World's First Trans Superhero Coming to 'Supergirl'
by EG
In the upcoming season of Supergirl, trans actress Nicole Maines will play the first trans superhero to appear on TV (or anywhere else, we're assuming). The character is based on one from DC Comics, but that character is not specifically transgender. Read on for details of the upcoming plans for the Supergirl character.
The CW's Supergirl is making some important TV history.
The DC Comics drama has enlisted transgender activist and actress Nicole Maines to play TV's first transgender superhero.
Maines will join the fourth season of the Warner Bros. TV-produced drama as Nia Nal (aka Dreamer), a character described as a soulful young transgender woman with a fierce drive to protect others. Nia's journey in season four means fulfilling her destiny as the superhero Dreamer, which is similar to Kara's (Melissa Benoist) journey to become Supergirl.
If Maines' name sounds familiar, it should. The activist made headlines across the globe in June 2013 when a Maine Supreme Court ruled that her rights had been violated under the state's Human Rights Act and set a landmark victory for trans rights in its ruling that transgender people can use the bathroom of their choice. Maines was previously featured on the HBO documentary The Trans List. She is the subject of the book Becoming Nicole by Amy Ellis Nutt. Her acting credits include USA Network's Royal Pains.
The character of Nia Nal is a spin on the DC Comics character of Nura Nal (aka Dream Girl), who can foresee the deaths of others but is not specifically identified as transgender.
The role arrives as transgender stories are becoming increasingly common on the small screen. FX's dance musical Pose, already renewed for a second season, set a TV record earlier this year for the largest cast of transgender characters portrayed by transgender series regulars.
Maines' casting comes as inclusive storytelling has become increasingly the norm on broadcast, cable and streaming series. For his part, Supergirl executive producer Greg Berlanti — who has a TV-record 15 scripted series — has made it a personal mission to tell LGBTQ stories. "Even with the action shows though, I've still tried to do my part in making those shows relevant where I can, whether it's having openly gay actors play straight characters or straight actors play gay characters," he told The Hollywood Reporter in May 2016.
Get the rest of the story at The Hollywood Reporter.
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