20 transgender actors who are breaking barriers in Hollywood

In an industry historically dominated by cisgender actors, transgender actors have not only made their mark but also created impressive images for themselves. From Oscar winners to TV icons, they have proven that determination can overcome gender inequality. With each successful performance, they open doors for themselves and future generations of trans female actors and trans males.

When you’re transgender, it can be challenging to come out as you are not sure whether you will be cyberbullied or not. Most of the actors hide out using their trans roles in movies. But in the current century these celebrities are paving the way for more representation and equality in Hollywood.

Transgender actors you need to know

Our analysis is based on transgender celebrities with complex and diverse roles, highlighting trans experiences and showcasing their range as actors. The list of transgender actors was compiled using data from Pink News and CBS News.

Transgender actors	Popular movie
Elliot Page	The Umbrella Academy
Zack Barrack	Spider-Man: Far From Home
Jordan Gonzalez	Pretty Little Liars
Sasha Knight	Cowboys
Laith Ashley (De La Cruz)	My Divorce Party
Mitch Cohen	Henry Danger
Brian Michael Smith	9-1-1 Lone Star
Petey Gibson	Alert: Missing Person Unit
Chella Man	Titans
Alex Blue Davis	Grey Anatomy
Elliot Fletcher	Faking It
Jesse Sullivan	American Satan
Nats Getty	Smoking Solitary
Chaz Bono	Bell Keeper
Ian Harvey	Sexing the Transman
Alex Newell	Glee
Marquise Vilson	Law and Order
Leo Sheng	The L Word
Ian Alexander	The OA
Logan Rozos	David Makes Man

1. Elliot Page

Elliot Page is one of the transgender celebrities known for his role in The Umbrella Academy. He came out as transgender in December 2020, receiving widespread support for his bravery.

Despite facing online harassment, Page continues to advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, using his high profile to highlight issues facing the trans community. In December 2020, Eliot revealed on social media that he is trans and goes by he/they pronouns.

2. Zack Barrack

Zach Barack plays Zach in the Tom Holland and Zendaya-starring film Spider-Man: Far From Home and is believed to be the first trans actor to star in a Marvel film. He is also known as the voice of the lead character Barney Guttman in Netflix’s animated series Dead End: Paranormal Park.

3. Jordan Gonzalez

Jordan is known as Ash in Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin. In PLL: Summer School, Jordan and his character, Ash, are openly transgender.

In the PLL: Summer School series, episode 6 is set during Pride and celebrates Ash and his advocacy. Ash is the first transmasculine character introduced in the episode, which makes Gonzalez very proud.

4. Sasha Knight

In 2020, Sasha, a transgender actor, portrayed a transgender character in the film Cowboys. Knight shared with Casting Networks that they felt a deep connection with the character of Joe, not only due to their similar ages but primarily because Joe was also trans.

Knight expressed a strong interest in acting, especially in transgender roles, despite the limited representation on screen.

5. Laith Ashley (De La Cruz)

Laith Ashley, a trailblazing transgender model and actor, began his transition process in January 2014. In 2015, he organised a photoshoot with a friend and shared the images on Instagram, which significantly boosted his online presence and inspired him to continue sharing his journey on the platform.

In 2017, he became the first transgender man to be featured in a campaign for the globally recognised fashion brand Diesel.

6. Michael D. Cohen

Michael D. Cohen, who plays Schwoz on the popular show Henry Danger, revealed to SpectrumNews in 2019 that he was misgendered at birth. He underwent his transition in 2000 and proudly identifies as a male.

Cohen expressed pride in his transgender journey and experience. His Henry Danger co-star, Jace Norman, voiced his unwavering respect and admiration for Cohen, saying that his transition didn’t change his high regard for him.

7. Brian Michael Smith

Brian Michael Smith is a groundbreaking actor known for his role as the transgender firefighter Paul Strickland on 9-1-1: Lone Star. He is the first black trans man to have a regular role on network television, marking a significant milestone in TV history.

8. Petey Gibson

Petey is known for his role as C on Alert: Missing Persons Unit, which had a pivotal scene in which his character revealed to his love interest that he is transgender.

In an interview with GLAAD, Petey expressed his hopes for audience members to treat trans people the same way with love even after finding out they are trans; their compassion toward them should not change.

9. Chella Man

Chella Man is an inspiring actor known for his role in the Titans series. He has been candid about his identity as a deaf transgender man, using his visibility to advocate for accessibility and LGBTQ+ rights. His work goes beyond acting, as he actively challenges societal norms related to audibility and gender.

10. Alex Blue Davis

Alex Blue Davis is recognised for his role in the Disney Channel series Phil of the Future. He later transitioned and is now celebrated for portraying Dr. Casey Parker, a transgender character in Grey’s Anatomy.

He is among the famous Disney actors who are transgender. Davis’s perspective underscores his desire to be recognised for his talent as an actor, irrespective of his transgender experience, and to have equal opportunities that align with his identity as a male.

11. Elliot Fletcher

Elliot Fletcher, a transgender actor, has made significant strides in TV, including his role in the popular series The Fosters. In the show, his character, a transgender individual, Elliot, shares a romantic scene with a cisgender character, making it the first-ever moment of its kind on U.S. network television.

12. Jesse Sullivan

Actor Jesse Sullivan has gained considerable popularity through his TikTok videos, where he shares snippets of life with his teenager, Arlo. His engaging and relatable content has resonated with numerous viewers, making him a well-known figure on the platform.

Jesse Sullivan is not only a popular figure on TikTok and in the acting world but also an openly transgender individual.

13. Nats Getty

Speaking of Gigi Gorgeous, her husband, Nats Getty, began transitioning after marriage. In January 2021, Getty initially came out as transgender non-binary via Instagram, sharing the start of a transition by undergoing a mastectomy procedure.

In May 2021, Getty was still deciding which pronouns to use, and in June, he came out as trans male and changed his pronouns to he/him.

14. Chaz Bono

Chaz Bono transitioned in 2008 and has since been an advocate for transgender rights. He uses his social media account to raise awareness about transgender issues and advocate for their rights.

In his memoir Transition: The Story of How I Became a Man, Bono writes about his journey to find his true identity. He also produced a documentary, Becoming Chaz, which aired on the Oprah Winfrey Network. The film provides a raw look at Bono’s transition, capturing his experiences and emotions as he transitioned.

15. Ian Harvey

Ian Harvie’s comedy career began in 2002, and he was quickly noticed by comedy icon Margaret Cho, who made him a permanent member of her off-Broadway burlesque comedy revue, The Sensuous Woman.

Harvie made history by becoming the first transgender male actor to portray a transitioned trans man on a scripted American TV show. He played the character Dale on the critically acclaimed Amazon series Transparent.

16. Alex Newell

Alex Newell is known for playing the character of Adams on the comedy-drama series Glee. He is also known for his activism in the LGBTQ community and has been a voice in representing transgender people.

17. Marquise Vilson

Marquise Vilsón is a New York native who is an actor and activist of trans experience. In the CW series Tom Swift, he starred as Isaac Vega, a trans, pansexual badass who is Tom’s bodyguard and right-hand man.

He is one of the trans male actors who has earned awards such as the Octavia St. Laurent Trans Activist Award (2018) and the Eric Christian Bazaar Award (2011) for his work as a sexual health coordinator. He was deemed a Trans Man ICON (2018) and inducted into the Dorian Hall of Fame (2020).

18. Leo Sheng

Sheng is an actor known for The L Word, Generation Q, and Disclosure. Sheng, an out transgender man, is a vocal advocate for trans and queer communities as well as offers representation in the entertainment industry.

19. Ian Alexander

Ian Alexander is known for Buck Vu on The OA and Gray Tal on Star Trek: Discovery. Ian came out as transgender in 2014 and, through the course of their gender transition, identified as trans-masculine while using he/him pronouns.

As of September 2020, Alexander adopted the use of they/them; shortly after that, he identified as non-binary and preferred the use of they/them while accepting the alternative use of he/him.

20. Logan Rozos

Logan Rozos is known for Glutton. He made his professional acting debut in the summer of 2019 as star child on the Oprah Winfrey Network drama David Makes Man.

He came out as a transgender man to his parents and older sister at the age of 15 and cared passionately about advocacy for LGBT youth. He is one of the young trans male actors in the industry.

Final word

Though high-profile trans individuals once went to great lengths to hide their gender identities in the mid-20th century, many celebrities in various fields are out and proud today. The above list includes some of the famous transgender actors who have come out of their closets and even advocated for equality in the entertainment industry.

Tuko.co.ke shared an article about young male actors under 30 you should watch. With a growing number of acting opportunities, there has been a rise in young male actors under 30 who have achieved A-list status.

Some begin acting careers before turning 10, while most land their first roles in their 20s. Some young male actors include former child stars who defied typecasting and graduates who emerged from outside the industry.