Mya Taylor

In Tangerine (2015), Mya Taylor’s Alexandra listens without disappearing from the scene. Alongside Kitana Kiki Rodriguez, she offers a steadier presence without making Alexandra merely agreeable. She gives us the sense of two women who have spent plenty of time together, not all of it happily. We warmed to her because she lets Alexandra be fed up with her friend without making the affection seem false. It is a strong performance built from the less conspicuous parts of a conversation.

Sean Baker and co-writer Chris Bergoch give the women talk that moves from rude to funny to personal without pausing for a speech about their circumstances. Taylor responds to those shifts without making a separate display of each one. We rate Tangerine highly, though its plotting gets a little too tidy; her performance helps because Alexandra never seems to exist simply to get the story to its next stop. The character has a friendship to deal with, and Taylor keeps that in view.

Tangerine was her acting debut, and Taylor worked closely with Baker on script and character development. A recurring part as Barbara in Dietland (2018) took her into television. In Stage Mother (2020), she played the supporting role of Cherry and combined acting with singing. The opportunities after her debut remained limited, a disappointing continuation for an actor who had made an impression without having to push for one.

Taylor has frequently been cast as transgender women, but the useful lesson of Alexandra is how much else a part can contain. Her friend can annoy her; the dialogue can be rude; affection need not make her patient. We would like to see more writers give her that freedom, rather than make a character’s circumstances the whole conversation. Start with Tangerine, and watch Alexandra when she is not the one talking.