The Time I Played a Cross Dressing Male Prostitute

In this video, Jennifer Lawrence talks about auditioning for the role of a girl named Emily C., her agent telling her she booked it, and then finding out she actually got the role of a basketball mascot. Yes, she wore the whole costume with the wildcat head. That was her first IMDb credit.

It reminded me of the time I booked something ENTIRELY different from the role for which I auditioned.  A while back, I attended this huge cattle call casting for a comedy.  I auditioned for the role of a wife in a dramatic scene in front of a table full of people. Similar to the set up of "American Idol" auditions. I felt so legitimate, y'all.

A couple of days later, I received a call from production informing me that I didn't book the role of the wife because they thought there was another part that was perfect for me. The role was called Beautiful Woman.

Awww. That's flattering, I thought.  The producer would send me sides later, and she asked if I wanted the job. I was super pumped! I wasn't going on regular auditions, and here was a producer offering me this job. YES! Send those sides right on over!

The sides came. I read the script.

I soon realized that I am not just Beautiful Woman. I am "Beautiful Woman" in quotations because spoiler alert: I am really a man. And a prostitute.

That was completely unexpected. And hilarious.  Come on.  I totally envisioned that I was going to play some classy and glamorous dolled up beautiful woman like Audrey Hepburn.  So the contrasting reality of the situation was funny.

I asked people for advice about the role and went back and forth about it in my head. It's not that a transgender/transvestite prostitute is a "bad" character. But is the role right for me? How did I feel about scenes that are sexual in nature? How would it impact my acting career?  But then I reminded myself that I didn't have an acting career. That would be "career" in quotations.

I decided that the role wouldn't dictate my future in acting. It seemed highly doubtful that I would be typecast.

Cut to casting office: "Heeeeey, aren't you that girl who always plays cross dressing male prostitutes?"

So I accepted the part and got excited to film the movie.  I had so much fun with the cast and crew. You guys, the makeup artist gave me a 5 o'clock shadow.

Yes, the job offer made me wonder if I gave off a transvestite or transgender woman vibe. I think I certainly can.

In this picture on set during another project...hellooo. I absolutely pull off the transgender woman look.

Hey, if I had the opportunity to do a role as juicy as Jared Leto's part in "Dallas Buyers Club", I'm taking it!