Video - Jeffrey Tambor: Transgender character a ‘role of a lifetime’

[skin]

Now w/ Alex Wagner
September 30, 2014

Jeffrey Tambor speaks to Alex Wagner about his groundbreaking new show "Transparent", about a divorced father who, in her seventies, comes out as transgender.

Watch: http://www.msnbc.com/now/watch/jeffrey-tambor-on-his--role-of-a-lifetime--335825987621#

[suzifrommd]

He's a great actor and it's wonderful to see a prominent trans character.

But...

we let yet another cisgender spokesperson tell OUR story.

[skin]

we let yet another cisgender spokesperson tell OUR story.

I don't see how it could be any other way in this case.  The character spends a significant amount of time in boy mode and there is one episode that entirely takes place in the past.

There are at least three other transgender characters in the show and they are all actually played by trans people.

[suzifrommd]

I don't see how it could be any other way in this case.

I agree.

I don't have a problem with Tambor speaking for trans folks. He does a really good job of it.

I have a problem with US not speaking up for ourselves. With waiting for someone like Tambor to come along and broadcast our story rather than doing it ourselves.

[FriendsCallMeChris]

 From what I understand, the writer/producer Jill Soloway, is closing basing the series on her father who transitioned late in life.

[Dee]

Thanks for posting this- I love Jeffrey Tambor, and look forward to this show!

To Suzi's comment: It would be great to see more transfolk step up to take these types of roles. But I often think about how difficult that would be, when the role calls for someone who may be pre-HRT, or in the least, very early in transition. It's a stage where most of us still feel very uncomfortable with our appearance, and giving such a mass audience to those early awkward moments is terrifying just to think about.

Granted...I work as an editor, specifically because I don't like being in front of the camera to begin with. So maybe my perspective is a little clouded, haha.