Hilary Swank says all actors are pretending … so, she’s for non-trans actors playing trans characters and vice versa — at least, it seems that’s what she’s saying.
The two-time Oscar winner famously won her first back in 2000 after playing trans man Brandon Teena in the biopic “Boys Don’t Cry” and reflected on the role in an interview with The Times of London.
While breaking down her part in the film, Swank acknowledges she wouldn’t take the role today, saying her part in it was a sign of the times and adding a trans actor could really sink their teeth into the Brandon role today.
But, HS doesn’t leave her thoughts on the part there … and, her added statement makes it sound like she’s totally fine with cisgender actors taking on transgender parts.
Swank says, “I also feel like actors are actors. We are supposed to play different people and I would like to hope trans people are getting the opportunity to play non-trans people as well” … so, it seems she’s hoping for a two-way street sorta approach — gender identity shouldn’t keep an actor from getting a job.
Hilary’s stance isn’t common in Hollywood … back in 2021, Eddie Redmayne — who played a transwoman in “The Danish Girl” — said he regretted starring in the film despite earning an Oscar nod for it.
And, Scarlett Johansson dropped out of “Rub & Tug” after receiving criticism for agreeing to take a transgender role.
But, Hilary’s firm on this … it’s about the quality of the acting rather than the correct identity. Only one way to settle this — vote below!
Should Cisgender Actors Play Transgender Characters?