Cisgender man to act Transgender in Mark Ruffalo film

[Seeka 12,372]

@Chic

How do you feel about this? I know you and the trans community don't go well together because of well your stealth game is, but I think you're the best person to ask.

[ryhanna 3,507]

9 minutes ago, FATCAT said:

I'm trying to wrap my head around it as well. I could see an outcry if he was a bigot or something, but he has shown nothing but love for the trans community as far as I know.

I think the issue is that it's not *properly* representing the trans community. In the sense that a male actor wearing a wig and a dress doesn't accurately represent a trans person. Which is fair, I guess. Like I said above, it's all about a strong performance in my opinion, but I kinda get where they're coming from. 

[Lion Heart 15,041]

 

[Staryu 6,162]

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[FATCAT 60,099]

3 minutes ago, PartySick said:

I don't know about all that...just seems like poor casting to me, not an assault on the validity of trans people. I don't feel assaulted when they have a straight person playing a gay person or a white person playing Michael Jackson circa early 2000's...I know they're different, just saying. I support people voicing their feelings on it though. There's nothing wrong with the discussion

My opinion though? They should get a woman to play a woman, trans or not. It's that simple.

I'm going to piggy back off of your reply to that quote because I think (?) it's just in the article.

 

I'm not even going to jump on the first bullet point, because it's ridiculous to think that an actors personal life has ANY bearing on the perception of the character he plays. Plenty of straight actors have played gay and bisexual characters and no one has perceived "oh, that actor is pretending to be gay, it must all be a ruse!" On the second bullet, I'd like to be a little more gritty. So, most people know that transgendered individuals are born a sex, and their mind doesn't fit that sex. Gender Disphoria, etc. How does an actor playing a transgendered role different from a trans actor playing the same role? It's all related to their experiences and, well, what's in their head.

Actors, especially good ones, can portray these emotions with or without feeling the pain for themselves. It's what they do, they're actors. If the producers for the show feel like Mark will perform better in the role, that's up to them. You pick an actor by their talent, not what gender they think they are. 

[FATCAT 60,099]

4 minutes ago, ryhanna said:

I think the issue is that it's not *properly* representing the trans community. In the sense that a male actor wearing a wig and a dress doesn't accurately represent a trans person. Which is fair, I guess. Like I said above, it's all about a strong performance in my opinion, but I kinda get where they're coming from. 

I could understand that if it really had a bearing on Mark's performance. But, again, he's a professional.

[ryhanna 3,507]

Just now, FATCAT said:

I could understand that if it really had a bearing on Mark's performance. But, again, he's a professional.

Yeah. And really, I think writing has a large bearing on how accurate a representation a performance can be. If the script is horrid and doesn't reflect the the trans community or trans characters well, then any actor - cis or trans - will be unable to deliver a good representation of the community. 

[sillynate 6,170]

I usually keep things that offend me to myself like a decent person, but I'm gonna go ahead and say it. If I'm wrong or being ignorant or something, please point it out to me  I'm a very open minded individual.

So

I'm offended for the trans community when people dress in drag for entertainment. I see it as mocking them. That being said, I'm confused as to why this is causing an uproar where as dressing up as a person of the opposite sex and parading around ehh... in an immature manner... doesn't. I have never been to a drag show or seen the Ru Paul show so I really don't know what goes on there, but I have seen pics of men in drag and they look... I'm just gonna say it... they look weird. The make up they wear makes their faces look non human. With the trans people I know or know of or have seen on TV, whether they look like their identifying gender or not, they don't look non human. And isn't that what the anti LGBT people say? That we're not human? So shouldn't that be considered offensive? Not a gay man who is gonna play a trans woman in a film?

Again, I'm human too, I make mistakes so if there's an error in my opinion please let me know respectfully 

[Stephen 30,430]

I rolled my eyes a little at the title but after reading the article I actually get it tbh.

They wouldn't cast a man to play a cis woman so why should they cast a man to play a trans woman? A trans woman is still a woman and she should be played by a woman.

UNLESS the role is specifically about a trans woman maybe who isn't as feminine in her appearance, i.e. maybe didn't go through facial feminization etc. and that that is integral to the plot. Although, as I'm typing this I realize they could just cast an actual trans women who fits that description. 

I see the reason for the upset. Hopefully we begin to see more transgender people in these roles (and more).

[Chris Evans 8,917]

as long as they don't take upon the role like Jared Leto and go about calling the character as a "creature" I'm okay with it

it is a role after all- sure it would be better if an actual trans person that had the chops to pull it off could portray the character but that's just a Hollywood issue overall (not enough trans/poc in the business/being offered roles)

[SychosSoChic 9,995]

Against

[PartySick 160,748]

2 minutes ago, FATCAT said:

You pick an actor by their talent, not what gender they think they are. 

What I meant by "a woman should play a woman" isn't that a cis person couldn't play a trans person...it's acting for a reason  I understand that an actor stops being themselves and starts being the character as soon as they're on set/the screen, just that it'd be more appropriate, appearance wise, depending on what "stage" they're in..

OITNB, I feel, did a good job at this. They had Laverne Cox (an actual trans female) play post-transition Sophia Burset, a male-to-female trans person. Her twin brother (a cis male) played the same character, but only in scenes that were before her transitioning. I feel like that's the perfect approach to it.

I'm not sure what this guy's role will be (I didn't read the entire OP so feel free to correct me ) but if it's pre-transition, that's fine. Otherwise, they should have a woman do it simply because it'd fit better.

[FATCAT 60,099]

3 minutes ago, Steve Nasty said:

I rolled my eyes a little at the title but after reading the article I actually get it tbh.

They wouldn't cast a man to play a cis woman so why should they cast a man to play a trans woman? A trans woman is still a woman and she should be played by a woman.

UNLESS the role is specifically about a trans woman maybe who isn't as feminine in her appearance, i.e. maybe didn't go through facial feminization etc. and that that is integral to the plot. Although, as I'm typing this I realize they could just cast an actual trans women who fits that description. 

I see the reason for the upset. Hopefully we begin to see more transgender people in these roles (and more).

Is it then wrong to cast a trans man as a cis man? 

Either they can both play eachother, or they both can't play either. I'd like to think that a trans man COULD act a cis male part, it's by those same reasons that I think a cis man can play a trans man.

[Stephen 30,430]

Just now, FATCAT said:

Is it then wrong to cast a trans man as a cis man? 

Either they can both play eachother, or they both can't play either. I'd like to think that a trans man COULD act a cis male part, it's by those same reasons that I think a cis man can play a trans man.

Of course it's not wrong, they're both men. That's my point!

[Stephen 30,430]

2 minutes ago, natesARTPOP said:

I usually keep things that offend me to myself like a decent person, but I'm gonna go ahead and say it. If I'm wrong or being ignorant or something, please point it out to me  I'm a very open minded individual.

So

I'm offended for the trans community when people dress in drag for entertainment. I see it as mocking them. That being said, I'm confused as to why this is causing an uproar where as dressing up as a person of the opposite sex and parading around ehh... in an immature manner... doesn't. I have never been to a drag show or seen the Ru Paul show so I really don't know what goes on there, but I have seen pics of men in drag and they look... I'm just gonna say it... they look weird. The make up they wear makes their faces look non human. With the trans people I know or know of or have seen on TV, whether they look like their identifying gender or not, they don't look non human. And isn't that what the anti LGBT people say? That we're not human? So shouldn't that be considered offensive? Not a gay man who is gonna play a trans woman in a film?

Again, I'm human too, I make mistakes so if there's an error in my opinion please let me know respectfully 

Drag queens are just entertainers. Some do stand up comedy, some sing, some dance, etc. I personally like watching drag queens because they're funny, fierce, and entertaining. A lot of gay men "worship" female divas and some of the appeal may come from that. Many gay men are into fashion, dance, pop music, etc. and those are all part of drag culture. I think you should try watching a bit of RuPaul's show because you get to see the Queens out of drag and see that they're just normal guys who like to entertain people, and this is their outlet to do that.

Also, there are plenty of trans women who do drag. One in particular, Monica Beverly Hills, was a contestant on RuPaul's show. She even said "trans is who I am, drag is what I do."