Halle Berry is no longer in talks to play a transgender man after backlash on social media, much of which came from members of the LGBT community asking her to reconsider the role. During an interview on Instagram Live with her hairstylist, Christin Brown, Berry opened up about the role and her decision to step down from it.
While Berry is an LGBTQ ally, taking the role away from an actual transgender man would be erasure and prevent real trans representation.
After the backlash, Berry stated, “Over the weekend, I had the opportunity to discuss my consideration of an upcoming role as a transgender man, and I’d like to apologize for those remarks.”
She elaborated that, “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. 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.”
After Berry’s apology, individuals and organizations alike praised her for not taking the role.
Berry is not the first actress to consider a role they are not fit for, but her stepping down is a step forward in ensuring transgender actors can play transgender roles.
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