If you had any doubt that Sense8 was partially the product of Matrix directors Andy and Lana Wachowski, the first episode of Netflix’s trippy thriller likely put that uncertainty to rest.
Co-exec-produced by The Wachowskis and J. Michael Straczynski (Murder, She Wrote, Babylon 5), the mysterious drama — which hit the streaming giant on Friday — centers on eight individuals across the globe who are connected by a strange vision.
Before we get your thoughts on the series premiere, here’s a brief recap of what went down in the debut hour:
RelatedSense8: 3 Intriguing Clues About Netflix’s Genre-Defying...
Co-exec-produced by The Wachowskis and J. Michael Straczynski (Murder, She Wrote, Babylon 5), the mysterious drama — which hit the streaming giant on Friday — centers on eight individuals across the globe who are connected by a strange vision.
Before we get your thoughts on the series premiere, here’s a brief recap of what went down in the debut hour:
RelatedSense8: 3 Intriguing Clues About Netflix’s Genre-Defying...
- 6/5/2015
- TVLine.com
Now more than ever, entertainment's spotlight is on the transgender community.
Milestones are reached regularly, whether via a history-making Emmy nomination for Orange Is the New Black star Laverne Cox, a new reality series for trans teen Jazz Jennings or Bruce Jenner's groundbreaking April 24 20/20 interview, in which the former Olympian told the world he is transitioning from male to female.
From transgender actress Jamie Clayton's perspective, all of this is very good news.
"Society as a whole has viewed transgendered people as not-normal for so long," Clayton said during a roundtable conversation at Netflix's "Stream into Summer" press...
Milestones are reached regularly, whether via a history-making Emmy nomination for Orange Is the New Black star Laverne Cox, a new reality series for trans teen Jazz Jennings or Bruce Jenner's groundbreaking April 24 20/20 interview, in which the former Olympian told the world he is transitioning from male to female.
From transgender actress Jamie Clayton's perspective, all of this is very good news.
"Society as a whole has viewed transgendered people as not-normal for so long," Clayton said during a roundtable conversation at Netflix's "Stream into Summer" press...
- 5/1/2015
- by Emily Strohm, @emablonde
- People.com - TV Watch
News
CBS announced its fall schedule which is both a big shake-up and a return to CBS’ conservative scheduling. The network is moving away from serialized shows like Hostages but every night’s line-up will be changed. Probably the biggest move is dropping the two-hour comedy block on Mondays. The last time CBS aired a drama on Monday it was Scarecrow & Mrs. King in 1986.
CBS joined the networks promising year-round programming, noting that one of the season’s biggest new dramas was the summer show Under the Dome. There’s a good number of new and returning shows not on CBS’ announced schedule, they’ll be used to limit the number of repeats throughout the year.
At least Under the Dome had Mike Vogel to look at.
Vulture breaks down why CBS passed on How I Met Your Dad. Explanations include that CBS didn’t like two actors (though reports...
CBS announced its fall schedule which is both a big shake-up and a return to CBS’ conservative scheduling. The network is moving away from serialized shows like Hostages but every night’s line-up will be changed. Probably the biggest move is dropping the two-hour comedy block on Mondays. The last time CBS aired a drama on Monday it was Scarecrow & Mrs. King in 1986.
CBS joined the networks promising year-round programming, noting that one of the season’s biggest new dramas was the summer show Under the Dome. There’s a good number of new and returning shows not on CBS’ announced schedule, they’ll be used to limit the number of repeats throughout the year.
At least Under the Dome had Mike Vogel to look at.
Vulture breaks down why CBS passed on How I Met Your Dad. Explanations include that CBS didn’t like two actors (though reports...
- 5/15/2014
- by Lyle Masaki
- The Backlot
Ellen Page will present “Orange Is the New Black” star Laverne Cox with the Stephen F. Kolzak Award at this year's GLAAD Media Awards, the Lgbt rights organization announced on Monday. The award is presented to a media professional and open member of the Lgbt community who has made a significant difference in promoting equality. Also read: Ellen Page Fires Back at Anti-Gay Pastor's Letter Over Twitter Cox, the former producer and co-host of VH1 makeover television series “TRANSform Me,” plays a trans woman sent to prison for credit card fraud on “Oitnb,” a critically-acclaimed Netflix comedy. See photos: Gay Hollywood: 13 Out & Proud Celebrities Before.
- 3/31/2014
- by Greg Gilman
- The Wrap
I was going to start this article by saying that I don't want to take anything away from Jared Leto's performance in "Dallas Buyers Club". But in a sense, I do. The performance certainly holds up as a piece of art, but as a part of our culture, I believe it needs contextualizing.
I am not the first person to suggest this. Chelsea Hawkins wrote in PolicyMic that "Dallas Buyers Club" fails trans actors while Paris Lees in the Independent was perhaps more equivocal but still asked "Why can't we cast trans people in trans roles?". Of course, nobody wants to limit trans actors to trans roles, but in the context of the status quo and general acceptability of handing the role to an actor such as Leto, it would be an undeniably liberating move.
But wait, you say - Leto was playing a pre-op trans woman. Surely it would be appropriate for the character to be played by a biological male? This doesn't strike me as exquisite logic. Laverne Cox famously spoke out against the objectifying focus on the status of trans people's genitalia, while Janet Mock talks about the obsession with "passing", pointing out that in her mind she is not passing as anything, but simply being herself.
The concept of "passing" betrays a corrosive misunderstanding that being transgender is in some sense a performance as opposed to a reality. By casting a well-known cis actor in a trans role, it makes it all about the performance. Anyone who has watched "Orange is the New Black" will know that watching a real trans actor in a trans role has an entirely different, utterly compelling and humanizing effect.
With that in mind, I thought it worth highlighting ten actors who could have played the role of Rayon. This is not because they meet the specifics that Leto brought to the character. The role was a fictional one, not based on a real-life person like Matthew McConaughey's Ron Woodroof, a fact which would seem to afford a great deal of freedom and possibility. In this case, the filmmakers chose not to pursue that route. But that doesn't stop us from imagining.
1. Harmony Santana
Santana's role in "Gun Hill Road" led to a Best Supporting Actress nomination at the Independent Spirit Awards, the first trans actor nominated for a major acting award and a hugely significant milestone.
2. Laverne Cox
Breakout star of "Orange is the New Black", passionate trans advocate and exceedingly eloquent educator of Katie Couric, Laverne Cox's star is rising fast and is a delight to witness.
3. Jamie Clayton
Clayton hosted VH1's TRANSform Me alongside Laverne Cox, but she is also an actress of note, with perhaps her most high profile gig to date being her appearance in two episodes of HBO's "Hung".
4. Stephanie Michelini
Fellow Francophone director Sebastian Lifshitz showed "Dallas Buyers Club" director John-Paul Vallee how it's done by casting a trans actor in his feature film "Wild Side". The film won the Teddy at the Berlinale and a clutch of other festival awards, including a Best Actress trophy for Michelini.
5. Alexandra Billings
With roles on "E.R." and "Grey's Anatomy" among her credits, Billings made history as the first trans actor to appear in a transgender role on American television.
6. Elizabeth Coffey
Ok, so she hasn't done any screen acting for a while, but let's pay our dues regardless. Known as a "Dreamlander" as one of John Waters' regular cast of actors, Coffey played a transgender role in the iconic "Pink Flamingoes". Two years later, she returned to play a non-trans role for Waters in 1974's "Female Trouble".
7. Calpernia Addams
Addams first made the news for tragic reasons when her soldier boyfriend was murdered by his colleagues on discovery of their relationship. A subsequent fiction film of events led to her meeting Jane Fonda at Sundance and conceiving the idea for an all-transgender production of "The Vagina Monologues". Addams was later invited to perform in the 10th anniversary edition of the play alongside Fonda, Glenn Close and Salma Hayek.
7. Eva Robin's
Robin's considers herself androgynous rather than transgender, having been born male and then developed feminine features naturally. Her most famous role was in Dario Argento's horror film "Tenebrae". While the film's politics are certainly thorny, a non-cisgendered actor playing a female role for a celebrated director is a shamefully uncommon occurrence.
9. Bibi Andersen
Competition for a place in Almodovar's stable of actresses is fierce, but Bibi Andersen clocked up no less than four credits in Almodovar feature films in the late eighties and early nineties. It is also rumoured that it was Almodovar's desire to attend the 1988 Oscars with Andersen as opposed to his leading lady Carmen Maura that caused the 18-year professional rift between Maura and the director.
10. Candis Cayne
Following a role on "Nip / Tuck", Cayne went one further by becoming the first ever transgender actress to play a recurring transgender role on primetime as Carmelita in ABC's "Dirty Sexy Money".
Want more /bent? Follow us on Twitter.
I am not the first person to suggest this. Chelsea Hawkins wrote in PolicyMic that "Dallas Buyers Club" fails trans actors while Paris Lees in the Independent was perhaps more equivocal but still asked "Why can't we cast trans people in trans roles?". Of course, nobody wants to limit trans actors to trans roles, but in the context of the status quo and general acceptability of handing the role to an actor such as Leto, it would be an undeniably liberating move.
But wait, you say - Leto was playing a pre-op trans woman. Surely it would be appropriate for the character to be played by a biological male? This doesn't strike me as exquisite logic. Laverne Cox famously spoke out against the objectifying focus on the status of trans people's genitalia, while Janet Mock talks about the obsession with "passing", pointing out that in her mind she is not passing as anything, but simply being herself.
The concept of "passing" betrays a corrosive misunderstanding that being transgender is in some sense a performance as opposed to a reality. By casting a well-known cis actor in a trans role, it makes it all about the performance. Anyone who has watched "Orange is the New Black" will know that watching a real trans actor in a trans role has an entirely different, utterly compelling and humanizing effect.
With that in mind, I thought it worth highlighting ten actors who could have played the role of Rayon. This is not because they meet the specifics that Leto brought to the character. The role was a fictional one, not based on a real-life person like Matthew McConaughey's Ron Woodroof, a fact which would seem to afford a great deal of freedom and possibility. In this case, the filmmakers chose not to pursue that route. But that doesn't stop us from imagining.
1. Harmony Santana
Santana's role in "Gun Hill Road" led to a Best Supporting Actress nomination at the Independent Spirit Awards, the first trans actor nominated for a major acting award and a hugely significant milestone.
2. Laverne Cox
Breakout star of "Orange is the New Black", passionate trans advocate and exceedingly eloquent educator of Katie Couric, Laverne Cox's star is rising fast and is a delight to witness.
3. Jamie Clayton
Clayton hosted VH1's TRANSform Me alongside Laverne Cox, but she is also an actress of note, with perhaps her most high profile gig to date being her appearance in two episodes of HBO's "Hung".
4. Stephanie Michelini
Fellow Francophone director Sebastian Lifshitz showed "Dallas Buyers Club" director John-Paul Vallee how it's done by casting a trans actor in his feature film "Wild Side". The film won the Teddy at the Berlinale and a clutch of other festival awards, including a Best Actress trophy for Michelini.
5. Alexandra Billings
With roles on "E.R." and "Grey's Anatomy" among her credits, Billings made history as the first trans actor to appear in a transgender role on American television.
6. Elizabeth Coffey
Ok, so she hasn't done any screen acting for a while, but let's pay our dues regardless. Known as a "Dreamlander" as one of John Waters' regular cast of actors, Coffey played a transgender role in the iconic "Pink Flamingoes". Two years later, she returned to play a non-trans role for Waters in 1974's "Female Trouble".
7. Calpernia Addams
Addams first made the news for tragic reasons when her soldier boyfriend was murdered by his colleagues on discovery of their relationship. A subsequent fiction film of events led to her meeting Jane Fonda at Sundance and conceiving the idea for an all-transgender production of "The Vagina Monologues". Addams was later invited to perform in the 10th anniversary edition of the play alongside Fonda, Glenn Close and Salma Hayek.
7. Eva Robin's
Robin's considers herself androgynous rather than transgender, having been born male and then developed feminine features naturally. Her most famous role was in Dario Argento's horror film "Tenebrae". While the film's politics are certainly thorny, a non-cisgendered actor playing a female role for a celebrated director is a shamefully uncommon occurrence.
9. Bibi Andersen
Competition for a place in Almodovar's stable of actresses is fierce, but Bibi Andersen clocked up no less than four credits in Almodovar feature films in the late eighties and early nineties. It is also rumoured that it was Almodovar's desire to attend the 1988 Oscars with Andersen as opposed to his leading lady Carmen Maura that caused the 18-year professional rift between Maura and the director.
10. Candis Cayne
Following a role on "Nip / Tuck", Cayne went one further by becoming the first ever transgender actress to play a recurring transgender role on primetime as Carmelita in ABC's "Dirty Sexy Money".
Want more /bent? Follow us on Twitter.
- 2/20/2014
- by Matthew Hammett Knott
- Sydney's Buzz
Singer to conduct interviews for Truth, a film hoping to 'change the gender landscape of the world forever'
Janet Jackson is reaching out to the global transgender community with her first foray into film production.
The documentary, entitled Truth, will explore the stories of transgender people around the world. Jackson intends to conduct the interviews herself as well as serving as the production's executive producer, with the intension of demonstrating that "all of our hearts are the same". Directed by Robert Jason, the film will go into production this summer.
Jackson said: "I've been fortunate to make friends and learn about very different lives. Truth is our small chance to ask that you try and understand someone who lives their life in a way that is a little bit different from yours, even though all of our hearts are the same. We want to stop the hate and find understanding.
Janet Jackson is reaching out to the global transgender community with her first foray into film production.
The documentary, entitled Truth, will explore the stories of transgender people around the world. Jackson intends to conduct the interviews herself as well as serving as the production's executive producer, with the intension of demonstrating that "all of our hearts are the same". Directed by Robert Jason, the film will go into production this summer.
Jackson said: "I've been fortunate to make friends and learn about very different lives. Truth is our small chance to ask that you try and understand someone who lives their life in a way that is a little bit different from yours, even though all of our hearts are the same. We want to stop the hate and find understanding.
- 6/6/2012
- by Dan Martin
- The Guardian - Film News
I started off 2011 by attending the Sundance Film Festival for the first time. I was only there for a few days but got to see the films Becoming Chaz and Gun Hill Road. I left the film festival feeling infinitely inspired as an actress, artist, and trans woman. I was certain that the game would be forever changed for trans folks in the media because of these two films. Chaz Bono, the subject of Becoming Chaz, of course, went on to have a groundbreaking year for transgender visibility. Harmony Santana, the transgender actress who plays Michael/Vanessa in Gun Hill Road, has won critical raves and public adulation for her moving performance as a teen struggling for paternal acceptance as she begins her gender transition. She was recently nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for her role. She is the first trans woman to be so honored.
2011 has been a...
2011 has been a...
- 12/23/2011
- by Laverne Cox
- Aol TV.
Thomas Jane's character Ray has serviced a number of ladies on HBO's racy series Hung, but his latest client, the beautiful Kyla, has a secret past. Actress Jamie Clayton, who plays the strawberry blonde with the raspy voice and enviable set of gams, shares more than striking features with her character: They're both women who happen to be transgender. "Obviously this storyline is different for Hung," Clayton tells People of her surprising character. Kyla is a receptionist at a suicide prevention call center who first requests Ray's services on the episode airing Sunday (10 p.m. Et). "The writers really...
- 11/5/2011
- by Janet Mock
- PEOPLE.com
"Hung" season 3 will take Ray Drecker closer to Lgbt zone. When a rival gigolo is threatening his business, the male prostitute will take a transgender turn although it is against Thomas Jane's "no gay sex" mandate for his character.
Ray will bed down with a pre-op transgender receptionist named Kyla before contemplating a full same-sex encounter when the show enters midseason. Portraying Kyla is transgender actress Jamie Clayton who co-hosted VH1's "TRANSform Me".
For Thomas who has long maintained that the "no gay sex" mandate still stands for his character, "the idea of kissing a man was not a comfortable one for him," creator Colette Burson tells TV Guide, before adding "but he did great." He further reveals, "They had to kiss for hours. After his initial shyness, she became a woman for him."
Jamie additionally gushes on the newest twist, saying "For them to want to do this is great!
Ray will bed down with a pre-op transgender receptionist named Kyla before contemplating a full same-sex encounter when the show enters midseason. Portraying Kyla is transgender actress Jamie Clayton who co-hosted VH1's "TRANSform Me".
For Thomas who has long maintained that the "no gay sex" mandate still stands for his character, "the idea of kissing a man was not a comfortable one for him," creator Colette Burson tells TV Guide, before adding "but he did great." He further reveals, "They had to kiss for hours. After his initial shyness, she became a woman for him."
Jamie additionally gushes on the newest twist, saying "For them to want to do this is great!
- 7/5/2011
- by AceShowbiz.com
- Aceshowbiz
Hung's Thomas Jane has long maintained a "no gay sex" mandate for his male prostitute character, Ray Drecker, and "that maxim still stands," he says. But when a rival anything-goes gigolo (The Vampire Diaries' Stephen Amell) hones in on Ray's territory in Hung's third season (premiering on HBO in October), Ray inches closer to the forbidden Lgbt zone. Mid-season, he'll bed down with a pre-op transgender receptionist named Kyla before contemplating a full same-sex encounter. Kyla is played by transgender actress Jamie Clayton, whose only previous TV experience was cohosting VH1's TRANSform Me.
When Thomas first got wind of Ray's new adventures...
Read More >...
When Thomas first got wind of Ray's new adventures...
Read More >...
- 7/4/2011
- by William Keck
- TVGuide - Breaking News
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