Animation studio Pixar is seeking a young actress who can “authentically portray” a teenage transgender girl in a new film.
The studio, which is owned by Walt Disney Company, published a casting call for a voice-over role in an unnamed animated film. The studio is searching for actresses between the ages of 12 and 17 who “can authentically portray a 14-year-old transgender girl” and are “outgoing, funny, and energetic.”
The character in the unnamed film is called Jess and is a 14-year-old transgender girl who is compassionate and “always has your back.”
Pixar has been making an effort to tackle difficult issues in its films, which are marketed and made for children. The film Onward, which was released in 2020, includes an animated lesbian cyclops police officer named Specter. The inclusion of Specter reportedly led to the film being banned in Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia.
DISNEY EXECUTIVE ADMITS TO PASSING ON ‘WELL-WRITTEN’ SCRIPTS THAT LACK DIVERSITY
Trans March, a San Francisco-based group that organizes the city’s annual transgender pride parade, first posted the casting announcement, adding that the organization spoke with the casting director, who has contacted other transgender advocacy groups.
At the time of publication, Pixar and Walt Disney had not responded to the Washington Examiner’s requests for comment.
The announcement comes as Disney ramps up efforts to represent underrepresented groups both in front of the camera and behind the scenes.
ABC, which is owned by Disney, unveiled diversity standards in September, which are intended to make the company’s content as “inclusive as possible.”
“We want to take this moment to evaluate systems and habits in an effort to remove barriers to access and opportunity,” Simran Sethi, the company’s executive vice president of development and content, wrote in an email to ABC staff. “It’s important for us to look around the room, see who’s not there, and then take the steps to not only bring them in, but also set them up for success.”
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Dana Walden, Walt Disney Television’s chairwoman of entertainment, also recently admitted to passing on well-written scripts that weren’t adequately diverse, including a show that centered on a white family.
“That’s not going to get on the air anymore because that’s not what our audience wants,” Walden said at an April panel discussion hosted by Chapman University and Glamour. “That’s not a reflection of our audience, and I feel good about the direction we’re moving.”
