Sam Zelaya is Creating a Trans Legacy in Film
Sam Zelaya, a trans actor, is making history with Wendell and Wild. Wendell and Wild is a stop-motion creation made by everyone’s unexpected favorite duo, Jordan Peele and Henry Selick.
Zelaya’s character within the story is a boy named Raúl, a creative, transgender boy who accompanies Kat, our angsty lead played by Lyric Ross. Raúl follows and assists Kat with her misadventures after she accidentally summons Wendell and Wild, played by Keegan Michael Key and Jordan Peele. Not only does he play the straight man to Kat’s dour outlook, Raúl is also the first trans character to be featured in a stop-motion film.
In an interview with Them, Sam Zelaya says on being cast for the part of Raúl, “It’s really cool. I’m so grateful that we have this kind of representation now, that kids can grow up seeing queer and trans characters on TV. There is a kind of pressure in knowing that I’m representing something that’s bigger than me; that motivates me to do a good job, but it is also a little bit scary. I hope that people like what I’ve done with it because it’s for the community as much as it is for me.”
In the media today, we absolutely need more representation and less demonization of trans and queer characters. LGBTQ kids need to be able to grow up seeing themselves in a good light, be that on the television or in books or video games. Not only will it help with their self image, but it will also create a space for them to look at their representation and be glad for who they are. Seeing a Latino transman individual in Wendell and Wild, a family film, is monumental. Not only are we getting trans and queer representation, we are also getting representation for people of color.
