Neighbours' first trans character: Georgie Stone lands her first acting role
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Australian soap opera Neighbours now has its first transgender character, Mackenzie Hargraves.
The part's played by Georgie Stone.
But Georgie didn't get the part through the standard audition process that most actors go through.
Instead the part was created especially for her!
The 19-year-old revealed that she wrote to the show's executive producer, suggesting ideas for storylines for the show.
Speaking to the Herald Sun, she said: "I came up with the idea of having a trans young person on the show so I wrote a letter to the executive producer, Jason Herbison, with a few ideas on how it could happen."
But little did she think she'd end up with a part on the famous soap opera herself.
She added: "When watching it I could see that essentially, amid all the drama and soapy stuff, it is about human stories and genuine stories that reflect the viewers and society as a whole, so I thought this would be a great opportunity to tell a story that isn't often told on Australian TV."
The word 'gender' is about being male or female.
Some people might feel that they were born into the wrong body, and that the gender they were born with, doesn't fit who they are.
People who feel this way are known as transgender, or trans.
Other people may feel they don't quite 'fit' with typical boys and girls but this doesn't mean they are trans. Everyone can play around with different clothes, toys or hairstyles and have fun!
Georgie is transgender and hopes to raise awareness through her character's storyline.
In an interview with The Sydney Morning Herald, she said: "I really wanted to tell the story of Mackenzie being trans so people can learn, but I also wanted her to just be a regular teen at the same time, and get caught up with the teen drama which has nothing to do with her being trans.
"There's a lot of discussion happening [about transgender people] now in the media."
Georgie's character Mackenzie Hargraves will be friends with Yashvi Rebecchi, a fellow student at her school.
Her storylines will include revealing that she is transgender, being accepted by her new friend, and having her classmates stand up for her right to use the female bathrooms.
But the character will also have a secret connection to Shane Rebecchi, that will be revealed to viewers over the coming weeks.
Both Georgie's parents have already had parts on Neighbours, so we're sure she's had plenty of advice ahead of her first episode appearing on TV.
- Published14 April 2016
- Published3 July 2018
