Transgender actor picks up Vegas star

When "The Bold and the Beautiful" actor Scott Turner Schofield found out on Twitter he had won the best actor award from Las Vegas TransPride, he decided to head to Las Vegas to pick it up.

TransPride, which began Tuesday and runs through Sunday, features events, workshops and seminars to promote the transgender community at the Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Southern Nevada on South Maryland Parkway.

Founder Jamie Sprague-Ballou said the organization put out a survey on social media for people to vote for transgender people or allies in several categories including best actor and actress.

"It's a way to honor those who are transgender or the allies who work for transgender people," Sprague-Ballou said. "It doesn't matter where they live; we want to bridge the gap between communities so people know the different work that's going on elsewhere."

He said Schofield's last name popped up in the best actor category.

"Having a voice in Hollywood says, 'Yes, we can act,' and to have us out there and visible means a lot," Sprague-Ballou said. "We have a lot of talent in our community that people don't often see because they won't give us a chance."

Schofield's path

Schofield knows too well what it's like not being given a chance as he found it hard to find work during his early acting days.

"The only thing I ever wanted to be was an actor," he said. "During the early stages of transitioning, I was much more fluid looking, so at one angle I looked like a guy and at another I looked like a girl. I couldn't get cast in anything, and it didn't matter if I was a good actor."

Instead of walking away from his dream, Schofield decided to write a one-man show.

"It was really successful and people were interested in transgender issues, so I wrote a second and then a third show," he said. "I realized people valued a transgender story."

Schofield became the first transgender artist to be commissioned by the National Performance Network. In the process, he has been at the forefront of educating the acting community about being transgender.

"I'm engaged in educating Hollywood about what it means to put transgender actors in their projects and let them see that you can put us in any role and we'll change the face of television for the better," he said. "It was unexpected, but it's been a joy to help people understand transgender identity."

This year, Schofield landed the role as Nick on CBS's "The Bold and the Beautiful" and has been given the opportunity to tell a story about being transgender to 30 million viewers around the world. He became the first transgender actor to appear in a recurring role on daytime television.

"That means to me that we live in a really discriminatory society, and though it's ridiculous that I'm the first one, it's also amazing, and I'm so glad that I get to do it," he said. "The story line about transgender issues on 'The Bold and the Beautiful' is something that's never been done before, and I'm so proud that I get to play a part in it."

Transgender issues to address

Though Schofield has come far, he said there are still plenty of issues in the transgender community that need to be addressed. He said the biggest is poverty, which he said is largely due to employment discrimination.

"It's now illegal to fire transgender employees after they come out, so we're closing in on that," he said. "But it's still legal to not hire someone because they're transgender. And though we want to work, you think we're too weird to work."

To combat challenges facing the transgender community, Schofield said he's going to continue to focus on education.

"I really feel that education is key because I didn't even learn who I was until I was 20 because the word 'transgender' wasn't taught to me," he said. "You're only taught that there are men and women and you have to look this way."

Holly Reese, senior and transgender programs manager at the Gay and Lesbian Center, said Schofield's visibility and representation are helping raise awareness.

"It's so important to have voices of celebrities who are respected and admired," she said. "The visibility is crucial."

Reese added that events such as TransPride are highlighting the transgender community.

"Transgender rights are a civil rights issue and it's important to let people live as their authentic selves," she said.

In the meantime, Schofield said he's working toward a legacy that centers on celebrating individuality.

"I always hope that whether I'm acting in a project or speaking at an event, my intent going in is to leave everybody listening to me with the sense that they matter and that who they are is important," he said.

— Contact Ann Friedman at afriedman@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-4588. Follow her: @AnnFriedmanRJ