From The Advocate September 2011
Actress Is Perfect Harmony in Trans Drama
A young actress makes her mark with a stunning performance as a transgender teen in the riveting drama Gun Hill Road.
By Jeremy Kinser
http://www.advocate.com/Print_Issue/Advance/Actress_Is_Perfect_Harmony_in_Trans_Drama/In the new film Gun Hill Road, which opens today in select theaters, a macho ex-con (played by veteran actor Esai Morales) is released from prison after three years. He returns to his family in a tough New York neighborhood only to find they've evolved in ways he could never imagine. Under the direction of Rashaad Ernest Green, newcomer Harmony Santana elevates the film with a remarkable and very raw performance as transgender teen Michael/Vanessa.
"When I read the screenplay I could relate to the character in a lot of ways," Santana recalls as a breeze tousles her curly shoulder-length hair while she sits outdoors at a coffee shop in Hollywood. That's understandable. The 20-something Santana is also transgender, and she was one of 13 kids in a blended Dominican–Puerto Rican family.
