Trace Lysette
Trace Lysette | |
|---|---|
| Born | |
| Occupation | Actress |
Trace Lysette is an American actress. She plays Shea on the Amazon Video web television series Transparent (2014–present). Lysette is a transgender woman, and one of the first trans people to appear as a non-transgender person on prime time television in a speaking role.
Early life
In her late teens, Lysette was a track athlete and performed as a showgirl in bars around her native Dayton and Columbus, Ohio. She worked as a hairstylist and makeup artist before beginning her acting career. Her television debut was a guest appearance in an episode of Law and Order: Special Victims Unit[1] as one of the first trans people to occur in a non trans speaking role on primetime television.
Career
After working in non-transgender roles, Lysette chose to come out during her audition for the Amazon series Transparent. On the show, she plays Shea, a transgender yoga teacher and friend of Maura Pfefferman (Jeffrey Tambor).[2] After Lysette originally auditioned for the role of Davina, Transparent creator Jill Soloway wrote the role of Shea for her.[3] The third season of Transparent contains a storyline in which Shea has a romantic relationship with a cisgender heterosexual man, which has been called "a groundbreaking TV moment for a trans character."[3]
She has also appeared in guest roles in shows such as Blunt Talk and Drunk History.[4] She also made an appearance in the documentary series I Am Cait.
In 2017, transgender actors and actresses including Lysette (with the help of GLAAD and ScreenCrush) were part of a filmed letter to Hollywood written by Jen Richards, asking for more and improved roles for transgender people.[5][6]
Filmography
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Lila | Episode: "Internal Affairs" |
| 2014 | Coffee House Chronicles | Rachel | Episode: "Tran-sitions" |
| 2015 | The Curse of the Fuentes Women | Gloria | Television film |
| 2014–present | Transparent | Shea | 10 episodes |
| 2015 | I Am Cait | Herself | 3 episodes |
| 2016 | Drunk History | Sylvia Rivera | Episode: "Bar Fights" |
| 2015–2016 | Blunt Talk | Gisele | 3 episodes |
| 2018 | Pose | Clothing Store Saleswoman | Episode: "Love is the Message" |
| 2018 | Midnight, Texas | Celeste | Episode: "Drown the Sadness in Chardonnay" |
Music videos
| Year | Title | Artist | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | "Name for You" (Flipped) | The Shins | [7] |
| 2018 | "Girls Like You" (Original, Volume 2 and Vertical Video versions) | Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B | [8][9][10] |
| "SOS" | Cher | [11] |
References
- ^ "GLAAD chats with Trace Lysette, star of Transparent and Blunt Talk". GLAAD. 2015-09-17. Retrieved 2017-03-31.
- ^ "Transparent's Trace Lysette on her personal connection to Shea's journey this season". 2016-09-29. Retrieved 2017-03-31.
- ^ a b "'Transparent' Star on Josh and Shea's Groundbreaking Romance: "It's Just Boy Meets Girl"". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2017-03-31.
- ^ Kellaway, Mitch (2015-04-15). "After Years of Hiding in Hollywood, Trans Actress Trace Lysette Is Finally 'Living Out Loud'". Advocate.com. Retrieved 2017-06-21.
- ^ "New Video Breaks Down Why Hollywood Needs Transgender Actors | HuffPost". Huffingtonpost.com. 2017. Retrieved 2017-06-21.
- ^ Reynolds, Daniel. "Trans Actors Ask Hollywood for Roles With Dignity and Depth in Open Letter". Advocate.com. Retrieved 2017-06-21.
- ^ "The Shins – Name for You (Flipped)". YouTube. Retrieved October 27, 2018.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "Maroon 5 – Girls Like You ft. Cardi B". YouTube. Retrieved October 27, 2018.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "Maroon 5 – Girls Like You ft. Cardi B (Volume 2)". YouTube. Retrieved October 27, 2018.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "Maroon 5 – Girls Like You (feat. Cardi B)". Spotify.
- ^ "Cher – SOS". YouTube. Retrieved October 27, 2018.
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