Playing the first gay superhero on the big screen is ‘really beautiful,’ says actress Becky G
Becky G has said she is “so proud” to play the first gay superhero in a blockbuster film.
Power Rangers, which comes out on Friday, includes a subplot in which the Yellow Ranger, one of the main characters, struggles with her relationship with another girl in the film’s second act.
The Yellow Ranger, whose non-superhero name is Trini, eventually comes to terms with her sexual orientation and is accepted by all the other characters.
Speaking to her fans via live-streaming app Periscope, Becky G, a singer and actress who is appearing in her first feature-length film, said the character was “special to me.”
She added: “When everyone meets Trini, they will love her, because she’s definitely different and special in her own way.
“What this movie represents is diversity, and that life is so much better with it being more colourful rather than black-and-white – and I think it’s a story that’s a true reflection of the audience that’s going to be watching the movie.”
I’m proud. https://t.co/3Zh3QR4abc
— Becky G. (@iambeckyg) March 22, 2017
She said she wanted to talk directly to fans about “about Trini being a representative for the LGBTQ+ community,” because it was really important to her.
“It was something we wanted to make sure was very present in her story…and that felt really authentic, because the truth is, it’s the story of a lot of people out there.”
Becky G, whose song Shower went double-platinum, said she hoped audiences would empathise with her character.
“With Trini, I wanted to make it feel like you guys are embarking on this journey of self-discovery with her.
“Figuring out who you are isn’t easy, and I feel like for her in this movie, that first step is self-acceptance, and surrounding herself with the right people.
Hi guys!! https://t.co/TIRukiSNrU
— Becky G. (@iambeckyg) March 22, 2017
“She finally finds herself in a place where she’s comfortable enough to deal with this inner conflict, these issues she’s been having, because she really feels like she’s different.”
Speaking passionately into the camera, she added: “The fact that she can rely on four other amazing people who are all different in their own way and feel like she’s accepted is huge, and I think that’s a really groundbreaking moment.
“I want people to know that means a lot to me, to be playing and portraying someone in this story who comes from that place.”
The development is especially remarkable as Power Rangers was previously known for causing the original series’ Blue Ranger to quit because of vile homophobic abuse.
David Yost, who played Billy Cranston and the Blue Ranger in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, also said his co-stars were repeatedly quizzed about what they knew about his sexuality.
In 2010, he revealed: “I walked off set one day during the middle of lunch – I had made a decision, I had been thinking about it for a good week, and the reason I walked off was because I was called faggot one too many times.”
But in reaction to news of a gay Yellow Ranger, Yost praised the new film for its bravery.
“They really stepped up to the plate,” he said.
“I think so many people in the LGBTQI community are going to be excited to see that representation.”
Trini, who is played by singer and actress Becky G, follows a relatively recent shift towards writing gay characters into superhero films and TV shows.
Deadpool, whose film came out last year, is pansexual, while Supergirl, Arrow and Legends of Tomorrow – all on US TV channel CW – all feature a gay character.
The coming out storyline of Alex Danvers, Supergirl’s adoptive sister, this season prompted a hugely positive reaction from fans and the LGBT community.
And of course, the news comes on the heels of Beauty and the Beast featuring the first ever explicitly gay Disney character, Le Fou.
