Ivory Aquino Lands New Transgender Role for Live-Action Batgirl
Ivory Aquino has joined the Batgirl cast as Alysia Yeoh, the first transgender character in the DC film universe. Aquino and Yeoh are both transgender, Yeoh being the first openly transgender character.
Aquino is playing Barbara Gordon aka Batgirl’s best friend/roommate. Yeoh first debuted in 2011 of a Batgirl comic book. Not much is known about Gordon’s mysterious friend except that she is a bartender and an activist. In the DC Comics Bombshell universe, Yeoh is a member of the League of Batgirls.
Ivory Aquino is confirmed to be portraying Alysia Yeoh, Barbara Gordon’s best friend and transgender woman, in #Batgirl 🏳️⚧️🦇 pic.twitter.com/MewA6sFNj7
— best of dc girls (@girIsofdc) January 25, 2022
Although the Batgirl film is being kept secret, both Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah are serving as directors. Aquino is starring alongside Leslie Grace (Babara Gordon/Batgirl), J.K. Simmons (Commissioner James Gordon), and Brendan Fraiser (Firefly). In addition to Aquino, Michael Keaton recently has been cast as Batman. What is also known is that the film will center around Barbara Gordon/Batgirl.
Ivory Aquino as Alysia in Batgirl! An actual trans woman playing a trans character in my favorite comic story! So excited! pic.twitter.com/rQdvTR8bVX
— Sparkley Homo Princess Hazel 👸✨🍭 (@hazeltransqueen) January 21, 2022
Alysia Yeoh is one of many DC characters who are a part of the LGBTQIA+ community. Recently, the new Superman, Jonathan Kent (Clark Kent’s son) and the current Robin (Tim Drake) both came out as bisexual. In addition, Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn’s friendship blossomed into something more and eventually became a couple. Even though Wonder Woman’s loves Steven Trevor, she also happens to be bisexual.
Trans representation in something other than a cartoon I can finally geek out about!
— Kayley Whalen (@TransWorldView) January 20, 2022
Looking forward to seeing Ivory Aquino play Batgirl’s Alysia Yeoh: https://t.co/8Xi9PuUYSd
This isn’t Aquino’s first role as a transgender character. She scored her first role as a transgender character for the miniseries When We Rise as Cecilia Chung. For many years, she played cis-gender female characters in theater and certain roles.
Actress #IvoryAquino has been cast as #AlysiaYeoh in HBO Max’s #BATGIRL 🦇 pic.twitter.com/0iDQ9FWCls
— Everything BATGIRL!🦇 (@TheBatgirlFan) January 25, 2022
“This is my first trans role because I have played cisgender roles on stage,” Aquino told IndieWire about her part as Cecilia Chung. “I have been in New York doing theater, doing Shakespeare. I got to play Juliet two seasons ago in Bryant Park, and no one knew I was trans. And it didn’t matter to the audience because they were so invested in the story. After playing Juliet, for me, I was telling a castmate, ‘I could go to heaven now.’”
So far, not much is known about the new Batgirl movie. All that is known is that it will air on HBO Max sometime this year. In the meantime, fans can stream DC films on HBO Max.
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