Glamorous star Miss Benny comes out as transgender
Glamorous star Miss Benny has come out as transgender, and shared a heartfelt essay about her gender identity.
The star of the hit Netflix show opened up about life growing up wishing to be a girl.
In the essay published in Time magazine, Miss Benny wrote: "I’m a proud person, but admittedly it’s still a bit daunting to say those words publicly.
"To list the reasons why could sway 'heavy,' and even 'depressing as hell,' so in an effort to keep it light and tight… let’s just say I’m one of those girls who grew up in a religious Texas household where queerness was totally not the vibe."
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Reflecting further on her religious background, the 24-year-old wrote: "I was homeschooled so as to not be exposed to anything that might tamper with the Christian faith my parents raised me in.
"But by 8 years old I was praying every night to wake up and somehow be like my sisters. In the morning I would wake up in the same body, and cry."
Moving to Los Angeles at age 14 to make it as an actor, Miss Benny found rejection at several auditions.
She wrote: "I instead endured years of rejection in auditions because it 'wasn’t time for someone like me'.
"I entered relationships where my femininity was subject for negotiation.
"And over time, I learned to quiet the colorful parts of myself and make peace with my dreams remaining dreams."
Things turned around when a call came through about a show called Glamorous that was being developed.
The producers for the show, which centred around a gender non-conforming Latino make-up artist, had Miss Benny in mind for the part.
Reflecting on the pivotal audition, Miss Benny said: "At my first audition, I arrived as a diet version of myself so as not to subject myself to the usual rejection I’d faced.
"But this time, I was met with the encouragement to be myself and let my full femininity shine."
However, when the Covid-19 pandemic hit, the show was put on hold and Miss Benny was left to deal with her gender dysphoria.
Miss Benny said: "As time went by, I privately transitioned in my day-to-day life. It felt as if I had lived with a stuffy nose my whole life and then suddenly my breathing airways opened, and I discovered everybody else has been breathing freely the whole time.
"And now, I too can breathe and enjoy my life the same way everyone else does."
Initially, Miss Benny was worried about how her transition would affect her role as she had been cast to play Marco, a boy.
However, a meeting with the show's creator and Netflix higher-ups soon set things right.
Miss Benny recalled: "I knew this was different from the original plan, but I felt we could include this journey in the show by having Marco transition alongside my transition in real life.
"Netflix came onboard. In fact, the only concern was ever about my own personal comfort and, funnily, whether or not the pitch of my voice would change over the course of filming."
Glamorous was released to Netflix on 22 June, 2023.
Ben Thompson