A lot has been written about the growing presence of trans characters and experiences in mainstream media. What Transparent—the award winning TV show created by Jill Solway— started in 2014 seemed to reach fever pitch when Caitlyn Jenner took the helm in her own reality showI Am Cait last year. The two shows appeared to form the beginning of the most visible conversation around non-binary identities we’d ever seen on TV.
Considering the dual but separate roles the shows played in introducing millions of people to a different way of experiencing gender, it’s probably not surprising to hear that Jenner will appear in season 3 of Transparent. Caitlyn joins an impressive line up of guests stars—Petra Collins, Hari Nef and Carrie Brownstein have all done the rounds as series regulars—and don’t forget Angelica Huston’s perfect cameo in the season 2 finale.
The news broke after Transparent creator Jill Solway accepted her GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Comedy Series. Calling the casting a “dream come true” in a post-award interview she explained, “We are all part of the same community. A lot of the transwomen who work on our show are also in her show, I Am Cait. Lots of crossover. Lots of friends.” The idea has been percolating for a while, last year Jill told Varietyshe had hopes for Caitlyn appearing: “I don’t know if she’d want to act, but we definitely want to incorporate the fact that she came out into this season.”
Both Caitlyn and her former stepdaughter Kim Kardashian have mentioned that watching Transparentas a family helped them understand Caitlyn’s transition and support her. While no additional details of her role are known, Caitlyn will begin filming next week, so hopefully we won’t have to wait too long until the sneak-peaks start rolling in.
Credits
Text Wendy Syfret
Image via Instagram