Trans Actress Hari Nef: Trans Folks Deserve to Tell Their Own Stories

Hollywood needs to cast more trans people in trans roles, and actress Hari Nef wants to see that happen soon.

Up-and-coming actress and model Hari Nef stopped by the Huffington Post offices Friday to talk about joining the cast of Amazon’s groundbreaking series Transparent, and although many things were discussed, she made it clear that it’s very important that trans actors get more opportunities on-screen.

“What’s your opinion on trans role being portrayed by cis actors?” a fan asked Nef via Skype. “Do you think this hinders trans progress, or do you think some recognition is better than no recognition?”

“This is a tough one,” she replied. “I feel like some recognition is always better than no recognition, but at the same time, I feel like the clock is ticking in terms of how long can these studios and these producers really get away with casting cis people in trans roles.”

“I’m here. Laverne is here. Trace Lysette is here. Alexandra Billings is here. We’re all here, and we’re trans,” Nef continued. “We can come to set with years, months of lived experience, that a cis actor would have to study for months and months and months.”

Nef later recalled how her experience being trans helped her improvise an emotionally gripping moment with fellow Transparent actress Michaela Watkins, something she says a cisgender (nontrans) actor probably wouldn't have been able to do, despite talent.

“Jeffrey Tambor kills this role [on Transparent],” she added. “Eddie Redmayne is a great actor and is fabulous in The Danish Girl. I feel like these were roles that were being given to great actors. But at the end of the day, trans people deserve the opportunity to tell our own stories, and I hope moving forward, we can see more of these castings.”

Watch Hari Nef’s interview with The Huffington Post in the videos below.