'Mrs Fletcher' actress Jen Richards says industry needs trans representation of all ages, body-types, sexualities and races
At the red carpet premiere of the HBO limited series ‘Mrs. Fletcher’, actor Jen Richards spoke to MEA WorldWide (MEAWW) about the representation of trans characters in Hollywood, her character on the show and the challenges she faces.
Richards, a transgender activist, writer, actress and producer, plays the role of Margo Fairchild, a transgender woman who teaches a creative writing course Eve Fletcher (Kathryn Hahn) enrolls in. Margo, in the show, has a relationship with one of her students and their story arc revolves around how they view each other.
On the issue of trans representation in films and TV, she said, “The one-word answer to that question is ‘more’. That’s all we need. Just more of everything.”
“The one real challenge still,” she adds, “is there is this intense burden of representation on the few of us that are succeeding in the industry, so we kind of have to be all things to all people. And the fact is that the trans experience is as diverse as any other experience. We have all ages, all body-types, all sexualities, all races. We need a little bit more. We need a little bit more of everything.”
She, however, said things had gotten much better since she had started. “It’s a night and day difference. We’ve made some effective arguments and the world has kind of shifted around us.”
She added, “In my first few years in Hollywood, I spent so much time fighting and advocating for trans representation with the belief that it would help the next generation. I really didn’t think it would change this much in my lifetime.”
In the series, Eve Fletcher, a middle-aged woman finds herself experiencing empty-nest syndrome when her son is leaving home for college. A divorcée with the newfound time and freedom in her hand, she finds herself on a quest to find that elusive happiness and sexual fulfillment.
‘Mrs. Fletcher’ airs every Sunday at 10:30 p.m on HBO.