains an inspiration for trans representation.
You may know Laith Ashley most from his recent role in Taylor Swift's music video for "Lavender Haze," but there's so much more this trans actor has to offer not only Hollywood but the whole world. Moving into the next year, Ashley's credits include movies The Method, Absolute Dominion, and My Divorce Party, and we're all ready to see how far he's poised to go in Tinsel Town. He's also very vocal about his support for the trans community.
Ian Alexander brought representation to Star Trek as the first trans/nonbinary character. They're also hoping to reprise their role of Lev in HBO's The Last Of Us after having provided the voice in the original video game. As it is, their most recent project remains on the horizon after their most recent stint providing the voice for Tai in Marvel's Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur.
Janet Mock is doing things a little bit differently in Hollywood for representation by handling things behind the scenes. She served as a writer, director, and executive producer for Pose as well as producing The Jeffrey Dahmer Story with Ryan Murphy. Although she's behind the camera and not in front of it, her services to the community are still unmatched.
