‘Star Wars’ Welcomes First Trans Actor In Brand New Series
Image: Source: IMDb
Actress and YouTuber Abigail Thorn is set to appear in the new Star Wars series The Acolyte, making her the first out trans actress to appear in the long-running sci-fi franchise.
The new Disney+ series releases on June 5th in Australia and follows Jedi Master Sol (Lee Jung-jae, Squid Game) who reunites with a student (Amandla Stenberg, The Hunger Games) while investigating crimes 100 years before The Phantom Menace, sending Sol down a dark path as sinister forces reveal themselves.
Most well-known for her YouTube channel Philosophy Tube, Thorn was announced to be joining the cast of The Acolyte in June 2023 as Ensign Eurus, a character currently shrouded in mystery but speculated to be an officer of the High Republic.
Finally allowed to say this – I’m in STAR WARS! The Acolyte is coming this June. I’ll say more when the show drops 👀 May the Force be with you! https://t.co/mDQunXWNcP
— Abigail Thorn (@PhilosophyTube) March 19, 2024
It’s a highly exciting opportunity for Thorn, who has also written and starred in her own play The Prince and played a role in the 2023 Game of the Year-winning Baldur’s Gate III.
Thorn publicly came out as trans in January 2021 with the incredibly touching video Identity: A Trans Coming Out Story, and has been staunchly fighting for better trans rights and healthcare in the UK for years.
Other queer talent in Star Wars: The Acolyte
Thorn’s far from the only queer talent to be part of The Acolyte, though – in fact, it’s looking to be the queerest Star Wars series yet, releasing just in time for Pride Month.
The show was created by lesbian director Leslye Headland, while trans actor and screenwriter Jen Richards has writing credits on episode 7 of The Acolyte, which has led fans to hope that Eurus will be explicitly acknowledged as trans in the series.
The cast of The Acolyte includes Headland’s wife Rebecca Henderson as Vernestra Rwoh and queer actress Amandla Stenberg as twins Osha and Mae. Additionally, the legendary Carrie Ann-Moss plays Indara, a Jedi proficient in “Force-fu” who is deliberately reminiscent of Trinity from The Matrix.
The Acolyte is releasing on June 5th at 11am in Australia, exclusive to Disney+. The show will premiere with two episodes, and the remaining six episodes will air weekly.
