Why don’t they have real transsexuals play the role of transsexuals on TV?

Maybe transsexuals can’t act? I kid, I kid.

I’ve noticed this too. It kind of bugs me because the person acting the role of a transsexual person never pulls it off for obvious reasons. Makeup can only do so much. But there’s also attitude, hormone injections…

TV isnt real is it?…so therefore actors are used. Hey maybe you can be an actor and star as a straight lady that has no illusions or hangups about the simple and unimportant things in life …stranger things have happened.

I suppose it’s because there aren’t many trans actors, but i would prefer a real transsexual than a fake one

There are trans actors, they just face descrimination

Discrimination and the lack of a decent sized group of trans actors.

I suspect as there is big money used in producing any program, they use the best transsexual / man or women for the task.

If your so interested why don’t you do some training in acting, say in a local drama school, if they have people on the books they may use them.

It’s usually for the same reasons as why Latino/gay/Asian/Irish/Italian/etc. roles aren’t “given to” Latinos/gays/Asians/Irish/Italians/etc. When actors are cast for a movie or for TV, the director and/or the person in charge of casting look for someone who can play the role. Sure, it would be nice for a transsexual to play a transsexual role, but it wouldn’t be fair, or logical, to cast them if they don’t have talent. And it’s hard to choose a transsexual if only two out of 80 auditioners are transsexual (there might be more, but I’m just giving a number here, I really don’t know of that many transsexual actors).

The also have in mind a specific physical description (body, face, skin color if necessary, and so on), and at times look for recognition factor. Sometimes roles were made for the actor or actress, so there’s really no contest. Sometimes they’ll just cast a pretty face or a hot-bod to bring up ratings or try and become a hit movie.

It doesn’t seem fair that real transsexuals aren’t cast, but considering the first point, it kind of makes sense.

Probably for the same reason they dont use real disabled people for disabled parts, or they make beautiful actresses plain to play the role of a plain woman, instead of casting a plain actress. I remember Kathy Bates talking about going for the role in Frankie and Johnny. The part was for a woman who had trouble getting dates, but they cast Michelle Pfeiffer anyway, and as Kathy Bates said, she could have brought a lifetime of experience to the role. People who aren’t conventional and conventionally beautiful find it far harder to get roles, and eventually have to give up, so there aren’t that many actors and actresses of that type available when the part is being cast. I’m not justifying it, by the way, it would be far better to have a wide range of actors and actresses available, not just fit, able, beautiful ones, I’m just saying I think that’s why it happens.

There are exceptions, of course. The coroner in CSI is really disabled, and also in CSI they did use transexual actresses for the main parts in one episode, and quite a few others as extras. I thought on the whole the subject was handled well. I know it doesn’t happen very often, though.

Guess what? Many of those folks you see on Jerry Springer aren’t transsexual either! They are actors. Most everything on Jerry Springer is staged and not real. The show plays up stereotypes in an attempt to get ratings.

In Hollywood they’re all afraid of failure. The sole exception was Candis Cane on ABC’s “Dirty Sexy Money”.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0960136/

Even though she was just about the only “normal” person on the show, she typecast as a sex worker/mistress. Not only that, they insulted Candis while filming the first episode. When she was to make her first entrance they wanted her to lower her voice so the audience would suspect she was transsexual. She refused, so they did it digitally in post-production. Unbelieveable.

Another example is “TransAmerica”.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0407265/

Although Felicity Huffman did a good job, there were transsexual women available who could have played the part. And one, Calpernia Addams, was relegated to a bit part in this movie. That’s one other notable things about “TransAmerica”, it had many trans people in bit roles.

Hollywood directors and producers need to get over it and hire a trans person to play a lead role.

To answer your question: YES, it is frustrating!!!

Edit: Found an interview with Candis by Julia Serano!

http://www.out.com/detail.asp?page=1&id=23534

Pay special attention to the last two questions.

And speaking of Julia Serano her piece “Skirt Chasers” still defines how the media treats us:

http://www.juliaserano.com/outside.html#skirtchasers

And why can’t we play regular roles? Why be limited to roles that play to a medical condition?

edit: Just read this story about a movie starring a transsexual woman:

http://www.mydesert.com/article/20100113/EVENTS01/1130309/A+remarkably+unremarkable+role

It’s a Brazilian movie. I wonder if it will be available in the USA?

STOP !!! think,
If a transexual played the part of a transexual, it would not be acting would it?