15 Times Cis Actors Stole Trans Roles In Movies And TV

The transgender tipping point was back in 2015, but it still doesn’t seem like a lot has changed since then. Despite bringing trans people into the mainstream and causing your grandmother to ask why people keep on inventing new genders, not much has changed, even for the most important trans people around — actors. Jamie Clayton, Hunter Schafer, and Hari Nef have all appeared in films, but none are big-time household names. Despite there being a deluge of trans actors, there’s still a long history — is it history when it’s still happening? — of trans characters being played by cis actors. Instead of Ian Alexander, Chaz Bono, or Avery Edison it’s … some white guy named Paul.

It’s a touchy subject, in the same way that casting John Travolta in Hairspray is touchy. That said, let’s look back on some of the biggest, best, and most famous roles trans people didn’t get to play because some cis person took the role already.