Talisa Garcia will make history as the first trans actress to appear in a Lucasfilm project.
Deadline reported that the British star has been cast in the upcoming Disney+ series Willow, in which a princess calls on a group of people to help her search for her twin brother. Garcia will play a queen and mother of Tony Revolori's character who takes part in the rescue mission.
According to Deadline, the show is in post-production and Garcia may only appear in one episode. This is "the first known occasion an openly trans actor has been cast in a production from Disney-owned Lucasfilm," the studio behind Star Wars and Indiana Jones, the outlet reported. (Raya and the Last Dragon actress Patti Harrison became the first known trans actor to star in a Disney animated film in 2021.)
The casting announcement comes after Disney and CEO Bob Chapek were criticized for his slow response to Florida's "Don't Say Gay" bill, which was signed into law on March 28.
According to NBC News, the Florida bill bars "classroom discussion about sexual orientation or gender identity" in the state's primary schools.
Walt Disney World reportedly employs more than 65,000 people at its Walt Disney World resort in Orlando, making this an issue that's close to home for many employees, some of whom were critical of Disney. Employees wrote on the "Disney Do Better Walkout" website, "The recent statements and lack of action by TWDC [The Walt Disney Company] leadership regarding the 'Don't Say Gay or Trans' bill have utterly failed to match the magnitude of the threat to LGBTQIA+ safety represented by this legislation."
CEO Chapek later acknowledged the company's mishandling in a statement to employees. "It is clear that this is not just an issue about a bill in Florida, but instead yet another challenge to basic human rights," the statement posted to the company website read. "You needed me to be a stronger ally in the fight for equal rights and I let you down. I am sorry."
In a March 9 shareholder's meeting, Chapek stated that the company had been opposed to the bill from the beginning, saying, "we chose not to take a public position on it because we thought we could be more effective working behind the scenes, engaging directly with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle," according to NBC News.
Oscar Isaac, who stars on the new Marvel series Moonknight, in addition to Disney+ star Gabrielle Union have previously expressed frustration with the company too.
Union, whose stepdaughter Zaya Wade is a member of the LGBTQ+ community, said that she can't understand the reasoning behind the bill. "Somebody asked me, 'Are you disappointed?' I'm disappointed when my order isn't right at In-N-Out," she told Variety. "I don't even think that's a word that you could use for something like this, where children's lives are literally hanging in the balance."
She continued, "We need to own that if you truly are taking stands against hate and oppression, you should not fund hate and oppression. Period. The damage is done."