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‘No one wants us any more’: how Hollywood turned its back on trans actors
Trans and non-binary actors say Hollywood work has sharply dried up, leaving some without regular roles and, in some cases, access to health insurance. Their accounts come as a new report finds a steep decline in on-screen representation, raising concerns about both who gets seen and the livelihoods of performers.
Trace Lysette says she has auditioned for about seven roles in 2026 and has had no lead or major studio project since *Monica*. Vico Ortiz says recent big-budget auditions have been limited and links the lack of work to difficulties affording healthcare and gender-affirming care; Jack Haven appealed for paid production work to qualify for actors’ health insurance. Laverne Cox has said her income fell by roughly 90% over two years as acting, hosting and speaking work declined.
In short
- Trans and non-binary actors report fewer Hollywood opportunities.
- Trace Lysette says she has auditioned for about seven roles this year.
- Some performers say lost work threatens access to health insurance.
Explained simply
Hollywood is the US film and television industry, where actors often find work through auditions for individual productions. Transgender people have a gender identity different from the one they were assigned at birth; non-binary people do not identify exclusively as men or women.
Trans and non-binary actors say fewer roles are going to them, and a recent report has found a decline in their on-screen representation. Performers including Trace Lysette, Vico Ortiz, Jack Haven and Laverne Cox have described reduced work, which can also affect income and, for some, access to health insurance linked to paid acting jobs.
The issue concerns both employment in the entertainment industry and whose lives are represented in film and television. Changes in casting and production can affect performers’ livelihoods as well as the range of stories audiences see.
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