The gut-wrenching hits keep coming on Amazon’s Transparent.
When Jeffrey Tambor’s transgender professor, Maura, is stopped and inspected by TSA for a groin anomaly on the way to Israel, “viewers see that we really are human beings,” Tambor, 73, says. “You see the word transgender in print, but it’s just letters. Lives are at stake.”
The scene also struck a chord with Judith Light, who plays his ex-wife Shelly. “I noticed the delicacy and fragility of Maura,” the actress, 68, adds. “They were patting him down, and he was in the crucified position. Jesus Christ Superstar starts to play. I thought, ‘What a way to begin a season.’”
The duo open up to Us.
Us Weekly: In season 4, what’s the dynamic between your characters?
Judith Light: Maura and Shelly always have their eyes on each other, no matter what is going on. There’s a moment when they’re in the middle of the desert and you see Maura just so there for Shelly. You sense the depth of their connection.
Jeffrey Tambor: I loved following Ms. Light in the desert! It was an amazing event.
Us: Has Maura begun to find confidence in her body?
JT: Ever since she was denied gender surgery, I think she’s even more authentic with her image. The emphasis this season is what’s going on around her. Is anybody telling her the truth?
Us: Will they dive into dating?
JL: Shelly has always wanted to be with somebody. But now she’s on her own. It’s unsteady.
JT: Maura is looking for love. It’s not gender specific. She starts dating a man. She’s looking for the right home.
Us: How has the show empowered you?
JT: Something I’ve been harping on and I’m serious about is the military ban. It makes me get in my car faster and get to Paramount Studios. I think there is hatred, but I think there is fear. The real big thing is ignorance. I love that we get through to the human. We don’t lecture and we don’t wag our finger didactically. I think this show has a chance to change the playing field.
Transparent is now streaming on Amazon.
For the latest celebrity entertainment, news and lifestyle videos, subscribe to Us Weekly’s YouTube Page.
