EastEnders will introduce Kyle, a young trans man, later this year in a major new storyline. Transgender actors and activists told BuzzFeed News they believe the casting will help transform attitudes.
EastEnders is to have the first transgender character in a British soap played by a transgender actor.
Riley-Carter Millington as Kyle in EastEnders
BBC
Riley-Carter Millington, 21, an unknown actor and a trans man, will take the part of Kyle in the BBC's flagship soap opera later this year, after making a brief appearance in the show later this month. EastEnders' executive producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins said Millington's character will be "thrown into one of the biggest stories for the end of the year" and will be a "fresh and relatable" part that "comes with his own stock of secrets".
Millington, who will be making his television debut, said, "I am extremely excited to be joining EastEnders. I can honestly say that I have now fulfilled my two biggest dreams – to be living my life as a man and to be an actor. I cannot wait to really get stuck in with filming and I look forward to seeing what is in store for my character."
Producers for EastEnders have been considering adding a transgender character since 2014. Earlier this year, they held auditions and workshops for trans actors – with no preconceived idea of who the character would be, or whether they would be a trans man or trans woman.
Stuart C. Wilson / Getty Images
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