Transgender Actors
A list of transgender actors and actresses.
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Mj Rodriguez is an actress, best known for her work in Nurse Jackie (2011), Carrie Diaries (2013), Dear Pauline (2014), new internet series [Blank] My Life (2016) and Netflix show Luke Cage (2016). She is also known for her Musical Theater credit as Angel Dumont Schunard in the Original Off-Broadway Revival of Rent in 2011.- Actress
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Dominique Jackson was born on 20 March 1975 in Scarborough, Trinidad and Tobago. She is an actress and producer, known for Pose (2018), In Every Dream Home and The Patience of Vultures. She was previously married to Al Jackson.- Actress
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Indya Moore is an actress, writer, director, model, social activist and founder of Beetlefruit Media, Inc., a production company focused on storytelling in various mediums. Born and raised in the Bronx, they have appeared in Vogue and OUT, as well as assignments for GQ, Gucci and Christian Dior. Over the last year, Indya has performed alongside Katy Perry and Migos for Saturday Night Live and acted in the feature film Saturday Church distributed by Samuel Goldwyn Films. Their work has graced many international music videos and video installations. They are the lead actress and executive producer of the anthology TV series Magic Hour. Indya currently plays a leading role as "Angel" in Ryan Murphy's FX TV series POSE.- Actress
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Hailie Sahar is an award-winning Actor, Producer, Director, Singer, and Writer.
Sahar made history as one of the five transgender lead actors to star in Ryan Murphy's culturally groundbreaking FX series, Pose. Staring as Lulu, the Mother of the House of Ferocity, the ensemble went on to be globally recognized and awarded, included several Emmy Awards over the course of its successful three seasons.
Hailie has been featured in Vogue, Essence, Variety, Allure, OUT Magazine among other substantial titles worldwide, and in 2020 was named one of the "Most Beautiful People" by People Magazine. She is one of the handful of trans women to be highlighted by Playboy Magazine paving a way for solidarity for all.
Sahar's film credits range from HBO Max's original docu-series, Equal, portraying community pioneer, Sylvia Rivera, Freeform's Good Trouble as the dynamic series regular, Jazmin, Amazon Studio's Transparent, USA's Mr. Robot, and also starred in the off-Broadway production, Charm in New York City's MMC Theater. Sahar Executively Produced and Co-Directed the PAFF recognized thought-provoking documentary, Beyond Ed Buck, debuting in 2022.
In the fall of 2020, Deadline announced Sahar's collaboration with Emmy Award-winning Director, Anthony Hemmingway for the Sir Lady Java biopic. She is set to Executively Produce and star as the trailblazing Los Angeles icon.
Hailie has overcome many challenges presented to her as a transgender woman, and was crowned "Miss L.A. Pride" and "Queen U.S.A." She was honored with an invitation to speak on the HIV/AIDS epidemic at The Ronald Reagan International Trade Center for the 57th Presidential Advisory Council in Washington DC and continues to contribute to The East LA Women's Center against Domestic Violence.- Actress
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Angelica Ross was born on 28 November 1980 in Kenosha, Wisconsin, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for American Horror Story (2011), Pose (2018) and Claws (2017).- Actress
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Trace Lysette is an actress and producer best known for her recurring role as Shea in all 5 seasons of Amazon's critically acclaimed series Transparent and for the feature film Hustlers alongside Jennifer Lopez, Cardi B and Constance Wu.
She has also guest starred and recurred in other productions such as the drama series Midnight Texas based on the trilogy of the same name by U.S. writer Charlaine Harris, the choral series POSE, and Derek Waters' sketch comedy Drunk History. She also took part in Tarell Alvin McCraney's coming-of-age drama series David Makes Man, and Martin Gero's Quantum Leap reboot among others.
She most recently played the title role in Monica, opposite academy award nominees Patricia Clarkson and Adriana Barraza in Andrea Pallaoro's latest film which premiered at Venice Film Festival and received an eleven and a half minute standing ovation.- Ianne Fields Stewart (pronouns: she/her/they/them) is a black, queer, and transfeminine New York-based storyteller working at the intersection of theatre and activism. Their work and she are dedicated to interrupting the exclusivity of luxury by making things like entertainment, nourishment, and self care accessible to the most marginalized in their community. In a world that is constantly traumatizing Black bodies she believes that Black queer and trans people should have the space and time to center collective emotional, physical, and sensual pleasure.
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Laverne Cox is a three time Emmy-nominated actress, Emmy winning documentary film producer and a prominent equal rights advocate. Laverne's role of Sophia Burset in the critically acclaimed Netflix original series "Orange is The New Black" brought her to the attention of diverse audiences all over the world. This role lead to Laverne becoming the first openly transgender actress to be nominated for a Primetime acting Emmy.
An artist and an advocate with an empowering message of moving beyond gender expectations to live more authentically, Laverne is the first openly transgender person to appear on the covers of TIME Magazine, Cosmopolitan magazine and Essence magazines among others. She was named one of Glamour magazine's 2014 Women of the Year. Laverne also proudly holds two SAG Awards winning them with her Orange Is The New Black cast mates.
Laverne has been one of the faces of Beyonce's athleisure line, Ivy Park. She also collaborated with Orly to create "Celebrate Yourself" a Limited Edition collection of nail colors and teamed up with Ted Danson for Smirnoff's "Welcome To The Fun" campaign.
Laverne's Emmy winning documentary "Laverne Cox Presents: The T Word" helped lead her to Executive Producing two powerful documentaries. The upcoming "Disclosure: Trans Lives on Screen" is an unprecedented, groundbreaking look at the depiction of transgender characters throughout the history of film and TV and "Free CeCe" which tells the story of CeCe McDonald, a transgender woman who was controversially sentenced to 41 months in a men's prison for second degree manslaughter after defending herself against a racist and transphobic attack. The documentary focuses on McDonald's case, her experiences while incarcerated and the larger implications of her case for the transgender community and for communities of color at large.- Actress
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Bianca Leigh is known for Transamerica (2005), Hurricane Bianca (2016) and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999).- Actress
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Jen Richards was born in Natchez, Mississippi, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for Her Story (2015), The Acolyte (2024) and Mrs. Fletcher (2019).- Actress
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Alexandra Billings is an American actress, singer, and teacher. Billings, a trans woman, played one of TV's first openly transgender characters in 2005 made-for-TV movie Romy and Michele: In the Beginning. She is also known for portraying the recurring character Davina in the Amazon series Transparent and has played transgender characters in ER, Eli Stone, How to Get Away with Murder, Never Have I Ever, Grey's Anatomy and The Conners.- Actor
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Brian Michael Smith was born in Ann Arbor, MI. He is an actor known for roles in 9-1-1 Lone Star, Queen Sugar and The L Word: Generation Q.
After appearances on TV shows such as NBC's Chicago P.D., HBO's Girls, and Showtime's Homeland, Smith rose to prominence for his ground-breaking performances on television and advocacy for better trans representation in media. His role as Toine Wilkins, a transgender police officer, in Ava DuVernay's Queen Sugar (2017) on OWN launched him into a series of high-profile roles including political strategist Pierce Williams in Showtime's The L Word: Generation Q (2019) and, most notably, firefighter Paul Strickland in Ryan Murphy's 9-1-1 Lone Star (2020). With Lone Star, Smith became the first out Black trans man in a series regular role.
Smith studied theatre and film production at Kent State University. Upon graduating, he began teaching and mentoring youth in filmmaking which he continued in New York through Tribeca Film Institute's Tribeca Teaches Program. He discovered the importance of community and visibility while he worked with queer youth at the Manhattan LGBT Center which led him to pursue his passion for acting, moving to Los Angeles.
Since Queen Sugar, Brian Michael has leveraged his visibility and platform to advocate for better trans representation in TV and film, empowering youth to create their own media and storytelling.- Actress
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Born in the Philippines and raised on the island of Guam, Rain Valdez is a trailblazing force in the entertainment industry, breaking boundaries as an accomplished actress, writer, and producer. Rain made history with her stellar performance in the groundbreaking series Razor Tongue, catapulting her to become the first Filipino American Transgender Actress nominated for a Primetime Emmy in the "Outstanding Actress in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series" category. Her exceptional talent garnered not only this prestigious recognition but also a 'Special Recognition' GLAAD Award.- Actor
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Elliot Fletcher was born in Los Angeles, California. He is an actor, known for Shameless, The Fosters, Faking It, and Young Hollywood. Additionally, Elliot has worked in the theater with several productions and has performed his original music compositions for local audiences. He was selected to be included on the 2017 Forbes 30 Under 30 List. Elliot looks forward to a long and rewarding career.- Actor
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Marquise Vilson is known for Blindspot (2015), The Kitchen (2019) and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999).- Actor
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Leo Sheng was born on May 18, 1996 in Hunan, China. He was adopted and raised in Ypsilanti, Michigan, USA by two moms who were social workers. Sheng is an actor known for Adam (2019), Showtime's The L Word: Generation Q (2019), and Disclosure (2020).
Sheng, an out transgender man, is a vocal advocate for queer and trans communities, and authentic queer and trans representation in media.- Actress
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Alexandra Jordan Grey is an actress, writer, and singer. She was born in Chicago, Illinois. Raised in seven foster homes, she was determined not be a stereotype and to always follow her dreams of making it on the small screen. After high-school, she relocated to California where she began studying Theater at California State University Northridge and soon after began a career in television. Her roles include Empire (2015), How to Get Away with Murder (2014), and The Alienist (2018). In 2021, she joined the cast of the CBS action/adventure series Macgyver, where she played Parker Phillips - a new electrical engineer brought on to help solve cases with the Macgyver team.- Actress
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Candis was born in Maui, Hawaii. Candis Cayne has become one of the United States' most popular and sought-after transgender actresses. Candis first made a name for herself at the famed NYC gay hot-spot "Boy Bar", where her performances drew raves. A classically trained dancer, Candis has thrilled audiences from coast-to-coast with her amazing gift for dance, choreography and glamour.
Candis can be seen in the hit ABC series Dirty Sexy Money where she played actor Billy Baldwin's (Patrick) transgender love interest Carmelita. Candis was the first transgender actress to have a recurring role on a prime-time series. Recently, Candis has had guest-starring spots in various shows and a recurring role in The Magicians. Also, check out the 2020 Netflix documentary "Disclosure" for a more in-depth understanding of transgender representation in media and society where Candis speaks candidly about her experiences as a transgender actress.- Actress
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Jamie Clayton's big break was playing Kyla on season three of the hit HBO series Hung alongside Thomas Jane. After her multi-episode arc on Hung, Jamie joined actors Mary Lynn Rajskub and Hank Harris as a lead in the Emmy winning digital series, Dirty Work, playing crime scene cleanup maven Michelle. In 2014, Jamie booked the series regular role of Nomi Marks, the San Francisco based hacker, in the Netflix Original Series, Sense8. The show became a critical darling and an international success touching on topics not normally emphasized in the Sci-Fi genre such as politics and religion. The series ran for two full seasons and ended with a 2½ hour finale that premiered on Netflix on June 8th, 2018. Jamie had a six episode arc on season 3 of Designated Survivor which premiered June 7th, 2019 on Netflix. Jamie's big screen debut was in Nicolas Winding Refn's, The Neon Demon. She then played alongside Michael Fassbender in Thomas Alfredson's The Snowman. She also stars in the The Chain, opposite Madeline Zima and John Patrick Amedori.- Actor
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Michael D. Cohen is a series regular on the Nickelodeon's hit series "Henry Danger" and "Danger Force" as audience favorite "Schwoz," a genius of indiscernible foreign nationality. The popular show won the Kid's Choice Award for Best Show in 2017 and 2020, and was nominated in 2018 and 2019.
Cohen knew he wanted to be an actor since the age of 4, watching "The Carol Burnett Show." He was inspired by her ability to make people laugh and come together through entertainment. However, he graduated college with a Bachelor of Science degree in Cell Biology, having competing passions in both the arts & science. After graduation, he began working in TV/Film Production & obtained his Masters degree in Adult Education focusing on transformative education for performers. But acting was always his dream, and he set forward on making that dream a reality.
His film credits include the Coen Brothers' comedy "Suburbicon," co-written and directed by George Clooney, the Oscar-nominated film "Whiplash," as well as the Canadian Screen Award nominated film "It Was You Charlie" for which he was nominated for an ACTRA Award in Outstanding Lead Performance. He also appears in "An Evening with Beverly Luff Linn," opposite Aubrey Plaza, Craig Robinson, Emile Hirsch & Jemaine Clement.
Television audiences know him from roles on "Modern Family," "The Real O'Neals," "2 Broke Girls," "The Mindy Project," "Angie Tribeca," "Powerless," "Austin & Ally" and "The Wizards of Waverly Place," to name a few. He also has dozens of commercial credits including spots for Wendy's, Nespresso, Mini Starburst, FedEx, Capital One, Boston Market, Honda with Patrick Warburton and the Super Bowl Hulu Plus campaign with Will Arnett.
With both parents as teachers - Cohen always also had a love for education. It was a natural transition for him to combine his two loves and become an acting teacher & coach as well. He served as co-chair of the SAG-AFTRA Hollywood Conservatory at the American Film Institute. Cohen is a faculty lecturer for the University of Texas at Austin (in Hollywood) and has directed two highly successful industry showcases for UT Austin. He also teaches through his own studio - the Michael D. Cohen Acting Studio - in Los Angeles and leads regular acting workshops for SAG-AFTRA. And, he is writing a book on acting.
Cohen is also developing a one-man show about his life and spends his free time as an avid mountaineer and rock climber.- Actor
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Ser is a non-binary, Imagen Award nominated American actor and stand up comic/solo performer/writer. As a stand up comic they have performed at The Comedy Store, Flappers, The Ice House in Pasadena, The Ha Ha, Tao Comedy Studio. Ser Anzoategui is the creator of the critically acclaimed solo show, ¡Ser! which won 2 L.A. Weekly awards. They toured briefly before being tapped for the role of the first openly queer masculine presenting character on an original Hulu show, Daysi, in East Los High season 3. Following East Los High, Ser landed additional roles on Crazy Ex Girlfriend, The Fosters, Shameless. Ser was active in the anti gentrification movement in north east la and surrounding communities. They are most known for their portrayal of Eddy in Starz' Vida, which reviews named them the break out star.
A published writer, they contributed to the Malcs academic journal. As a playwright, they were a finalist in the Downtown Urban Theatre Festival in NYC with Reg E Gaines as dramaturg. ¡Ser! was selected as one of the plays listed on the Kilroys list. The solo play, ¡Ser!, had a world premiere at Los Angeles Theatre Center, collaborating with Louie Perez of legendary Chicano band Los Lobos, penning original lyrics to the music of the solo show. Ser was a selected playwright for the 2017 Maria Irene Fornes Playwrighting workshop at Notre Dame in Chicago right before starting production on VIDA Season 1.
Ser has been an active Eastside community member since 2004, making numerous contributions including collaborations with the East La Housing Corporation, Teada, National Performance Network, Mujeres De Maiz, Latino Equality Alliance, California Endowment, Gender Justice LA, TransLatina Coalition, the L.A. LGBTQ Center's Mi Centro, Casa 0101, and university departments/student groups.
Outside of entertainment and artivism, Ser's hobbies include singing in the car while waiting in traffic, karaoke, mutual aid for trans/non-binary Bipoc, meditation, yoga, creating mindful recipes for cooking, hummingbird watching, swimming, playing in the ocean.
Ser is up and coming in the industry, but perhaps even more importantly, they are playing a significant role in empowering and advocating for local community as well as educating the larger society through entertainment.- Producer
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Zackary Drucker is an independent artist, cultural producer, and trans woman who breaks down the way we think about gender, sexuality, and seeing. She has performed and exhibited her work internationally in museums, galleries, and film festivals including the Whitney Biennial 2014, MoMA PS1, Hammer Museum, Art Gallery of Ontario, MCA San Diego, and SF MoMA, among others. Drucker is an Emmy-nominated Producer for the docu-series "This Is Me", as well as a Producer on Golden Globe and Emmy-winning "Transparent".- Actress
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Sandra Caldwell is a celebrated actress with numerous stage, television, and movie credits to her name. She got her start as a showgirl in New York and traveled the world before settling down for a spell in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. While there, she wrote and starred in a one-woman show called "The Guide to Being Fabulous After You've Skinned Your Knee." It was during this time that she came out publicly as transgender and auditioned for a transgender role in the off-Broadway play "Charm." In 2015, she starred in the TV Mini-Series "The Book of Negroes." Additionally, in 2020, she spoke candidly about transgender representation in the media in the Netflix documentary "Disclosure."- Actor
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Chaz Salvatore Bono was born on March 4, 1969 in Los Angeles, California to Cher & Sonny Bono. He is an American character actor & activist and best known for his work on American Horror Story and Curb Your Enthusiasm.
An acclaimed author, Bono has written three books, including NY Times Best Sellers, Family Outing 1998, and Transition published by Dutton in 2011, a candid account of a forty-year struggle to match his gender identity.
Adding to his multiple hyphenated talents, he has shared his life and experiences in, and produced the three-time Emmy nominated documentary, "Becoming Chaz."
Bono has a rich history of advocating for LGBTQ+ rights, having worked for two national LGBTQ+ organizations, and as public speaker on college campuses and at events around the world. He continues to be a strong voice the for LGBTQ+ community, and is a passionate champion of equality for all Americans, especially those discriminated against and targeted because of race, religion, sex, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or gender identity.
In 2012 Bono decided to pursue his lifelong dream of a career as a working actor. He's guest stared in the films Dirty, Reborn, Three From Hell, and Reboot Camp. Bono has also guest stared on multiple episodes of The Bold and the Beautiful, Where the Bears Are, American Horror Story Roanoke, American Horror Story Cult, and Curb Your Enthusiasm.- Actor
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Ellie Desautels is a non-binary actor who is best known for their debut television role as Michael Hallowell, a transgender teenage boy, in NBC's Rise (2018). Born and raised in Connecticut, Ellie received their Bachelor of Arts degree in Theatre from Manhattanville College. Ellie's most recent work was with Mirrorbox Theatre in Cedar Rapids, Iowa where they starred as Nut in Orange Julius. Short film credits include Mirage and Sever (dir. Cristian Ramirez).
During their final year in college, they wrote and performed in their senior thesis performance project titled Oh, Sweet Child, which emphasized the importance of transgender representation by bringing real trans and non-binary stories into the spotlight.
During college, Ellie was discovered by Shirley Grant Management. They were auditioning for a year and a half before booking their debut TV role on Rise (2018), which they booked while still pursuing their theatre degree in their final year at Manhattanville College. Ellie's greatest passion aside from acting is working to improve trans and non-binary representation in film and television. They're also a singer-songwriter.