Mya Taylor Becomes the First Trans Actress to Win an Independent Spirit Award

Mya Taylor, 24, has won rave reviews for her performance as Alexandra in the independent film Tangerine. Tonight she made history as the first openly trans actor to triumph at the Independent Spirit Awards with her win for Best Supporting Female.

During her hilarious, touching acceptance speech she recounted her first thoughts upon hearing from director Sean Baker that the film would be shot on iPhones, “The movie ain’t gonna be sh*t.”

Thankfully, Mya was wrong. The movie has a 96% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. And Mya underscored the need for broadened opportunities for trans actors. "There's very beautiful transgender talent. So, you better get it out there and put it in your next movie," she joked.