This move is a major first for the studio that brought us Star Wars.
Raffy ErmacLucasfilm is making strides for transgender representation on screen.
According to a report from Deadline, British actress Talisa Garcia was just cast in the upcoming Disney+ series Willow, which is being helmed by the beloved film and television production company.
Garcia's casting is major news for trans representation in a Lucasfilm property, as Deadline points out that it is the first known time an out, trans actress has been hired to star in a project from the Disney-owned studio that is most known for iconic franchises like Star Wars and Indiana Jones.
Willow, a series sequel to the 1988 fantasy film of the same name (which was also produced by Lucasfilm), will see Garcia playing a queen character who is the mother of Tony Revolori's character Kit.
Garcia took to Instagram recently to share the good news with fans and followers.
"I feel so blessed and honored to be part of the Willow family; this is quite literally the definition of 'a dream come true,'" she wrote on her Instagram post. "When I was at school I used to drive my teachers crazy, they were always trying to get me to concentrate in class and stop looking out the window daydreaming. It must have been so frustrating for them but there was a reason I was unfocused. I was in so much pain from growing up in the wrong body that I spent hours living in a fantasy world where I was a princess or, in my more daring flights of fancy, even a queen, in a magical Disney production. I would never have dared to tell anyone of these ideas back then as they seemed so impossible, so ridiculously out of reach but regardless, I never stopped dreaming."
"Here I am, all these years later, an actual queen in a magical Lucasfilm & Disney production," she continued. "That wild fantasy land that I used to disappear into for escape and comfort is now a reality...so, from one daydreamer to all the others out there...don't stop! Dreams do come true. Reach for those stars and eventually, you'll find yourself flying higher than you ever thought you could."
Lucasfilm's parent company Disney has been in some hot water lately, especially in regards to Flordia's controversial "Don't Say Gay" bill.
Last month, the Walt Disney Co. received harsh criticism for its refusal to initially condemn the anti-LGBTQ+ Flordia bill, and its financial backing of politicians who supported the it, which was recently signed into law and which regulates the discussion of sexuality and gender with students in schools.
At the time the controversy first erupted, Disney CEO Bob Chapek, in an internal email to employees obtained by CNN, defended the lack of public opposition by saying corporate statements "do very little to change outcomes or minds" and reiterated the focus on creating "inclusive content." He soon reversed course and called out Florida Governor Ron DeSantis after rightful criticism from the LGBTQ+ community and activists.
RELATED | A Brief Timeline of Disney's 13 'First Gay Characters'
0Lucasfilm Casts Trans Actress Talisa Garcia in New Disney+ Series
0