Rebecca Root
Rebecca Root | |
---|---|
Born | Woking, Surrey, England | 10 May 1969
Alma mater | Royal Central School of Speech and Drama |
Occupation(s) | Actress, comedian, voice coach |
Website | rebeccaroot |
Rebecca Root (born 10 May 1969) is an English actress and stand-up comedian. She was rated 18th in The Independent on Sunday's Rainbow List 2014, which named her as one of the very few openly trans actresses in mainstream television, alongside Laverne Cox and Adèle Anderson.[1] She played the leading role in the 2015–2016 BBC Two sitcom Boy Meets Girl.[2]
Biography
Root is also a voice coach,[3] teaching at the East 15 Acting School and from her home in Highgate, London. She started that career after she transitioned and acting work became harder to find.[4] She graduated from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama with a Master of Arts in Vocal Studies. Her thesis, "There and Back Again: Adventures in Genderland", has since been published in the peer reviewed journal Voice and Speech Review, and she advertises voice therapy specifically for transgender people to help them "find a voice they feel fits their gender".[5][6][7][8]
In 2015 Root starred in the BBC Radio 4 drama 1977,[9] about the transgender popular composer Angela Morley who had become a household name to British radio audiences as Wally Stott. Written by Sarah Wooley,[10] it followed the year in which Morley was enlisted to complete composition of the musical soundtrack to the film Watership Down in three weeks flat.[11]
TV, film and radio appearances
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2012 | Normal: Real Stories from the Sex Industry | Cynthia | Film premiered at the 2012 Raindance Film Festival[12] |
2015–2016 | Boy Meets Girl | Judy | BBC TV series[13] |
2015 | 1977 | Angela Morley | BBC Radio 4 drama[9] |
The Danish Girl | Lili's nurse | Root auditioned for the role of the transgender character Lili Elbe, but the role was given to actor Eddie Redmayne,[4][14] with Root being given the role of Lili's nurse | |
2017 | Doctor Who: Zaltys | Sable | Big Finish Doctor Who audio drama[15] |
2017-2018 | Doctors | Samantha Eustace | 4 Episodes |
2018 | Colette | Rachilde | |
The Sisters Brothers | Mayfield | ||
The Romanoffs | Dana | Episode: The One That Holds Everything | |
2019 | Moominvalley | Misabel | Episode 1.1 |
Flack | Allie Gregs | Episode: Dan | |
Last Christmas | Dr. Addis | ||
Gallifrey: Time War 2 | Cantico | Big Finish audio drama boxset[16] | |
2020 | Doctor Who: Stranded | Tania Bell | Big Finish Doctor Who audio drama boxset[17] |
References
- ^ "Rainbow List 2014, 1 to 101". The Independent on Sunday. 9 November 2014. Retrieved 14 April 2015.
- ^ "Boy Meets Girl". BBC online. Retrieved 26 March 2018.
- ^ Gill, Nicola (22 September 2015). "Rebecca Root interview: 'I'm not fighting myself any more'". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 September 2015.
- ^ a b Enfield, Laura (23 March 2015). "Highate Actress Rebecca Root talks being transgender, her BBC2 sitcom and starring with Eddie Redmayne". Enfield Independent. Newsquest. Retrieved 14 April 2015.
- ^ Merz, Theo (8 January 2015). "'Transgender women often want to sound like Fiona Bruce'". The Telegraph. Retrieved 14 April 2015.
- ^ Root, Rebecca. "Biography". Rebecca Root. Retrieved 14 April 2015.
- ^ Sherwin, Adam (21 August 2014). "BBC2 commissions Britain's first transgender sitcom Boy Meets Girl". The Independent. Retrieved 28 April 2015.
- ^ Root, Rebecca (2009). "There and Back Again: Adventures in Genderland". Voice and Speech Review. 6 (1). Voice and Speech Trainers Association: 144–155. doi:10.1080/23268263.2009.10761517.
- ^ a b "Drama: 1977". BBC online. 3 December 2015.
- ^ "Sarah Wooley, writer for radio, TV, film, theatre". Wooley's website. Retrieved 26 March 2018.
- ^ "About so much more than 'a transgender woman in the 1970s'". BBC/blogs/writersroom. 30 November 2015.
- ^ Root, Rebecca. "News and upcoming events". Rebecca Root. Retrieved 9 September 2015.
- ^ Ellis-Petersen, Hannah (4 February 2015). "BBC starts filming sitcom starring transgender actor". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 April 2015.
- ^ Pate, Caroline (1 May 2014). "Eddie Redmayne Cast as Transgender — Do We Need Another Straight, Cisgender Dude in a LGBTQ Role?". Bustle. Retrieved 9 September 2015.
- ^ "223. Doctor Who: Zaltys - Doctor Who - The Monthly Adventures - Big Finish". www.bigfinish.com. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
- ^ "10. Gallifrey: Time War 2 - Gallifrey - Big Finish". www.bigfinish.com. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
- ^ "Paul McGann comes down to Earth with a bump in Doctor Who - Stranded - News - Big Finish". www.bigfinish.com. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
Further reading
- Tebble, J (9 September 2014). "Is the tide turning for transgender actors?". New Statesman. – includes an interview with Root.