The Best Trans Actors Playing Transgender Roles on TV

Cody Gohl
TV
TV

While there’s been a surge of transgender representation on TV over the past decade, more often than not these roles have been played by non-trans actors. Whether it’s out of ignorance, fear, or a desire to cast a well-known name over a newcomer, the truth remains: when producers cast cisgender folks (those whose sense of gender identity aligns with their birth sex) to play trans characters, the narrative loses its power.

Thankfully, we’re getting closer and closer to a time in which all stories told on the small screen will reflect the lived experiences of the actors portraying them. To celebrate progress, let’s take a look at some of the fabulous transgender actors currently portraying trans roles on TV.

Laverne Cox

Laverne Cox

No listicle of this sort would be complete without a hearty salute to Laverne Cox and her groundbreaking portrayal of inmate Sophia Burset on Orange is the New Black. Over the course of five seasons, we’ve seen Sophia navigate thorny relationships with her family, a dehumanizing stint in solitary, and the bigotry that comes with being the only trans inmate at Litchfield Penitentiary. Though she’s been a recurring character thus far, we’ll get to experience all her warmth, grace, and humor as a series regular when Season 6 debuts this July.

Alexandra Billings

While Transparent may have at first been all about Maura, it’s high time we divert the attention to the fabulous Davina, played soulfully by Alexandra Billings. Portraying Maura’s BFF and sister-in-arms, Billings steals every scene she’s in and brings some weight to a show about older transgender folks by, well, you know, actually being trans. Plus, she’s not only a gifted actor, but she’s also a singer, educator, and HIV advocate, which means we could all do with seeing more of her on our screens.

Jamie Clayton

It may be true that all we have left of the LGBTQ-inclusive sci-fi series Sense8 is a single finale episode, but Jamie Clayton and her portrayal of Nomi Marks still needs to be on this list. Why? Because Clayton brings a humanity and intelligence to the screen that is just infectious, especially when channeled through resident techy badass Nomi. A standout on the show and an important voice in the activist sphere outside of it, Clayton is bound to be around for a good long while.

Dominique Jackson

Dominique Jackson

The new Ryan Murphy series Pose is already making waves, and for good reason — it features the most trans actors in series regular roles in the history of television. While the entire cast of this fierce look at the ball scene of ’80s New York deserves a shout out, it’s Dominique Jackson that we’re going to highlight here. Serving all the drama as house mother Elektra Abundance, Jackson’s first starring role is a head-turner from start to finish.

Elliot Fletcher

And finally, let’s talk about Elliot Fletcher, pictured above right. Coming off an emotional turn on beloved family series The Fosters (where he played transgender law student Aaron), Fletcher landed a recurring role on Shameless portraying Trevor, a trans nonprofit worker who ends up dating Ian Gallagher. Regardless of the role, Fletcher brings a fresh vulnerability to his characters that beautifully disrupts any toxic notions of masculinity. And at just 21-years-old, there’s no doubt a lot of art left to be seen from this talented actor.

Cody Gohl
Cody Gohl is a Brooklyn-based writer and editor with a penchant for reporting on LGBTQ issues (Logo, CityLife), fashion trends (The Manual), and nightlife goings-on (Next). If he could be any character on any TV show ever, he'd obviously choose to be Amy Gardner from "West Wing."