“Transparent,” Jeffrey Tambor Win Golden Globes
Last night, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association honored Transparent with the Golden Globe award for “Best Television Series—Comedy or Musical” and honored Jeffrey Tambor with the Golden Globe award for “Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series—Comedy or Musical.” The National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE) extend our congratulations to the cast and crew of Transparent, and to its creator, Jill Soloway. “Transparent captures the spirit of the life and struggle of one particular kind of transgender person,” said NCTE’s Alexandra Scott, and in so doing, they’ve provided a window into understanding our whole community. Their Golden Globes are well earned honors.”
Transparent’s extraordinary story of the late-in-life transition of a parent. The producers, cast and writers of the show have created a compelling story that explores the emotional impact of a transgender person coming “out of the closet,” and also offers a vision of life that being transgender is one of the many healthy ways to be a person. In Jeffrey Tambor’s humble and touching acceptance speech, he thanked Jill Soloway for casting him as Maura, and how the role offered him the opportunity to learn and grow as a person in ways he never imagined possible. Tambor also spoke to transgender people and said thank you for “your courage, thank you for your inspiration, thank you for your patience, and thank you for letting us be part of the change.” NCTE shares in the celebration of Transparent and especially creator and executive producer Jill Soloway, a person whose life was impacted by her own transgender parent. Soloway said:
“This award is dedicated to the memory of Leelah Alcorn, and too many trans people who died too young. And it’s dedicated to you, my trans parent, my ‘mapa,’ if you’re watching at home right now. I want to thank you for coming out because in doing so you made a break for freedom, you told your truth, you taught me how to tell my truth, and make this show, and maybe we’ll be able to teach the world something about authenticity and truth and love.”
Transparent has had success in bringing the authenticity of transgender lives to screen due in part to Soloway’s own parent, but also because of a team of transgender actors, staff, and consultants who have taken important roles in the development of the series. This team includes Alexandra Billings, Jenny Boylan, Ian Harvey, Trace Lysette, D’Lo, Alexis Del Lago, Holly Woodlawn and Van Barnes as actors, and Zackary Drucker and Rhys Ernst as associate producers. NCTE also thanks this bright team of creatives who brought to life our journeys as transgender people with care and compassion. Note: Transparent is an adult themed show–parental discretion is advised.
