Hollywood has more to celebrate during Pride Month than ever before as an increasing number of actors come out as members of the LGBTQIA+ community. In particular, many trans and non-binary actors are finding inroads previously unavailable to them, in part thanks to a noted uptick in the number of movie and television characters representing all shades of the queer spectrum. Adam Sandler in “Jack Jill” has left the chat.
These queer pioneers give voice to the thousands of trans and non-binary folks previously deprived of representation in Hollywood. This Pride Month, we’re celebrating the trans and non-binary actors reshaping Hollywood as we know it. In the words of Drag Race star Gottmik "Time to crash the cis-tem!”
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Any article about trans people reshaping the industry would be incomplete without the incomparable Laverne Cox. Where does one even start? Cox was the first openly trans woman ever to be nominated for an Emmy Award (Outstanding Guest Actress In A Drama Series for the seminal queer show Orange Is The New Black). She was also the first trans person to appear on the cover of Cosmopolitan Magazine. Hell, Cox was even the first openly transgender person to have a wax figure at Madame Tussauds!
Hunter Schafer is a new player in Hollywood who gained a loyal following as trans teen Jules Vaughn on Euphoria. Prior to acting, the ethereal Schafer modeled for fashion powerhouses like Dior, Marc Jacobs, Gucci, Prada, and Thierry Mugler. Schafer is paving the way for a new generation of queer celebrities, especially with her declaration in 2024 that she was no longer interested in trans roles, stating “I just want to be a girl and finally move on.” The world has much more to learn, and Hunter is here to teach.
Like, Schafer, Hari Nef started out as a model before taking on the world of acting. Nef became an overnight go-to girlie after making her modeling debut in 2015, when she walked for Hood By Air and Eckhaus Latta at New York Fashion Week. She would later appear in Vogue, on the groundbreaking series Transparent, and of course, in 2023’s international blockbuster Barbie. Hari is just getting started, and is next slated to star in a Candy Darling biopic.
Thorn Roos de Vries is a Dutch non-binary transgender activist and performer who came out as non-binary when they were twenty-two. Their fans know them best for their cheeky NSFW performance in Anne+: The Film. Thorn credits a clinician at an HIV testing facility for helping them connect with being non-binary. The woman told Vries “I see you. You are not a man, not a woman. You’re a god.” We couldn’t agree more.
While you weren’t watching, Leo Sheng became Hollywood’s next big thing. This queer trans Chinese American actor was adopted by two Michigan mommies, but knew deep down that he was destined for Los Angeles. After his breakout role in the queer coming-of-age movie Adam, Leo graced the sets of The L Word: Generation Q, the big-budget The Matrix Resurrections, and more.
Hollywood “it” they Emma Corrin took to Instagram in 2021 to come out as queer before later adopting she/they pronouns, and finally they/them pronouns in a declaration of non-binaryhood. In 2022, the star of The Crown, the acclaimed adaptation of Lady Chatterley's Lover, and more buzzy projects proposed that major acting awards, including the Oscars and BAFTA, become gender-neutral. Corrin bluntly shared "I don't think the categories are inclusive enough at the moment." Hear, hear.
Nico Tortorella is a polyamorous non-binary parent of one who is in a committed relationship with non-binary fitness guru Bethany C. Meyers. Nico and Bethany’s relationship has become a template for other couples pushing beyond society’s strictly defined parental parameters. Nico is a global superstar with well over a half-million Instagram followers and an increasingly stacked acting résumé, including his breakout role in Younger. You can’t spell polyamorous without amour!
To fans of the cult hit Netflix series Sense8, Jamie Clayton is a woman who needs no introduction. Believe it or not, that was nearly a decade ago (Sense8 premiered in 2015) and since then the striking model and actress has gone on to appear in The Neon Demon alongside Elle Fanning, Hellraiser, and The L Word: Generation Q, where she joins fellow trans actor on this list, Leo Sheng.
Sure, Trace Lysette boasts memorable roles in Transparent and the Jennifer Lopez-starrer Hustlers, but she made history when she became the first transgender woman to ever star in a film selected by the Venice Film Festival. The critically acclaimed indie Monica, in which Trace plays the titular role, even won the award for Best Italian Film.
Emma D’Arcy is the name on everyone’s lips following the recently-dropped trailer for season two of House Of The Dragon. They received widespread acclaim as Rhaenyra Targaryen in season one, but Emma has a special place in the hearts of trans-masc-presenting people. Emma proves that being one’s authentic self pays off. Here’s Emma on her years trying to present as a woman in show business: “It wasn’t sustainable, and I stopped pretending. And weirdly, at that point, I got nominated for Best Actress for the Golden Globes, which is like, beautifully ironic.”
Finally, makeup artist-turned-internationally recognized drag superstar Gottmik weaves personal details about his transition into his meticulously curated drag looks. Gottmik is also candid about his trans journey on his YouTube series No Gorge opposite bestie Violet Chatchki. As the first trans male contestant on Drag Race, Gottmik proved that trans artistry knows no bounds. He kicked off Drag Race by stating "Time to crash the cis-tem!” and years later declared “Consider the cis-tem... crashed” during his All Stars entrance. We couldn’t have said it better ourselves.
