American actor Mark Ruffalo has apologised to the trans community after a backlash against the casting of Matt Bomer in a new transgender movie Anything.
The Normal Heart actor Mark Ruffalo has apologised for causing ‘pain’ after casting openly gay actor Matt Bomer in his new movie, Anything, in which he plays a transgender sex-worker.
Trans advocates have criticised the casting decision of a cis-gender actor playing a trans character.
Actor Jen Richards suggested that having a cis-gender male playing a male to female transgender character reinforced the notion that trans women are “still really just men”
When @MattBomer plays a trans sex worker, he is telling the world that underneath it all, trans women like me are still really just men.
— Jen Richards (@SmartAssJen) August 28, 2016
Taking to Twitter Ruffalo, who is an executive producer of the film, said that he could “hear” the criticism over casting a CIS male actor and that it was time to have the “conversation”.
To the Trans community. I hear you. It's wrenching to you see you in this pain. I am glad we are having this conversation. It's time.
— Mark Ruffalo (@MarkRuffalo) August 31, 2016
He defended his decision to cast Bomer after bonding with him in a “profound experience” he had with the actor during the filming of The Normal Heart.
In all honesty I suggested Matt for the role after the profound experience I had with him while making "The Normal Heart".
— Mark Ruffalo (@MarkRuffalo) August 31, 2016
A petition, by Hannah Howard, has been created calling for the producers not to release the film, saying,
“The practice of using cisgender male actors to portray transgender women and trans femmes isn’t just about erasure, or about depriving transgender actresses of roles they ought to get.
It directly leads to violence against the most vulnerable in our community, particularly transgender women of color and trans femmes of color.”
The petition’s creator has said that if the film is released that the petition will turn into a boycott petition of the film. So far there are 537 supporters.
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