21 Of Film’s Most Important Trans Characters

We don't know about you, but our plans for Thursday, October 20, involve breaking out our French maid uniform and throwing shapes to The Rocky Horror Picture Show: Let’s Do the Time Warp Again. The remake of the 1975 cult classic isn't simply exciting because "Damn It Janet" is a catchy tune. It's also a rare opportunity for a trans celebrity to play a trans character. Whatever will Hollywood think of next?

As Laverne Cox slips on her corset to play the nefarious Dr. Frank-N-Furter, we're taking a look back at film's most engaging portrayals of trans characters. You may notice a theme. For one thing, cisgender actors have almost exclusively been cast to play these roles over their trans counterparts — an issue that is ongoing, given the recent news that Matt Bomer has been cast as a trans woman in Anything. Second: Playing a trans man or woman more often than not results in an Oscar nomination or win...for cis actors, at least.

You may also notice that we left out performances that perpetuated transphobic stereotypes, so you won't find Soapdish's Montana Moorehead (Cathy Moriarty), or Sofia Vergara's Loridonna from Grilled. We're not into those kind of time warps.