Who are the Greatest Fictional Transgender Characters in TV and Movies?

While gay and lesbian characters in television and movies have been around since the age of the boomers, it does seem like trans representation is just now really taking off.

Now, we see more trans actors playing trans characters than ever before, as well as leading or supporting trans characters in mainstream shows.

But historically, it’s been a long fight – not only for representation, but for positive representation, and most recently, accurate representation.

In this discussion, we’re going to discuss 14 of the greatest fictional trans characters on the big and small screen, and why they were impactful and brilliant.

We’ll also review some characters that were noteworthy, but not exactly ready for “primetime” when it came to fair and positive portrayal of the trans community.

We’ll start with some roles that revolutionized cinema with bold and never-before-seen portrayals and then work our way to more modern and insightful performances that are changing our culture for the better as we speak.

14 of the Best Fictional Transgender Characters

14. Jodie Dallas – SOAP (1977)

Played by: Billy Crystal (cis male actor)

Often remembered as one of the first openly “gay” characters on American television, Jodie is frequently cited in LGBTQ+ media history.

But less often discussed is that in the first season, Jodie explicitly expresses a desire to medically transition and live as a woman, making him one of the earliest trans-coded characters on network television.

However, the show quickly pivoted away from that plotline due to viewer backlash, re-centering him as a gay man instead. Still, his character represents one of the earliest instances of trans identity being explored on mainstream U.S. television, even if it was misunderstood at the time.

13. “Leon” (based on Elizabeth Eden) – Dog Day Afternoon (1975)

Played by: Chris Sarandon (cis male actor)

The entire film revolves around Sonny’s attempt to get money for his partner Leon’s gender-affirming surgery. Leon, though often referred to as a “gay lover” in period-appropriate language, is understood today to be a trans woman, based on the real-life Elizabeth Eden.

Her portrayal was groundbreaking for the time, even if indirect. The film was one of the first to center a trans narrative, even if the terminology and framing were filtered through the lens of 1970s confusion and cis-centric storytelling.

12. Brandon Teena – Boys Don’t Cry (1999)

Played by: Hilary Swank (cis actress)

Based on a real person, Brandon was one of the first trans male characters to be portrayed in a major motion picture. Swank’s Oscar-winning performance was influential—but the casting and framing were often criticized for misgendering and trauma-focus.

Still, it put trans men into the cultural conversation in the late ‘90s, and drew attention to the threat of violence that trans people face every day from a bigoted society.

11. Hedwig – Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001)

Played by: John Cameron Mitchell

A cult musical icon, Hedwig is a punk-rock East German genderqueer singer with a botched sex change operation. Hedwig’s gender is deliberately ambiguous, but the character has had huge influence in queer performance art, especially in how gender identity can be messy, expressive, and painful.

10. Rayon – Dallas Buyers Club (2013)

Played by: Jared Leto (cis male actor)

While Leto won an Oscar for his heart-touching portrayal of a trans person, the role remains controversial.

Rayon, a tragic and complex character, brought trans issues into awards-season prestige territory, but sparked criticism over cis actors portraying trans roles, a debate that still resonates.

All that and the fact that Jared Leto is not exactly the most likable guy in real life.

9. Maura Pfefferman – Transparent (2014)

Played by: Jeffrey Tambor (cis male actor)

Another complicated legacy. Not only was Transparent controversial because yet another cis actor was cast, but also due to Tambor’s casting and alleged sexual misconduct. After reports of harassment surfaced and a major backlash, Tambor left the show, and the series faltered.

But “Transparent” still helped launch serious cultural conversations about trans elders and late-life transitions. The show sparked mainstream visibility of trans issues—especially within families and Jewish culture.

And yes, hardly anyone even remembers that after a long career in Hollywood (and one apparently over) Tambor finally won an Emmy – and dedicated his win to the trans community.

8. Max Sweeney – The L Word (2004)

Played by: Daniela Sea (nonbinary actor)

A transmasculine character before mainstream trans male representation existed. Max’s arc was messy and problematic at times, but it mattered. It was one of the first portrayals of a trans man on TV, and laid groundwork—flawed as it was—for better representation later.

7. Nomi Marks – Sense8 (2015)

Played by: Jamie Clayton

Created by the Wachowskis (themselves trans), Nomi was a hacker, a lover, a sister, and a badass. Her relationship with her girlfriend was sweet and normalizing.

The series was unapologetically queer, making Nomi a fan-favorite and symbol of trans empowerment in sci-fi.

6. Angel Evangelista – Pose (2018)

Played by: Indya Moore

Part of the groundbreaking Pose cast, Angel embodies beauty, survival, and love in NYC’s 1980s/90s ball culture scene.

Pose featured the largest cast of trans actors in TV history, telling stories from a time when trans women—especially Black and Latina—were often invisible.

5. Karla Sofía Gascón as Amelia Pérez – Amelia Pérez (2024)

Played by: Karla Sofía Gascón (trans actress)

Karla Sofía Gascón made history as the first trans actress to win Best Actress at Cannes (2024) for her role in Amelia Pérez. The film is a dark comedy-thriller about a cartel accountant transitioning into a new life—and identity—as a woman.

Her performance is bold, unapologetic, and layered. Unlike earlier roles often centered on trans pain or tragedy, this character is powerful, funny, and dangerous, signaling a shift in how trans women are allowed to be portrayed on screen.

The film still remains controversial and was mostly rejected by the LGBTQ community as a fair representation of trans or Mexican culture.

Still, the Oscar-nominated film – cliches and all – demonstrated how far a once close-minded society has come in acceptance and dare we say, empathy.

4. Jules Vaughn – Euphoria (2019)

Played by: Hunter Schafer

A Gen Z cultural icon, Jules brought a dreamy, layered portrayal of a teenage trans girl. Her fluid sexuality and gender presentation helped redefine TV portrayals of trans femininity.

She’s become one of the most visible trans characters in mainstream youth media.

3. Marina – A Fantastic Woman (2017)

Played by: Daniela Vega

Chilean film that won an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. Vega’s performance was widely acclaimed, and she became the first openly trans person to present at the Oscars. Marina is graceful, strong, and refuses to be dehumanized—a quiet but powerful revolution in global cinema.

2. Viktor Hargreeves – The Umbrella Academy (2019)

Played by: Elliot Page

In Season 3, Elliot Page’s real-life transition was written directly into the show, with his character transitioning from Vanya to Viktor.

This was handled with quiet simplicity and respect, making it a rare example of a trans actor playing a trans character whose identity change was integrated mid-series.

It was neither a big spectacle nor ignored—a subtle but powerful moment in modern TV history that normalized trans identity for a global audience.

1. Sophia Burset – Orange Is the New Black (Netflix)

Played by: Laverne Cox

Sophia Burset, the compassionate and stylish prison hairdresser in Orange Is the New Black, was not just a fan-favorite character—she was a watershed moment in television history.

Portrayed by Laverne Cox, Sophia was one of the first trans women characters played by a trans actress in a major, mainstream TV series. More than a token or sidekick, Sophia was given a rich backstory, emotional depth, and meaningful agency in the narrative.

Laverne Cox’s performance was widely acclaimed. She portrayed Sophia with warmth, complexity, and dignity, bringing empathy to a character navigating incarceration, transphobia, family separation, and the brutal realities of the prison-industrial complex.

In Season 1, viewers learned that Sophia transitioned while working as a firefighter, and the series explored both her transition journey and the personal costs—particularly her strained relationship with her wife and son.

These early flashbacks marked one of the first times a trans woman’s life was depicted on TV with respect and nuance rather than sensationalism.

Sophia’s struggles later in the series—including being placed in solitary confinement for her own “protection”—also sparked real-world conversations about the treatment of trans people in prison, mirroring ongoing civil rights battles.

Cox became an outspoken advocate on these issues, using her platform to discuss trans rights, visibility, and intersectionality in media.

Critically, Cox made history when she became the first openly transgender person to win a number of awards and nominations. Time magazine even featured her on the cover in 2014 with the headline “The Transgender Tipping Point”, marking a cultural milestone.

Sophia Burset’s presence on screen helped usher in a new era—one where trans people could begin to tell their own stories with authenticity, visibility, and pride.

FAQs About Fictional Trans Characters

Have more questions about fictional trans characters in Hollywood? Keep reading.

Should LGBTQ characters (especially trans) be played by cis actors?

In early Hollywood (and even up to the last few decades), real trans actors were not even allowed to appear in mainstream movies.

The only way studios could take a chance on a trans-themed movie would be to have a known actor (usually always cishet) to play a trans character.

This would give the movie more attention, which would help the film get financed and made, and at the same time, draw attention to important issues.

Now that the trans community is more open thanks to pioneering films/TV shows, as well as work from organizations like GLAAD, it’s much easier to release trans-themed shows, written, directed by, and starring trans actors.

Today, while occasionally some cishet actors will play LGBTQ characters (especially for smaller productions or plays), mainstream shows and movies usually feature appropriate actors to accurately represent LGBTQ characters.

In fact, some in the trans community might consider it offensive to cast a well-known cishet actor in a trans role today instead of giving a real trans actor a chance to shine.

Who are some of the earliest trans characters that were problematic?

Of course, trans characters have been appearing in movies since the mid-20th century, but their depictions were usually very negative – just fodder for comedy or even horror films.

Across all these early portrayals, a few damaging themes emerge:

• Trans people as deceivers (e.g., Ace Ventura, Sleepaway Camp)
• Transness as mental illness (e.g., Psycho, Silence of the Lambs, Dressed to Kill
• Trans bodies as grotesque and used for shock (e.g., Ida Quagmire in Family Guy)
• Trans people as either villains or victims (e.g., characters in Crime Dramas like CSI and Law & Order)

Was Glen or Glenda (1953) a movie about being trans? 

Directed by and starring the notorious D-lister Ed Wood, Glen or Glenda was indeed groundbreaking for its time, and it has only become more popular following Wood’s death and the emergence of a more visible LGBTQ community.

Ed Wood wrote and starred in Glen or Glenda as a sincere, autobiographical plea for compassion and understanding toward people who wear clothes not traditionally associated with their assigned gender. In 1953, this was unheard of in cinema.

At a time when cross-dressing and gender nonconformity were considered perverse or criminal, Wood’s film earnestly asks for empathy. Glen isn’t a villain, a joke, or a monster—he’s portrayed as someone struggling with identity, shame, and love, trying to live authentically.

The film attempts to educate its audience, breaking the fourth wall to explain concepts like transvestism (as it was then called) and even hinting at transgender identity—terms and ideas that had virtually no public vocabulary in 1953 America.

Of course, the film is problematic today because of its confusing narrative, mixed messages, and outdated terminology. We’re talking madcap and surreal dream sequences, including BDSM and Satanic imagery, with bizarre narration by Bela Lugosi (“Pull the string!”).

While we can’t put the movie on our list for obvious reasons, it still deserves a mention. It is one of the earliest onscreen attempts to defend and humanize gender-nonconforming individuals, made by someone who lived that truth – and who put out a Hollywood message far ahead of its time.

Conclusion: The Best Trans Characters Are Yet to Come

Truly, our American entertainment industry is just now getting the knack of writing accurate and compelling trans characters.

It’s refreshing to know that trans characters are no longer just punchlines or plot devices used to shock viewers.

At the same time, we’ve outgrown the same old “saintly” trans character tropes, or characters whose entire personality revolves around their transgender identity.

Now, in 2025, we’re ready to see more trans performances by trans actors that are thought-provoking, powerful, and important to shaping our present and future culture. These past great trans performances “walked” so that our queer actors today could run. Let’s support our community by buying tickets, tuning in, and streaming more LGBTQ shows!