Does it bug anyone else that in a lot of movies, when there's a trans character they use a Cis person to play them? Like, say there's a trans man. The actor playing him is a cis man. Or vice versa.
Hmm, I've never paid attention to that, I'll have to observe that. I know one thing I'm tired of though; gay, trans, etc. male characters being portrayed in a humorous way like they're some big joke. That was funny in Mrs. Doubtfire when I was like nine, but it got old really fast after that.
I honestly don't mind that much. It's more about how trans* people are portrayed, to be honest, and it sickens me every time pop media decides to make a cheap joke about transwomen. On the other hand, transmen are all but invisible (aside from "Boys don't Cry", which is the only film I can think of which involves a transman) and genderfluid and other non-binary folks are never even mentioned :\
There's this, and... they're actors. It's the casting director's job to find one who best expresses what they want for a role/best brings in the fans. Whatever they do in real life occasionally has no bearing on their character. **Robert Downey Jr. aside, because he actually is Tony Stark Now if they specifically discriminated against trans actors and cast cis people in spite of them, that would be a different story. But as it is I would be hard pressed to take issue with it.
Absolutely. I also dislike it when they make a film about, say, Martin Luther King Jr., and they don't even ask the man himself to play the role. Totally unforgivable! I'm being sarcastic, in case anybody didn't catch on to that.
The thing that really gets me in British movies (for example, St Trinians), there is a male actor playing a (possibly) trans mtf. It bugs me so much! It's not an accurate representation at all!
I agree with this. I don't care so much about the actor, I'm mostly worried about transgenders being misrepresented. Which we are, -all- the time.
Well, I watched it and I had to double check that it was billed as a comedy. I found almost every character entirely unlikeable. Every single one save for a couple of the trans friends who didn't appear much. And the humour was well hidden, if you ask me.
As long as the actor fits the role, I don't care who they are in real life. I would hate for them to pass up an amazing actor, and cast someone who isn't as skilled just for the sake of having a trans actor. Just like how many actors play characters who are of a very different age, or nationality then they actually are. The character they play doesn't need to have a whole lot of similarites to themselves. That is the whole point of acting. Being someone else.
I'm not trans....but I personally don't mind straight girls playing lesbians or neurotypical people playing autistic characters (Both groups I belong to). I just care that they make a good representation. Hell, even trans people can make shitty representations of trans characters. As a writer, I think It's safe to say that sticking to just characters we belong to and fully relate to is boring and makes for bad writing/acting. The whole point of writing/acting is to be someone you're not. Do research. I only roleplay as one character nowadays; a bisexual girl in a straight relationship. Neither of which I could relate to, but you know what? I can still portray other roles quite well and to have people tell me to stop because I'm not bi limits my creative expression and forces me to put all my characters in a limited box.
As far as cis people playing transpeople of the opposite identified gender, I don't really see the issue as long as they aren't using it as a joke. People playing roles of the opposite gender has been around since the Shakespearian times. Although it would be way more accurate to have a trans person play a trans role, there just isn't such luck of finding one.
