In the world of acting, there is no greater challenge or greater accomplishment than losing yourself completely in a character other than yourself. Some of the most lauded acting roles have seen actors dramatically change their appearance: Charlize Theron made herself ugly for Monster, Christian Bale lost up to 50 kilograms DriverChristian Bale gained weight again to 100 kilograms in Vice.
But recently, a new taboo has emerged for actors – casting a cisgender actor to play a transgender character. This taboo has led to the cancellation and backlash of many actors and productions. In 2018, Scarlett Johansson turned down the role of trans man and crime boss Tex Gill in the biopic. Rub and tug, causing the film to descend into development hell. In 2020, Hugh Sheridan caused a wave of backlash after he was cast in the lead role of a transgender man in the production Hedwig and the Angry Inch – a backlash that continues to cause him distress and publicity to this day. (Hugh has since come out as a non-binary person, as a person and as a “Human” before quietly reverting to he/him pronouns, to which I can only say, “Hey doll, are you okay? Call me.”)
At the risk of creating any Packed to the rafters Graduates, there is good reason for the backlash. Trans people are not given nearly the same opportunities as cis people. We don’t get cast in big blockbusters, hit sitcoms or family comedy dramas broadcast on Channel 7. It’s like adding insult to injury, adding insult to hate crimes, not getting a role even to play ourselves. Cisgender actors disappear into us, and we never appear at all.
However, let’s be generous and ignore the systemic lack of representation so we can consider the counter-arguments. “Any actor should be able to play any role,” say experts from the CIS. “Roles should go to whoever is best suited for the role.” This argument might be compelling if it weren’t for the fact that cisgender actors rarely play these roles well. CIS actors are so dedicated to acting in this genre that they do not play characters. They focus on hair, makeup, prosthetics, mannerisms and forget about the fundamentals of acting – motivation, intention, characterization.
For trans audiences, watch Eddie Redmayne in Danish girl it’s like watching Keanu Reeves in Dracula – was so focused on the accent that he forgot to show emotions. For Trans Audiences: Watch Jared Leto, aka The Method Man, in Dallas Buyers Club it’s like watching Jared Leto in Suicide Squad – the suit does all the work for him.
Let me now open myself to accusations of hypocrisy. I’m a trans actor and playwright, and I just cast a cis woman to play a trans woman in my new play. How can I live with myself? How do I deal with the poison of the trans community? How can I show up in the endocrinologist’s office again?
Like all aspects of production, casting is a tool and it’s all about how you wield it. You can use a hammer to strengthen what is already there. Or you can use it to destroy a building, making the architect watch (hotly).
The use of type is already a powerful weapon that has been used in many productions to elevate the theme and message of the story. Todd Haynes cast Cate Blanchett as Bob Dylan in the 1966 film I’m not there, using his casting to highlight how strange and out of place Dylan seemed at the time. In the musical HamiltonLin-Manuel Miranda cast non-white actors to play all the American characters to bring a modern twist to their revolutionary messages. Jodie Whittaker and Ncuti Gatwa took on the iconic role of the Doctor in Doctor Who as a way to open up new stories and make the Doctor a desirable figure for all children – much to the chagrin of 50-year-olds who can’t cope with media that is no longer made with them in mind in the first place.
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Our play Evening with Jay Kay, did the same. The main character of JK is a cis woman, the world’s most famous TERF (radical trans exclusionary feminist), inspired by a very famous children’s author known for her litigious nature. I chose myself for this role (without auditioning, they were just offering me). What better way for an audience to hear the bigotry in a TERF talking point than from one of the most likely targets? How can an audience member ignore the potential for harm when the words are spoken by someone who could potentially be affected?
Another role in the play, Matilda Quinn, is a trans woman interviewer created to be the perfect foil for JK. Casting a cis woman in the role seemed like a natural progression. I told myself the same thing I said before I tried the sex pill in a Perth nightclub in 2009: “Let’s try it and see what happens.” And after we passed the audition, I once again repeated what I said in 2009: “It turned out much better than I thought.”
Sasha Chong, who plays Matilda, understood the role immediately. She didn’t waste any time trying to portray the character’s transness or gender identity. She believed that the words conveyed this to her. Instead, she spent time exploring Matilda’s sense of justice, her desire for sympathy, her uncontrollable desire to speak out in a bitchy response. Sasha doesn’t care what’s between Matilda’s legs, she cares what’s between Matilda’s brains. Well, that and understanding the random references to the Superwholock fandom.
This casting experiment has already yielded amazing results. By changing the casting, we overturn people’s prejudices. If any viewer has subconscious transphobia, any tendency to believe the opinion of a cis woman over the opinion of a trans woman, it is used against him. If they empathize with a cis actor, they will agree with a trans character. If they empathize with the cis character, then they agree with the trans character and the writer.
Read: Trans stories on screen are finally getting better
With all the transgender debates popping up in the news cycle, I’m as tempted as anyone to look for easy answers. It’s hard to think about, and I might watch the new documentary about Posh Spice and David Beckham instead. Working on this play taught me that looking for tough, complex, and subtle answers is always more rewarding.
We hope everyone comes to watch Evening with Jay Kay understands why we made the choices we have. And if not, Sasha and I are more than willing to talk 60 minutes about our cancellation.
Evening with Jay Kay will be performed at the Festival Hub: Trades Hall – Quilt Room from 18 to 22 October 2023 as part of the Melbourne Fringe.