'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
British actress Talisa Garcia has been cast in the upcoming Disney + series Willow. This marks the first time an openly trans actor has been cast in production from Disney-owned Lucasfilm, which owns titles like Indiana Jones and Star Wars.
The TV adaptation of the 1988 film will center on a princess who forms a team to protect her twin brother.
Warwick Davis reprises his role as Willow Ufgood, and the ensemble also features Erin Kellyman, Ellie Bamber, and Tony Revolori.
Who is Talisa Garcia?
Garcia was discovered as a child on the streets of Chile, having been abandoned by her mother. While she was fortunate enough to be adopted by a wealthy family, her early years were spent in the middle of Augusto Pinochet's authoritarian dictatorship. Her family was pressured to depart the country.
Garcia's family relocated to the United Kingdom when she was a child, first to Swansea, Wales, and subsequently to London as a teenager. Garcia is bilingual - English and Spanish - despite her early move.
Garcia's youth was marred by hardship and depression, which the actress is candid about. Talisa Garcia, born a man, found it impossible to live as one. Garcia tried to commit suicide when she was 13 in 1990.
Garcia was discovered and brought to the hospital, where she was sent to a psychiatric program, which she has subsequently described as the "best thing that ever happened" to her. It helped her put a name to the problems she was experiencing.
Talisa Garcia underwent a complete transition in 1992, with her parents' approval. It was a success. However, she has expressed her discomfort with the process, which included hours of trying to use the restroom.
Garcia changed her name once she transitioned. Although her birth name was Joseph and she was known as Josie in school, she changed her name to Talisa in honor of actress Talisa Soto, who played Bond girl Lupe Lamore in the film License to Kill (1989).
Talisa Garcia began her acting career at the Sylvia Young Theatre School in London, a prominent arts secondary school. She received her diploma from the Arts Educational School of London in 2003, a vocational acting school founded by famed composer Andrew Lloyd Webber.
While Garcia has appeared in minor roles in films and television shows, including supporting roles in the BBC series Silent Witness and Doctors, Baptiste is her first major role. Garcia has previously expressed her dissatisfaction with casting, claiming that she has been informed she was "not transgender enough" for parts that need trans performers.
According to an article for The Stage, she supports the ongoing effort to tell LGBTQ+ stories and encourages acting schools to train more trans performers.
As per Deadline, in Willow, Garcia has been cast as a queen, the mother of Revolori's character. According to the publication, she has a 'small speaking part' and may appear in one episode of the series. IMDb has Garcia provisionally slated to feature in eight episodes of the fantasy thriller.
According to a source, Talisa Garcia's coworkers were enthusiastic about her selection because it would be the first time a trans artist has played a cis character in a Disney+ production.
