Last night at the Independent Spirit Awards – which honour films made outside the studio system – Tangerine’s Mya Taylor made history when she won in the Best Supporting Actress category, becoming the first transgender actress ever to win a major film award.
While the Oscars ingnored the movie, it’s great that the Independent Spirit Awards gave it some love. Taylor was undoubtedly a worthy winner for playing a transgender sex worker, who along with her friend Sin-Dee Rella (Kitana Kiki Rodriquez), spends Christmas Eve searching for the pimp who broke Sin-Dee’s heart.
In her acceptance speech Taylor said, “I have had a long journey through my 2015 because I had come from almost nothing and then got this role and this movie, and my life just did a total 360.” Before adding at the end, “There is transgender talent. There’s very beautiful transgender talent. So, you better get it out there and put it in your next movie.”
Rodriguez was also nominated in the Best Actress category, but lost out to Oscar front-runner Brie Larson, who picked up the ward for Room. You can take a look at Taylor winning the award below.
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