Perdita
01-03-2015, 04:33
Dominic Treadwell-Collins has revealed he is set to create a transgender storyline for EastEnders.
The executive producer shared the news earlier today (February 28) at National Student Pride, where he said he wants to the tell the story "properly".
"We are looking at a trans storyline," Treadwell-Collins said. "What I like to do on EastEnders... what we always do is do all our research first.
"We try and do our research and get it all in our heads - the way we want to go because we want to tell it properly."
Treadwell-Collins also said that he would be looking to cast a transgender actor to play a part in the storyline as well.
http://i2.cdnds.net/14/51/618x554/soaps-eastenders-executive-producer-dominic-treadwell-collins.jpg
EastEnders' executive producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins
© BBC / Kieron McCarron
Dominic Treadwell-Collins
He said: "Also I would want to cast a trans actor as well. You have to - you have to cast a trans actor, but you also don't want to mess up the story because EastEnders reaches so many people and a lot of our audience are quite traditional.
"The power of EastEnders is we can change the world a little. You can change it gently and influence people who would be maybe quite bigoted."
Both Coronation Street and Hollyoaks have had transgender characters before, in the form of Haley Cropper and Blessing Chambers, but neither have been played by a transgender actor.
The executive producer shared the news earlier today (February 28) at National Student Pride, where he said he wants to the tell the story "properly".
"We are looking at a trans storyline," Treadwell-Collins said. "What I like to do on EastEnders... what we always do is do all our research first.
"We try and do our research and get it all in our heads - the way we want to go because we want to tell it properly."
Treadwell-Collins also said that he would be looking to cast a transgender actor to play a part in the storyline as well.
http://i2.cdnds.net/14/51/618x554/soaps-eastenders-executive-producer-dominic-treadwell-collins.jpg
EastEnders' executive producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins
© BBC / Kieron McCarron
Dominic Treadwell-Collins
He said: "Also I would want to cast a trans actor as well. You have to - you have to cast a trans actor, but you also don't want to mess up the story because EastEnders reaches so many people and a lot of our audience are quite traditional.
"The power of EastEnders is we can change the world a little. You can change it gently and influence people who would be maybe quite bigoted."
Both Coronation Street and Hollyoaks have had transgender characters before, in the form of Haley Cropper and Blessing Chambers, but neither have been played by a transgender actor.