List of transgender characters in film and television

This article lists many films whose primary character(s) are transgender. It also includes films of note who have a secondary transgender character.

Film and video

Several movies feature transgender as a central plot element, or well known movies in which a transgender/transsexual character plays a minor but important role:

Male to Female

• 20 centímetros (2005) A Spanish musical comedy about a narcoleptic transwoman during her transition from male to female.

• The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994):

Cult Australian film starring Hugo Weaving, Guy Pearce as drag queens and Terence Stamp as a trans woman.

• The Adventures of Sebastian Cole (1998)

• Bad Education (aka La Mala Educacion) (2004):

Features Gael García Bernal as a transsexual actor.

• The Badge (2002):

Billy Bob Thornton stars as a sheriff investigating the death of a local transsexual.

• Better Than Chocolate (1999)

Features a sub-plot involving the male-to-female transsexual character named Judy (Peter Outerbridge), who struggles with family rejection throughout the film and who has a crush on, and ultimately begins a romantic relationship with, lesbian separatist Frances (Ann-Marie MacDonald), who owns the gay & lesbian bookstore in which the film's central character Maggie (Karyn Dwyer) works. Judy also becomes friends with Maggie's somewhat sexually repressed mother, Lila (Wendy Crewson)

• Breakfast on Pluto (2005):

Another film by Neil Jordan. Stars Cillian Murphy as a young preoperative male to female transsexual during the Irish Times of Trouble. An orphan, she searches for her mother. Lighter than The Crying Game.

• The Forgotten DJ/ Model (2011):

A drama/Bio film. The plot revolves around an International celebrity MOOGLE trans woman named Jenna Fox (played by the Oscar-nominated Jenna Fox).

• The Crying Game (1992):

A drama film. The plot revolves around a trans woman named Dil (played by the Oscar-nominated Jaye Davidson).

• The Danish Girl (TBA):

An upcoming drama film about Lili Elbe, based on the book The Danish Girl, starring Nicole Kidman and Charlize Theron.

• Different for Girls (1996):

A British comedy film about two childhood friends who are reunited, after one of them has undergone sex reassignment surgery.

• Dog Day Afternoon (1975):

Al Pacino's lover, played by Chris Sarandon, was a pre-operative transsexual. Pacino's character was robbing a bank to pay for the operation.

• Dressed to Kill (1980):

A film about a transsexual murderer

• Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde (1971):

A different take on the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde story in which the main character's transformation also involves a sex change.

• En Soap (English: A Soap, 2006):

A Danish film about the love between a (pre-operative) male-to-female transsexual and a lesbian.

• Grilled (2006)

A comedy film in which Sofía Vergara plays character of Loridonna, a sultry transsexual woman who seduces unsuspecting Maurice (Ray Romano) when he and Dave (Kevin James), two desperate meat salesmen, knock on her door. A call from a suicidal friend interrupts signing the contract, so Maurice and Dave offer to drive her to her friend's house, hoping to close the deal. There, troubles multiply as they meet an arms dealer (Kim Coates) - who outs Lori to Maurice just before they got intimate, then hit-men working for a gregarious mob boss (Burt Reynolds).

• Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001):

An off-Broadway cult musical adapted for cinema about a transgender German glam rocker (John Cameron Mitchell) recounting the story of her betrayal by her former boyfriend.

• I Want What I Want (1972)

• Early John Waters Films [between 1964–1981]:

All of his earlier films contained a transvestite actor, Harris Glen Milstead known as Divine playing several female (and some male) roles in Pink Flamingos, Female Trouble, Polyester, Roman Candles, The Diane Linkletter Story, Hairspray, among others.

• Jane Friday (2011):

A supernatural film series, spanning, 13 epsiodes, three feature films. The plot revolves around an Male to Female Trans Detective, named Jane Friday, with a talking black cat as a partner. Starred International OUT! celebrity (Author, Actress, Activist, Model, Producer, Director, Recording Artist) MOOGLE trans woman Jenna Fox (played by the Out-nominated Jenna Fox).

• Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985):

Luis Molina and Valentin Arregui are cell mates in a South American prison. Luis is found guilty of immoral behaviour and Valentin is a political prisoner. To escape reality Luis invents romantic movies, while Valentin tries to keep his mind on the situation he is in. During the time they spend together, the two come to understand and respect one another. Molina is more accurately transgender, if not transsexual.

• Let Me Die a Woman (1978):

A documentary film featuring interviews with sex reassignment surgeon Leo Wollman and various transsexuals.

• Ma vie en rose (1997):

A Belgian film about a young child, Ludovic, who believes that he was born in the wrong body and should have been a girl.

• Mora The Explorer (2010):

A children's series animated shorts, based on the children's book series of the same name, spanning, 3 episodes, film short (in discussion with PIXAR/ DreamWorks and Sony pictures). The plot revolves around a cat named, Mora The Explorer a Male to Female Trans woman becomes a young girl again when they discover a magical world to fight againist Anti-Violence in their kitchen. Starred, Voice-over-Narrated by International OUT! celebrity (Author, Actress, Activist, Model, Producer, Director, Recording Artist) MOOGLE trans woman Jenna Fox (played by the Out-nominated Jenna Fox).

• Myra Breckinridge (1970):

Starring Raquel Welch in an off-beat role.

• Normal (2003):

A drama film about a midwestern factory worker who stuns his wife of 25 years revealing that he wishes to have sex reassignment surgery. It starred Oscar-nominated actor Tom Wilkinson.

• Orlando (1992)

Tilda Swinton portrays Orlando, a character whose sex changes after 2/3 of the film.

• Red without Blue (2007):

A documentary featuring identical twins, one of which transitions to female during the film.

• The Silence of the Lambs (1991):

Ted Levine plays a serial killer named Buffalo Bill who thinks he is and tries to be a transsexual.

• Sleepaway Camp quadrilogy (1983, 1988, 1989, 2008):

Angela Baker (portrayed by Felissa Rose in the first and fourth installments and Pamela Springsteen in the second and third), the killer and main character of the series, is a trans woman.

• Soapdish (1991)

In this soap opera parody, Montana Morehead (Cathy Moriarty), the show's star and scheming antagonist, is revealed, on live television, as a transgender woman.

• Ticked-Off Trannies With Knives (2010)

A rape/revenge "transploitation" film about a trio of transwomen who avenge themselves on three men who brutally attack them and kill two of their friends.

• Todo sobre mi madre (1999):

A movie by Pedro Almodóvar focused on Manuela, a nurse whose son is struck by a car and killed. The son's father is a transvestite. Agrado, a friend of Manuela, is a transsexual prostitute.

• Transamerica (2005):

A comedy-drama starring Felicity Huffman, who plays Bree, a transsexual woman. It was nominated for two Academy Awards in 2006: Felicity Huffman for Best Actress, and Dolly Parton for Best Original Song.

• A Transgender Path (1995):

A documentary short about the experiences of Jo Ryan, a transgender student at the University of New Hampshire who came out in the early 1990s.

• The World According to Garp (1982):

In this film, the character Roberta Muldoon (played by John Lithgow in an Oscar-nominated role) is a transsexual former football player.

• The World's Fastest Indian (2005):

Based on the true story of Burt Munro, who broke the motorcycle land speed record. In the film, Munro met a transsexual motel clerk, Tina Washington (played by Chris Williams), who helps Burt on his way to the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah for Speed Week.

• Yellow Hair 2 (2001):

A South Korean film starring the transsexual actress Harisu.

Female to Male

• Boy I Am (2006):

A documentary that explores antagonism in the lesbian community as a result of the increased visibility of transgender men.

• Boys Don't Cry (1999):

A drama film based on the real-life story of Brandon Teena, a transsexual man who was raped and murdered by his male friends after they discovered his gender history. The movie received lots of media attention when its star Hilary Swank, who played Brandon, won the Academy Award for Best Actress.

• Flying with One Wing (2003):

Revolutionary Sri Lankan movie – a transgender man, Manju, is discovered after being taken to a clinic after a car accident. Film contains themes about sexism, homophobia.

• Funny Kinda Guy (2005):

A documentary following the singer Simon de Voil's transition to manhood, encountering the sacrifice of his female singing voice and his discovery of true love. Directed by Travis Reeves, a man who has also transitioned.

• Southern Comfort (2001):

A documentary film about the final year in the life of Robert Eads, a transsexual man from the southern United States.

• Itty Bitty Titty Committee (2007):

A comedy about young feminists who spread their message through public art and vandalism. Aggie (played by Lauren Mollica) is transgender, and the only man allowed in the group. He bonds with the main character, Anna, and develops an apparent crush on her.

Depictions of both

• Dr. Jekyll and Ms. Hyde (1995):

A comedy film adaption of the Robert Louis Stevenson novella Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, it features a protagonist, Richard Jacks (Tim Daly), who swaps genders frequently due to a perfume-based chemical potion.

• Dating the Enemy (1996):

An Australian comedy about a boyfriend and girlfriend who swap bodies and have to live as each other.

• It's a Boy Girl Thing (2006):

A romantic comedy film starring Samaire Armstrong and Kevin Zegers, who swap bodies and have to live as each other.

• Wandering Son (2011):

An 11-episode anime adaptation produced by AIC Classic based on the manga by Takako Shimura. The story depicts a young boy named Shūichi Nitori who wants to be a girl, and his friend Yoshino Takatsuki, a girl who wants to be a boy. The series deals with issues such as transsexuality, gender identity, and the beginning of puberty.

• Zerophilia (2006):

A boy is discovered to be a Zerophiliac, a fictitious genetic disorder, which switches the gender of the protagonist whenever they orgasm.

Television

• All My Children: Zoe is a transgender character in the American soap opera.

• All That Glitters: Linda Gray played transgender fashion model Linda Murkland in this 1977 series.

• Ally McBeal: Lisa Edelstein played transsexual Cindy McCauliff in the fourth season of the show.

• Bad Girls: Arun Pamer - transsexual character who served time in Larkhall prison,.

• Black Butler: Grell Sutcliffe - M to F Transsexual Shinigami with a very large crush on one of the main characters, a demon by the name of Sebastian Michaelis, as well as being infatuated with William Spears, a fellow shinigami.

• Bones: In "The He in the She," Brennan and her team work to solve the murder of a transgender pastor named Patricia.

• Coronation Street: Hayley Cropper is the first fictional transsexual character in the British soap opera.

• CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: The fifth season episode "Ch-ch-changes" focuses on illegal sex reassignment operations in the male-to-female transsexual community, and features several transsexual characters.

• CSI: Paul Millander, a transsexual character, appears in three episodes of CSI: "Pilot", "Anonymous", and "Identity Crisis" .

• Degrassi: Adam Torres (played by Jordan Todosey) is a transgender character introduced into the show in the tenth season.

• Diagnosis: Murder: A trans woman is murdered by her previous lover, who loved her as a male.

• Dirty Sexy Money: Candis Cayne, actress and transsexual performer plays Carmelita, a transsexual woman who has an affair with married New York attorney General Patrick Darling, played by William Baldwin.

• The Education of Max Bickford: Helen Shaver plays Erica, a trans woman and best friend of Max Bickford, the title character.

• Family Guy: In the episode "Quagmire's Dad", Glenn Quagmire's father, Lieutenant Commander Dan Quagmire, has gender reassignment surgery and changes her name to Ida Quagmire.

• Friends: Kathleen Turner plays Chandler Bing's dad, Charles Bing, who is a transgender Drag Queen in Las Vegas who performs under the stage name of "Helena Handbasket."

• Hollyoaks: In 2010, character Jasmine Costello was introduced as the British soap opera's first character to have gender identity disorder.

• It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia:Brittany Daniel plays recurring character Carmen, a male-to-female transsexual who has an on-again, off-again relationship with Mac until she gets married.

• The Jeffersons: Veronica Redd plays Edie Stokes, formerly Eddie Stokes, in the episode "Once a Friend".

• Just Shoot Me: Jenny McCarthy plays Brandi, formerly Burt, an old college friend of Finch's, in the episode "There's Something About Allison".

• Law & Order: Special Victims Unit: Transgender characters are featured in episodes "Fallacy" (Season 4) and "Transitions" (Season 10).

• The Love Boat: In a 1980s episode, MacKenzie Phillips portrays a trans woman who is eventually accepted as a friend by her old high school classmate, series regular Fred Grandy.

• The L Word: Moira becomes Max, a transsexual man. He becomes aggressive and unpredictable during his transition due to the hormones he is taking, and Jenny then dumps him because she does not want to be in a relationship with a man.

• The Mighty Boosh: Noel Fielding plays Old Gregg in episode "The Legend of Old Gregg (Season 2) and in the tour.

• My Family: Diana Weston plays Charlie Briggs, an old college friend of Ben's who is transsexual.

• NCIS:In the Season 1 episode "Dead Man Talking," the female person of interest in a stakeout turns out to be the male murder suspect.

• Nip/Tuck: Famke Janssen played Ava Moore in the American plastic surgery based television drama series. Jonathan Del Arco plays Sophia Lopez, whose botched surgery leads the doctors to a doctor who routinely botches surgery on transgender patients in season 1. Cherry Peck (William Belli) figures prominently in season 3.

• Number 96: In 1973, Carlotta played a showgirl revealed as transgender.

• One Piece: Mr. 2 Bon Kurei (better known as Bon Clay in English adaptations) is an okama, or transgender agent, of the criminal organization Baroque Works. Another character, Emporio Ivankov (aka Iva) is the "Queen" of Kamabakka Queendom (Kamabakka literally means "full of transvestites") and possess the powers of the "Horu Horu no Mi" devil's fruit, which grants the user the ability to create and control special hormones that can affect anyone they strike by however the user desires. One of his techniques is Emporio Onna Hormone (エンポリオ･女ホルモン, literally translated as Emporio Female Hormone) which are special female hormones that when injected into a male, causes said male (including Iva himself) to be transformed complete into a female (Iva uses it to change the sex of male opponents and even himself to female).

• Queer as Folk: Later seasons featured a minor transgender character named Kiki (usually described by other characters as "Kiki the waitress, formerly known as Kenny the Waiter").

• Second Serve: A TV film based on the autibiography of tennis pro Renée Richards (played by Vanessa Redgrave), whose player status was challenged in 1976 when it was revealed that she was transsexual.

• Soldier's Girl (2003): A drama film based on real-life story of the relationship between Private Barry Winchell and singer Calpernia Addams, starring Lee Pace as Calpernia.

• South Park: Herbert Garrison, an elementary school teacher, known for a time as Janet Garrison.

• The Surreal Life: Alexis Arquette, a trans woman who appeared in the reality series.

• Tales of the City (1993): Based on Armistead Maupin's novel of the same name, this miniseries is set in a San Francisco apartment building run by a Anna Madrigal (Olympia Dukakis), an oversolicitous transsexual landlady.

• Two and a Half Men: In the episode "An Old Flame With a New Wick" (Chris O'Donnell) plays a transgender man.

• Ugly Betty: Rebecca Romijn plays Alexis Meade, a fictional trans woman in the American drama/comedy television series.

• Waterloo Road: In 2011, British School-based Drama Waterloo Road introduced fictional transgender character, 'Martin Dunbar' played by Matt Greenwood in Series 7, Episode 2 of the BBC Drama Series. The episode features around the 'coming out' and coming-to-terms storyline of the pupil.

• WKRP in Cincinnati: In episode "Hotel Oceanview", Linda Carlson plays Nikki Sinckler, a transgender woman and former high school buddy of salesman Herb Tarlek, whom she unwittingly tries to seduce.

See also

• List of transgender-related topics
• Lists of American television episodes with LGBT themes
• Cross-dressing in film and television
• Be Like Others, a documentary film about transsexuality in Iran

External links

• Nederlands Transgender Film Festival
• Transgender Films