Hilary Swank is thinking about how her film, Boys Don’t Cry, would be different if made today.
The US actor won an Oscar for the 2000 drama, but in a new interview, she said she’d appreciate seeing a transgender actor play the part of Brandon Teena, a man who was killed in a transphobic hate crime in 1993.
Speaking to The Times, Hilary said: “Now for the most part, in most places, it’s accepted to be a trans person. [But] at that time, people weren’t even coming out as gay and lesbian, it was a career killer, or whatever.”
“They weren’t ready to tell their family, or maybe they weren’t even ready to tell themselves,” she continued. “We’re in such different times — I feel like it would be a great opportunity for an actor who’s trans to play that role.”
However, Hilary added that she isn’t opposed to cisgender actors playing trans roles, saying: “I also feel like actors are actors.”
“We are supposed to play different people,” she said. “I would like to hope trans people are getting the opportunity to play non-trans people as well.”
Hilary told The Times she still sees Boys Don’t Cry as an important part of bringing trans experiences into public view.
“It was a jumping-off board to start a conversation that was needed,” she explained. “And we need this conversation to continue until everyone’s leading a safe life.”
Hilary previously spoke about what Boys Don’t Cry meant for transgender representation in a 2020 interview with Variety.
She said that while “trans people weren’t really walking around in the world” openly in 2000, two decades later, there are a “bunch of trans actors who would obviously be a lot more right for the role”.
Help and support:
- The Gender Trust supports anyone affected by gender identity | 01527 894 838
- Mermaids offers information, support, friendship and shared experiences for young people with gender identity issues | 0208 1234819
- LGBT Youth Scotland is the largest youth and community-based organisation for LGBT people in Scotland. Text 07786 202 370
- Gires provides information for trans people, their families and professionals who care for them | 01372 801554
- Depend provides support, advice and information for anyone who knows, or is related to, a transsexual person in the UK