Mya Taylor
Born (1991-03-28) March 28, 1991 (age 33)
Houston, Texas
OccupationActress
Years active2015–present
SpouseJames

Mya Taylor is an American actress and singer. She is best known for her role as Alexandra in the 2015 film Tangerine.

Early life

Taylor was born on March 28, 1991, in Houston, Texas.[1] She was raised by her grandparents, who kicked her out of the house at age 18 for her being transgender. Unable to secure legal employment, she worked as a sex worker in Hollywood, much like her character in Tangerine. She has since reconnected with her mother, who coined her name, Mya.[2]

Career

Taylor is best known for her role as Alexandra in Sean S. Baker's 2015 film Tangerine.[3][4] The first Academy Award campaigns for openly transgender actresses supported by a film producer were launched for Taylor and Kitana Kiki Rodriguez for the film.[5] Taylor won the Gotham Award for Breakthrough Actor for her performance in that film, making her the first openly transgender actress to win a Gotham Award.[6] She also won the San Francisco Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress[7] and the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female.[8] She was the first openly transgender actor to win an Independent Spirit Award.[9]

In 2016 it was announced that ICM Partners signed Taylor and agreed to represent her for film and television acting and producing projects.[10]

Taylor played Marsha P. Johnson in Reina Gosset and Sasha Wortzel's 2016 short film Happy Birthday, Marsha!.[11] She is also in the 2016 short film Diane from the Moon.

Personal life

When not in Los Angeles, Taylor lives in Jamestown, North Dakota with her fiance, James.[12]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
2015 Tangerine Alexandra Gotham Award for Breakthrough Actor
Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female
San Francisco Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress
Seattle Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress
Pending — Black Reel Award for Best Supporting Actress
Pending — Black Reel Award for Best Breakthrough Performance, Female
2nd Place — New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress
2016 Happy Birthday, Marsha! Marsha P. Johnson Short film
2016 Diane From The Moon Diane Short film

References

  1. ^ Zakarin, Jordan (July 9, 2015). "Meet the Breakout Star of 'Tangerine,' the Sundance Sensation". Yahoo! Movies. Retrieved 2 November 2015.
  2. ^ McDonald, Soraya. "Mya Taylor is the face of this year's most improbable Oscar campaign". Retrieved 1 December 2015.
  3. ^ O'Keeffe, Kevin (July 8, 2015). "Meet Mya Taylor, the Trans Actress Set to Take Hollywood by Storm". Mic. Retrieved November 2, 2015.
  4. ^ Macia, Peter (July 9, 2015). "Tangerine Director Sean Baker and Star Mya Taylor on Making the Most Exciting Film of the Year". Vogue. Retrieved November 2, 2015.
  5. ^ "Magnolia Pictures pushes Oscars nod for trans actresses | Spectrum". Spectrum.suntimes.com. Retrieved 2015-10-07.
  6. ^ "Mya Taylor Becomes the First Transgender Actress to Win a Gotham Award". BET.com. 1 December 2015.
  7. ^ "The San Francisco Film Critics Circle". 2015.
  8. ^ Mya Taylor Wins Best Supporting Female at 2016 Independent Spirit Awards - Hollywood Reporter
  9. ^ http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/video/mya-taylor-wins-best-supporting-870473
  10. ^ Dave McNary. "'Tangerine' Star Mya Taylor Signs with ICM". Variety.
  11. ^ Guerra, Joey (September 2, 2015). "Transgender actress Mya Taylor makes her presence known in 'Tangerine'". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved November 2, 2015.
  12. ^ Walker, John (October 23, 2015). "'Tangerine' star Mya Taylor is determined not to be 'that person Hollywood forgets'". Fusion. Retrieved November 2, 2015.
Categories