Cross-gender acting


Cross-gender acting refers to actors or actresses portraying a character of the opposite gender. It is distinct from both transgender and cross-dressing character roles.

Traditions of male-only performance cultures

Many societies prohibited women from performing on stage, so boys and men took the female roles. In the ancient Greek theatre men played females, as they did in English Renaissance theatre and continue to do in Japanese kabuki theatre. In Chinese opera specialized male actors who play female roles are referred to as ; the practice arose during the Qing dynasty due to imperial prohibitions against women performing on stage, considered detrimental to public morality.
actor in Japan
Japanese kabuki theatre began in the 17th century with all-female troupes performing both male and female roles. In 1629 the disrepute of kabuki performances led to the banning of women from the stage, but kabuki's great popularity inspired the formation of all-male troupes to carry on the theatrical genre. In kabuki, the portrayal of female characters by men is known as onnagata. The practice is detailed in a story of the same name by the Japanese writer, Yukio Mishima. All roles in Noh dramas are traditionally played by male actors; actors playing female roles wear feminine costumes and female-featured masks. The Takarazuka Revue is a contemporary all-female Japanese acting company, known for their elaborate productions of stage musicals. Takarazuka actresses specialize in either male or female roles, with male-role actresses receiving top billing.
Nearly all the characters in Chinese Opera were performed by men; they cross-dressed to play the roles of women. A famous cross-dressing opera singer is Mei Lanfang. From early 20th century, Yue opera is developed from all male to all female genre. Although male performers were introduced into this opera in 1950s and 1960s, today, Yue opera is still associated as the only all female opera and the second most popular opera in China.
In Renaissance England it was illegal for women to perform in theatres, so female roles in the plays of Shakespeare and his contemporary playwrights were originally played by cross-dressing men or boys. Therefore, the original productions of the above-mentioned Shakespeare plays actually involved double-cross-dressing: male actors playing female characters disguising themselves as males. Academic research into the contemporary attitudes towards the practise have yielded a variety of interpretations. Laura Levine argues that "an all-male acting troupe was the natural and unremarkable product of a culture whose conception of gender was "teleologically male""; she also suggests that contemporary protests against the practise reflected "deepseated fears that the self was not stable and fixed but unstable and monstrous and infinitely malleable unless strictly controlled.

Women as men

Cross-dressing in sixteenth- and seventeenth-century Spain was frequent among actors, and the theater was at the time the most popular form of entertainment. There was a fascination with female cross-dressers particularly, who were "extremely popular" in the "Golden Age Comedia". Male actors might play the "women dressed as men" parts. Spain eventually found this cross-dressing to be threatening to social order, and passed laws targeting female transvestites throughout the 1600s. Despite the negative reactions and disapproval, it continued to remain very popular in the comedia.

Theatre, operas, plays, ballets and pantomime

A travesti is a theatrical term referring to the portrayal of a character in an opera, play, or ballet by a performer of the opposite sex. More specifically, a theatrical or operatic role in which an actress appears in male clothing is called a "breeches role", and roles once performed by a male soprano castrato may instead be performed by a female mezzo-soprano or contralto.
In the late 19th century, one of the most famous actresses was Vesta Tilley, who worked in a music hall from age five well into her fifties. In the late 1890s, she was the highest paid woman in Britain. What made her so famous was her tendency to dress as a man and act out "masculine" scenes and roles. Centuries before, Julie d'Aubigny, aka "La Maupin", had also been famous for her breeches roles.
In 1904, Nina Boucicault originated the theatrical tradition of cross-gender casting for Peter Pan, continued thereafter by Maude Adams, Marilyn Miller, Eva Le Gallienne, Sandy Duncan, and Cathy Rigby, among others. In 1954 Mary Martin portrayed the title character in the musical Peter Pan. "The boy who would never grow up" is a classic trouser role, as is Cherubino in The Marriage of Figaro.
In pantomime plays that are traditionally adaptations of fairy tales and performed around Christmastide, the role of lead male was once commonly played by a principal boy—a young, attractive, female. This practise has fallen out of favour recently, with popular male television and pop stars taking these roles. Conversely, the role of a pantomime dame, a middle aged woman played by a man in drag for comic relief, is still one of the mainstays of panto.

Modern practice

In animations and video games, it is not unusual for female actors to voice young male characters. Notable example are Nancy Cartwright voicing Bart Simpson in The Simpsons and Junko Takeuchi voicinging Naruto Uzumaki in the anime series Naruto. An example of a male actor voicing a female character is Bob Peterson as Roz in Monsters, Inc..
When the casting director of a production decides to employ cross-gender acting, selecting the actors in this way is sometimes also called "cross-gender casting" or simply "cross-casting".

In film and television

Release
year
TitleActorRoleDirectionRoleLanguageNote
1914A Busy DayCharlie Chaplin"Wife"male to femalecomedicEnglishShort comedy. This short was released 7 May 1914.
1914Sweedie the SwatterWallace BeerySweediemale to femalecomedicEnglishThe first of a series of Sweedie films, made between 1914 and 1916. This short was released 13 July 1914.
1920Treasure IslandShirley MasonJim Hawkinsfemale to maleEnglish
1921Little Lord FauntleroyMary PickfordCedric Errolfemale to maledramaticEnglishMary Pickford starred as both Cedric Errol and Widow Errol
1924Peter PanBetty BronsonPeter Panfemale to maledramaticEnglish
1936Stars on ParadeArthur LucanOld Mother Rileymale to femaleEnglishThe first of 17 films with Old Mother Riley
1936Sathi LeelavathiM. K. ManiLakshmimale to femaledramaticTamil
1939Wilton's ZooAnnie van EesJan Grovers female to maledramaticDutch45-year-old Annie van Ees plays the 16-year-old Boefje. She had played this role since 1922 in theatre.
1949Kind Hearts and CoronetsAlec GuinnessLady Agatha D'Ascoynemale to femalecomedicEnglishAlec Guinness plays eight members of the aristocratic D'Ascoyne family.
1954The Belles of St. Trinian'sAlastair SimHeadmistress Millicent Frittonmale to femalecomedicEnglishAlastair Sim plays both Millicent Fritton and her brother, Clarence Fritton.
1957Blue Murder at St Trinian'sAlastair SimHeadmistress Miss Frittonmale to femalecomedicEnglish
1959The Mouse that RoaredPeter SellersGrand Duchess Gloriana XIImale to femalecomedicEnglish
1962Sjors en Sjimmie op het pirateneilandJos van der LindenSjimmiefemale to maledramaticDutchSjimmie is played by director Henk van der Linden's daughter in blackface.
1965Sjors en Sjimmie en de gorillaJos van der LindenSjimmiefemale to maledramaticDutch
1967Bhakta PrahladaRoja RamaniPrahladafemale to maledramaticTelugu
1977Sjors en Sjimmie en het zwaard van KrijnMariska FikkieSjimmiefemale to maledramaticDutchIn the titles Mariska's name is abbreviated to more male sounding Mar Fikkie.
1977Die VorstadtkrokodileBirgit KomannsKurtfemale to maledramaticGermanA disabled boy, Kurt, was played by Birgit Komanns, who was wheelchairbound in real life; Kurt's voice was dubbed by Oliver Rohrbeck
1978Monkey Masako NatsumeTripitaka female to maledramaticJapaneseMaria Warburg provided Tripitaka's voice in the dubbed, English version.
1979Monty Python's Life of BrianTerry JonesMandy Cohen male to femalecomedicEnglish
1981Göta kanal eller Vem drog ur proppen?Christer LindarwQueen Silviamale to femaleSwedishCameo
1981SoporMargaretha KrookGösta Bohmanfemale to malecomedicSwedishSmall role
1982Fanny and AlexanderStina EkbladIsmael Retzinskyfemale to maledramaticSwedish
1982The Year of Living DangerouslyLinda HuntBilly Kwanfemale to maledramaticEnglishHunt won Academy Award for best actress in a supporting role
1985Didi und die Rache der EnterbtenDieter HallervordenFlorentinemale to femalecomedicGerman
1986The Golden ChildJ.L. ReateThe Golden Childfemale to maledramaticEnglishReate was nominated to a Young Artist Awards
for Best Young Actress
1986Haunted HoneymoonDom DeLuiseAunt Katherine "Kate" Abbotmale to femalecomedicEnglish
1988HairsprayDivineEdna Turnbladmale to femalecomedicEnglish
1988Coming to AmericaArsenio Hall"Extremely Ugly Girl"male to femalecomedicEnglishHall has a minor role, as girl trying to pick up Akeem and Semmi at a bar.
1989Back to the Future Part IIMichael J. FoxMarlene McFlymale to femalecomedicEnglishMichael J. Fox plays three characters - Marty McFly,
Marty McFly Jr. and Marlene McFly.
1991HookGlenn CloseGutlessfemale to maleEnglishCameo
1991Nothing but TroubleJohn CandyEldonamale to femalecomedicEnglish
1992-1997MartinMartin LawrenceSheneneh & Mama Paynemale to femalecomedicEnglish
1992Swordsman IIBrigitte LinInvincible Asiafemale to maledramaticEnglishAsia is a man who has castrated himself.
1992OrlandoTilda SwintonOrlandofemale to maledramaticEnglishOrlando is a man the first 2/3 of the film
1992OrlandoQuentin CrispElizabeth Imale to femaledramaticEnglish
1993The Beverly HillbilliesDiedrich BaderJethrine Bodinemale to femalecomedicEnglishBader also plays Jethrine's twin brother Jethro.
1995Filmpje!Paul de LeeuwAnnie de Rooijmale to femalecomedicDutchPaul de Leeuw introduced the character of Annie de Rooij in 1992 in the third seasons of his television show De schreeuw van De Leeuw. Annie was married to Bob de Rooij, also played by Paul de Leeuw.
1996A Very Brady SequelRuPaulMrs. Cummingsmale to femalecomedicEnglishMinor role as the High school teacher
1996The Nutty ProfessorEddie MurphyMama Klump, Grandma Klumpmale to femalecomedicEnglish
1999'Big BoyFluisamale to femalecomedicEnglish
1999TyroneCoolioCheronemale to femalecomedicEnglishCoolio also plays Cherone's brothers Tyrone en Jerome
2000'Eddie MurphyMama Klump, Granny Klumpmale to femalecomedicEnglish
2002EvenHandiO Tillett WrightTobyfemale to maledramaticEnglish
2003Girls Will Be GirlsJack Plotnick, Clinton Leupp, Jeffery RobersonEvie Harris, Coco Peru, Varla Jean Mermanmale to femalecomedicEnglishAll the female characters in this film were played by males.
2004'Peter Van Den BeginTante Sidoniamale to femalecomedicDutch
2004My NikiforKrystyna FeldmanNikiforfemale to maledramaticPolishFeldman won 2005 Polish Film Awards for best actress
2005Diary of a Mad Black WomanTyler PerryMable "Madea" Simmonsmale to femalecomedicEnglish
2005AlatristeBlanca PortilloEmilio Bocanegrafemale to maledramaticSpanish
2006Madea's Family ReunionTyler PerryMable "Madea" Simmonsmale to femalecomedicEnglish
2007I'm Not ThereCate BlanchettJude Quinnfemale to maledramaticEnglishJude Quinn is stylized after Bob Dylan
2007HairsprayJohn TravoltaEdna Turnbladmale to femalecomedicEnglish
2007NorbitEddie MurphyRasputiamale to femalecomedicEnglish
2007St Trinian'sRupert EverettMiss Camilla Dagey Frittonmale to femalecomedicEnglishAs in the earlier St. Trinian's films, a man plays the character of the Headmistress, Miss Fritton.
2007Negima!!Yukina KashiwaNegi Springfieldfemale to maleJapaneseLive action adaptation of the manga Negima! Magister Negi Magi. The main character, Negi Springfield, is a 10-year-old mage.
2008Meet the BrownsTyler PerryMable "Madea" Simmonsmale to femalecomedicEnglish
2009Madea Goes to JailTyler PerryMable "Madea" Simmonsmale to femalecomedicEnglish
2009'Rupert EverettMiss Camilla Dagey Frittonmale to femalecomedicEnglish
201130 RockMargaret ChoKim Jong-Ilfemale to maleEnglishCho was nominated to an Emmy for her guest role
2011Jack and JillAdam SandlerJill Sadelsteinmale to femalecomedicEnglishSandler plays both Jack and Jill Sadelstein
2011Jack and JillDavid SpadeMonicamale to femalecomedicEnglish
2012Cloud AtlasHugo WeavingNurse Noakesmale to femaledramaticEnglish
2012Cloud AtlasBen WhishawGeorgettemale to femaledramaticEnglish
2012Cloud AtlasZhou XunTalbot / Hotel Managerfemale to maledramaticEnglish
2012Cloud AtlasSusan SarandonYosouf Suleimanfemale to maledramaticEnglish
2014Black Butler Live ActionAyame GorikiEarl Kiyohara Genpu female to maledramaticJapanese
2014Mrs. Brown's Boys D'MovieBrendan O'CarrollAgnes Brownmale to femalecomedicEnglish
2014Peter Pan Live!Allison WilliamsPeter Panfemale to maledramaticEnglish
2015Bon Bini HollandJandino AsporaatJudeska, Gerriemale to femalecomedicDutch
2018SuspiriaTilda SwintonDr. Jozef Klempererfemale to maledramaticEnglish/GermanOne of three roles played by Swinton in the film
2019Dream GirlAyushmann KhurranaKaramveer Singhmale to femalecomedicHindiOnly in a play
2019The Twentieth CenturyMatthew RankinLouis Negin
Emmanuel Schwartz
Annie St-Pierre
male to female
male to female
female to male
comedicEnglishFilm deliberately intended to come across unrealistic and dreamlike; also utilizes colour-blind casting in two other roles.

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