At 70, not many actors get to do a leftfield series like Transparent. So when the opportunity arose to play a transgender, Jeffrey Tambor grabbed it, writes Debashine Thangevelo
TRANSGENDERED people have made for interesting and entertaining characters in myriad TV and movie offerings. Some of the offerings that have piqued curiosity include Transamerica, Boys Don’t Cry, The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, Orange is the New Black and Orphan Black, to mention a few.
More recently, E!’s documentary on Bruce Jenner’s transition to Caitlyn Jenner in I am Cait, attracted lots of interested viewers. More so, with the whole Hollywood fraternity championing his courage to embrace his true self.
Of course, his journey isn’t unique. Far from it, actually. In fact, many have already gone through the process, while some are going through the change gradually, largely because of financial issues. And the average Joe-turned-Jane also has to deal with much discrimination – something that crept into the documentary.
While Jenner has given everyone a dais from which to share their stories, there is much she has to learn about her new way of life.
This brings us to the fictional world of Mort/Maura Pfefferman, played magnificently by Jeffrey Tambor.
Mort is a retired college professor, who has decided to finally “come out” to his three self-obsessed adult kids: Sarah, Joshua and Alexandra. However, there is never an ideal time to have this discussion, despite Mort’s best attempts to find one.
So he continues to lead his double life as Maura until Sarah accidentally learns the truth, along with the whole family.
This role was an easy sell for Tambor, who is a household face on TV and in film.
In an interview, he shared: “I got the script and when I finished reading it, I was literally yelling for someone to get me a meeting with Jill Soloway (the creator and executive producer).
“I heard there was some interest in me playing the role, but I didn’t know they were actually thinking of me. I just thought I was a name on a list. I met Jill the following day and we got along famously. After we met, I watched her movie Afternoon Delight and loved it. I called Jill and told her that I have to be in this show. It’s the role of a lifetime.”
And he proved himself worthy by bagging Golden Globe honours for Best Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy as well as an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series.
On prepping for his character, he revealed: “I read all of Jennifer Boylan’s work. I studied filmmaker Rhys Ernst and an artist named Zachary Drucker: they were our trans-consultants. I did a lot of work on the internet, a lot of reading and studying. I took a lot of field trips (dressed as a female). To be truthful, I was scared at the beginning. I’m a straight gender male playing a transgender. I was more concerned about doing it right than doing it well.”
The treatment of this story is very organic and realistic. Mort Pfefferman’s family is fractured. His elder daughter is having a lesbian affair, his son is a commitment-phobic music producer and his youngest daughter is still finding herself and her purpose in this world. In other words, she is unemployed.
Although his ex, Shelly, checks in on her children, Mort is more of the nurturer between the two. Aside from being the glue that keeps his kids together, he is also their rock.
Soloway has very cleverly etched his character to highlight the contrast between his strength as a father and his vulnerability as transgender.
Now Tambor doesn’t make the change look as cover-sexy as Caitlyn Jenner did with her Vanity Fair cover. His wardrobe is more old-fashioned. His thinning yet growing hair is in dire need of extensions. His makeup is clumsily applied. In fact, his nail polish is the most polished thing about his transformation.
But that’s the sway of this series. It isn’t looking to glamorise the issue. It’s an honest exploration of the emotional and psychological pangs of Mort coming out to his family and his yearning for acceptance and his children each respond differently to the news.
There is comedy that creeps in to add levity to the drama.
Overall, it’s an impactful series that holds more credibility – despite it being fictional – than our global poster girl, Caitlyn Jenner.
Looks like Jenner should be Keeping Up with Transparent, too.
Transparent, M-Net Edge (DStv channel 101), from tomorrow at 9pm.