‘Rub And Tug’ Will Now Feature A Trans Actor In Lead Role Instead Of Scarlett Johansson; Will Be A Series Instead Of A Movie
By Ben Pearson/July 21, 2020 3:00 pm EST
Rub and Tug, which tells the story of massage parlor kingpin Dante “Tex” Gill and his run-ins with the mafia in 1970s Pittsburgh, is being reworked from a movie into a TV series, and the producers have hired a trans writer to write the pilot script. And the lead role, the one that Johansson was once slated to play? That part will now be played by a trans actor.
The report also states that there is now “a commitment to cast a trans actor to play the show’s lead,” which is clearly the correct choice here. The controversy had lots of folks up in arms about things like who can be “allowed” to play whom, but the simple fact of the matter is that trans people have not had nearly the same opportunities that cisgendered actors have had over the years, so when an opportunity arises for a high-profile role in a cool project, it just makes sense to give trans performers the kind of shot that cis actors have had from the beginning.
The story sounds fascinating: Gill “took on the mob and became the crime kingpin of 1970s Pittsburgh through an empire of illicit massage parlors and an anabolic steroids ring that helped fuel the Pittsburgh Steelers’ NFL dynasty,” threw a birthday cake at a cop who raided one of his massage parlors, and dodged attempts on his life made by his rivals. The initial description of the story drew comparisons to American Hustle. I’m glad this project is now in the hands of someone who can give the material the respect and authenticity it deserves, and we’ll keep you updated when we learn more about it.
