After making trans history last year by being the first trans woman to be nominated for a major Emmy, MJ Rodriguez has once again made her mark in herstory today.
For her turn as the house mother Blanca in “Pose,” MJ Rodriguez received a Golden Globe for best actress in a drama series. She is the first trans actor to receive a Golden Globe.
It’s a very well-deserved win, almost rectifying the 2020 Emmy snub which fellow “Pose” co-star Indya Moore criticized for ignoring trans talent. (That year, only Billy Porter, one of the few cisgender stars on the show, was nominated for an acting award.) It’s also a great send-off for the show itself, with the audience bidding adieu to Blanca and her ragtag queer family in its third and final season.
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But as Rodriguez herself pointed out, it’s also a sickening belated birthday present for her after celebrating it on Jan 7. “You talking about sickening birthday present! Thank you! This is the door that is going to Open the door for many more young talented individuals. They will see that it is more than possible. They will see that a young Black Latina girl from Newark New Jersey who had a dream, to change the minds others would WITH LOVE. LOVE WINS. To my young LGBTQAI babies WE ARE HERE the door is now open now reach the stars!!!!!” Rodriguez wrote on Instagram.
Rodriguez has been on a roll. Aside from “Pose,” she also had a minor role in the Andrew Garfield vehicle “Tick, tick… BOOM.” In 2019, she played the female lead Audrey in “Little Shop of Horrors,” becoming the first trans actress to do so in a major production.
To be honest, it’s sad that this year’s Golden Globe was mostly a snooze fest—aside from being untelevised (a TV event not being on TV? Okay), there was also no red carpet event. This is in response to last year’s controversy on the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s lack of diversity. There were multiple wins this Golden Globes that, if they were given in another year, would’ve felt momentous. But because it went untelevised, it’s hard not to feel like the winners were robbed of their moment. Aside from Rodriguez’s win, O Yeong-su from “Squid Game” won a Golden Globe for best support actor. The Japanese drama “Drive My Car” also won a Golden Globe for the best foreign language motion picture, furthering its chances at the Oscars. (That could mean we are *this* close to getting another “Parasite” upset; I can’t wait.)
Photo screengrabbed from the “Pose” trailer
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