Halle Berry has announced that she will no longer be preparing to play the role of a transgender man in an upcoming film project after a swift backlash to her discussion of the project.
Though little was known about the part or the film — and Berry hadn’t even been officially cast — the actress drew criticism for repeatedly referring to the male character as a woman during an Instagram Live interview on Friday.
“The woman is a trans character, so she’s a woman that transitioned into a man. She’s a character in a project I love that I might be doing,” Berry said. “Who this woman was is so interesting to me, and that will probably be my next project.”
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In addition to Berry misgendering the character, the news of her role also reopened an ongoing discussion about the problems inherent in actors’ portrayals of trans characters of the opposite gender, and trans actors’ general exclusion from mainstream film.
Hi @halleberry, we heard you're considering playing a trans man in your next project. We ask that you please watch @Disclosure_Doc on @netflix first to understand how cis actors like yourself acting in trans roles has major cultural consequences offscreen. #DisclosureNetflix
— Disclosure Documentary (@Disclosure_Doc) July 6, 2020
“As a cisgender woman, I now understand that I should not have considered this role, and that the transgender community should undeniably have the opportunity to tell their own stories,” she posted on Twitter.
“I am grateful for the guidance and critical conversation over the past few days and will continue to listen, educate and learn from this mistake. I vow to be an ally in using my voice to promote better representation on-screen, both in front of and behind the camera.”
