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Jen Richards
View on WikipediaJen Richards is an American writer, actress, producer, and activist.
Key Information
Life and career
[edit]Richards was born in Mississippi and resides in North Carolina.[1] She graduated from Shimer College with a BA in Philosophy, and studied at Oxford University.[2]
In 2015, she appeared as a supporting cast member of Caitlyn Jenner's reality show I Am Cait. In 2016, she co-starred, co-directed, co-wrote and co-produced the web series Her Story, which was nominated for an Emmy Award.[3][4] Richards also co-produced the series More Than T and wrote the Trans 102 series.[5]
Richards joined the cast of the television series Nashville in 2017.[1] She became the first openly transgender person to appear on a CMT show, playing the first transgender character to appear on that network.[6] Richards also appeared in the 2017 film Easy Living.[7]
In June 2017, Richards wrote and appeared in a video open letter, presented by ScreenCrush and GLAAD, featuring trans actors asking for better representation in film and television.[8][9]
In August 2018, HBO announced a series pickup of Tom Perrotta's Mrs. Fletcher, a half-hour comedy based on Perrotta's 2017 novel of the same name; Richards is cast as Margo Fairchild, a transgender community college writing teacher, as a series regular.[10]
Personal life
[edit]Richards is bisexual and transgender.[11] In August 2020, she announced her engagement to Rebekah Cheyne, a professor from Arizona State University.[12][13]
Filmography
[edit]Television
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | I Am Cait | Self | 7 episodes |
| 2016 | Her Story | Violet | Main role, also writer and producer. Nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Short Form Comedy or Drama Series |
| 2016–2017 | Nashville | Allyson Del Lago | 3 episodes |
| 2017 | Doubt | McKayla | Episode: "Clean Burn" |
| 2017–2022 | Better Things | Jaia | 5 episodes |
| 2018 | Take My Wife | Naomi | Episode 2.1 |
| 2018–2020 | Blindspot | Sabrina Larren | 3 episodes |
| 2019 | Tales of the City | Anna Madrigal | 2 episodes |
| Mrs. Fletcher | Margo Fairchild | 7 episodes | |
| 2021 | Clarice | Julia Lawson | 3 episodes |
| 2023-2025 | Mayfair Witches | Josephine "Jojo" Mayfair | 6 episodes |
Film
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Easy Living | Danny | |
| 2020 | Disclosure: Trans Lives on Screen | Self | Documentary film |
| Gossamer Folds | Diana | ||
| 2022 | Framing Agnes | Barbara | Documentary film |
| MK Ultra | Laura Stanley |
References
[edit]- ^ a b Betts, Stephen L. (September 13, 2016). "Transgender Actress Jen Richards Joins Cast of 'Nashville'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on September 14, 2017. Retrieved September 1, 2017.
- ^ Heinichen, Claire (September 13, 2016). "Emmy Nominated Writer, Producer and Actress Jen Richards Joining Cast of Nashville". CMT News. CMT. Archived from the original on September 14, 2016. Retrieved June 21, 2017.
- ^ Anderson, Tre'vell (January 19, 2016). "'Her Story' creators Jen Richards and Laura Zak highlight dating while transgender". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 21, 2017.
- ^ Stafford, Zach (August 10, 2016). "Her Story: the transgender-themed web series up for a 'shock' Emmy". The Guardian. Retrieved June 21, 2017.
- ^ Petski, Denise (September 13, 2016). "'Nashville' Casts Transgender Actor Jen Richards In Recurring Role". Deadline Hollywood.
- ^ Yohannes, Alamin (September 13, 2016). "Actress Jen Richards Is Headed to 'Nashville'". NBC News. Retrieved June 21, 2017.
- ^ Valentini, Valentina (March 23, 2017). "EXCLUSIVE: Jen Richard Pushes Hollywood Forward With 'Easy Living' and 'Nashville'". Entertainment Tonight. Retrieved June 21, 2017.
- ^ Reynolds, Daniel (June 20, 2017). "Trans Actors Ask Hollywood for Roles With Dignity and Depth in Open Letter". The Advocate. Retrieved June 21, 2017.
- ^ ScreenCrush (June 20, 2017). "Why Hollywood Needs Trans Actors". Retrieved June 21, 2017 – via YouTube.
- ^ Travees, Ben (21 August 2018). "'Mrs. Fletcher': HBO Orders Tom Perrotta's Comedy Series Starring Kathryn Hahn, Directed by Nicole Holofcener". Indiewire.com. Penske Business Media, LLC. Retrieved 22 August 2018.
- ^ Reddish, David (2019-12-09). "Transgender star Jen Richards of 'Mrs. Fletcher' on Jared Leto, Hollywood life & "Tales of the City"". Queerty. Retrieved 2020-11-03.
- ^ "Jen Richards on Instagram: "I posted an ad on @lex.app one evening, and it just so happened that @bekahdc couldn't sleep that night, and had unknowingly turned off…"". Instagram. Archived from the original on 2021-12-25. Retrieved 2020-11-03.
- ^ "Rebekah Cheyne". herbergerinstitute.asu.edu. 2020-09-29. Archived from the original on 2021-06-27. Retrieved 2020-11-03.
External links
[edit]Jen Richards
View on GrokipediaEarly Life
Childhood and Upbringing
Jen Richards was born in Natchez, Mississippi, to parents active in local amateur theater. Both her mother, described as a talented and beautiful performer, and her father, a charismatic aspiring writer and actor who dreamed of success in Hollywood, involved her in stage productions from infancy; she made her debut appearance at six months old.[12][11] Her father died during her childhood.[12][11] Although born in the South, Richards spent much of her upbringing outside Chicago, Illinois, while maintaining family ties to Mississippi. She participated extensively in theater throughout elementary school and beyond, frequently taking lead roles, and began writing as a child, composing fantasy stories on an Apple IIe computer.[11][12]Education and Early Influences
Richards was born in Natchez, Mississippi, to parents active in local theater, and appeared on stage for the first time at six months old.[11] She grew up outside Chicago, where she pursued acting and writing from childhood onward, continuing through high school, college, and community theater productions.[11][13] After leaving home at age nineteen and working full-time without initial college enrollment, Richards later obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy from Shimer College.[3][14] She admired the moral integrity demonstrated by Shimer's professors, describing it as a standard she aspired to emulate.[14] Richards also engaged in studies at Oxford University and in Kyoto, Japan.[15] Key early influences included philosopher and cultural critic William Irwin Thompson as an intellectual touchstone, alongside transgender author Kate Bornstein and friend Ellie June Navidson within trans community circles.[14] Her foundational experiences in performance and philosophical inquiry shaped her later creative and activist pursuits.[11][14]Career
Pre-Transition Professional Background
Prior to her transition around 2011, Jen Richards established a career in nonprofit management and arts administration. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from Shimer College, attending from 1999 to 2004.[16] [17] Following graduation, she worked in arts administration, including as Managing Director of the contemporary music ensemble eighth blackbird, where her specialties included nonprofit management.[16] [18] Richards also pursued interests in the performing arts during this period, participating in community theatre as an adult after earlier involvement in high school and college productions, though she had stepped back from acting ambitions.[13] She trained as a voice coach at the postgraduate level at Australia's leading drama school and provided coaching to professionals, including actors, journalists, and healthcare workers, to refine their vocal techniques.[19]Breakthrough in Transgender Media
Jen Richards co-created, co-wrote, and starred in the web series Her Story, released in 2016, which marked her entry into producing transgender-centered content.[20] The six-episode series, directed by Jen Richards and Laura Zak, follows the dating lives of transgender and queer women in Los Angeles, with Richards portraying Violet, a transgender server dealing with romantic pursuits and social interactions.[21] Funded partly through crowdfunding platforms like the Awesome Foundation, the pilot episode premiered on YouTube on January 18, 2016.[22] [21] Her Story garnered attention for its focus on everyday trans experiences rather than trauma narratives, featuring co-star Angelica Ross as another lead transgender character.[23] The series received awards including a Peabody Award, a Gotham Award, and a GLAAD Media Award, alongside an Emmy nomination, for advancing authentic trans representation in short-form media.[24] Critics noted its surprise impact on audiences unfamiliar with nuanced trans stories, positioning it as an early example of trans-led narrative content outside traditional Hollywood structures.[23] [25] While praised within LGBTQ+ and independent film circles for fostering visibility—such as through screenings at Frameline—the series' web-based distribution limited its reach to broader mainstream audiences, with viewership primarily driven by online platforms.[26] Richards has attributed the project's success to collaborative trans input, emphasizing control over storytelling to avoid reductive stereotypes common in prior media depictions. This work laid groundwork for her subsequent advocacy on set consultations and script development for trans roles.[27]Acting Roles
Richards gained initial recognition as an actress through her lead role as Violet in the web series Her Story (2015), a drama centered on transgender women navigating relationships and identity, which she co-created and in which she portrayed a central character involved in personal and romantic storylines.[20] The series received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Short Form Comedy or Drama Series, highlighting her early performance in independent transgender-themed media.[4] In television, she appeared as Sabrina Larren in an episode of Blindspot (2015), marking one of her first network TV credits in a procedural drama.[28] Richards then took on a recurring role as Allyson Del Lago, a physical therapist aiding a main character's recovery, in season 5 of Nashville (2017), becoming the first openly transgender actress to portray a transgender character on CMT.[29] Her performance spanned multiple episodes, contributing to the show's exploration of personal challenges amid country music industry pressures.[30] A more prominent role came in the HBO miniseries Mrs. Fletcher (2019), where Richards played Margo Fairchild, a confident transgender writing professor at a community college who develops a romantic relationship with a student, subverting typical media tropes of transgender vulnerability.[31] This series regular part allowed her to depict a multifaceted professional life, including classroom dynamics and interpersonal tensions, in an adaptation of Tom Perrotta's novel.[32] In film, Richards portrayed Danny in Easy Living (2017), a coming-of-age story involving family secrets, and Diana in Gossamer Folds (2020), a drama about generational trauma and redemption.[4] Additional credits include Barbara Klane in the documentary Framing Agnes (2022), where she reenacted historical interviews related to transgender medical histories. She has also appeared in episodes of anthology series such as Two Sentence Horror Stories and supporting roles in Mayfair Witches (2023), expanding her presence in genre and horror formats.[4]Writing and Producing Projects
Richards co-wrote and co-produced the web series Her Story (2015–2016), a six-episode drama depicting the dating lives of transgender and queer women in Los Angeles, in which she also starred as Violet.[20] The series, directed alongside Laura Zak, premiered on January 18, 2016, and received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Short Form Comedy or Drama Series, as well as Peabody, Gotham, and GLAAD awards.[21] [33] She co-produced the documentary series More Than T (2017), which explored diverse transgender experiences beyond media stereotypes, and wrote its companion educational series Trans 102.[29] [34] These projects aimed to provide nuanced portrayals of transgender lives, drawing from Richards' advocacy background.[2] In 2024, Richards served as a consulting producer on the Disney+ series The Acolyte and co-wrote its seventh episode alongside Charmaine DeGraté and Jasmyne Flournoy.[35] [36] This marked her involvement in a major franchise production, focusing on science fiction scripting.[33]Filmography
Richards' filmography encompasses acting, writing, and producing credits across web series, television, and film, with a focus on roles highlighting transgender experiences. Her debut major project was the web series Her Story (2016), in which she starred as Violet, a transgender woman dealing with personal and romantic challenges, while also serving as co-writer and co-producer; the series received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Short Form Comedy or Drama Series.[20][13] Subsequent television appearances include Allyson Del Lago, a transgender hotelier, in season 5 of Nashville (2017), her first role on CMT as an openly transgender actor portraying a transgender character.[29] She played recurring roles such as Jaia in Better Things (2017–2018), Sabrina Larren in Blindspot (2018–2020), and Margo Fairchild in the HBO miniseries Mrs. Fletcher (2019).[4] Additional TV credits feature guest spots in Doubt (2017) as McKayla, Tales of the City (2019) on Netflix, and Jojo Mayfair in Mayfair Witches (2023) on AMC.[11][37] In film, Richards appeared in Easy Living (2017) and MK Ultra (2022), alongside documentary contributions in Disclosure (2020), which examines transgender representation in media, and Framing Agnes (2022).[38][39] Producing credits include The Acolyte (2024), a Star Wars series.[4]| Year | Title | Credit | Medium | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | I Am Cait | Actress (supporting) | TV series | Reality series appearance.[38] |
| 2016 | Her Story | Actress (Violet), writer, producer | Web series | Lead role; Emmy-nominated.[20] |
| 2017 | Nashville | Actress (Allyson Del Lago) | TV series | Recurring; first trans actor on CMT in trans role.[29] |
| 2017 | Easy Living | Actress | Film | Supporting role.[38] |
| 2017 | Doubt | Actress (McKayla) | TV series | Guest role.[11] |
| 2017–2018 | Better Things | Actress (Jaia) | TV series | Recurring.[4] |
| 2018–2020 | Blindspot | Actress (Sabrina Larren) | TV series | Recurring.[4] |
| 2019 | Mrs. Fletcher | Actress (Margo Fairchild) | TV miniseries | Guest.[32] |
| 2019 | Tales of the City | Actress | TV series | Netflix revival.[11] |
| 2020 | Disclosure | Herself/Contributor | Documentary | On trans media tropes.[39] |
| 2022 | Framing Agnes | Participant | Documentary | Archival/trans history.[39] |
| 2022 | MK Ultra | Actress | Film | Thriller.[39] |
| 2023 | Mayfair Witches | Actress (Jojo Mayfair) | TV series | Recurring.[37] |
| 2024 | The Acolyte | Producer | TV series | Star Wars series.[40] |
