Charmed reboot casts trans actor JJ Hawkins in groundbreaking new role: ‘It’s the inclusion for me’
JJ Hawkins has been casting in a recurring role as a transgender student in the Charmed reboot.
JJ Hawkins has been casting in a recurring role as a transgender student in the Charmed reboot.
Hawkins has joined the cast of Charmed for its upcoming third season, and will take on the role of Kevin, a transgender college student who “inspires one of the Charmed Ones to take on a very formidable opponent”.
Charmed reboot casts trans actor to play trans role.
Deadline reports that the actor, who uses he/him and they/them pronouns, is best known for his role as Riley on the CBS series The Red Line, and has also had parts on All Rise, Criminal Minds and NCIS.
The show’s writers tweeted: “We’re so excited! Welcome to the coven @thejjhawkins????? #Charmed”
Hawkins wrote: “THE FIRST MALE WITCH??? ????”
He added: “Tfw 2020 isn’t all bad news.”
One fan wrote: “YES YES YES! The flavour is immaculate! It’s the inclusion for me! It’s the giving a trans person a role for me! It’s the change coming in show business for me! WE LOVE TO SEE IT!”
JJ Hawkins has been casting in a recurring role as a transgender student in the Charmed reboot.
Another added: “More representation is always welcomed! I hope there’s a good storyline with him! He already sounds interesting.”
JJ Hawkins has spoken about being queer while growing up Mormon.
Hawkins has also spoken previously about growing up queer and Mormon.
He told Out last year: “People get put into one box but it’s exciting that the Mormon box is getting expanded. There are people who grew up and believe in this religion and not be one thing.
“One can be queer and grow up and have these conflicting feelings… it was and still is exceptionally difficult.”
In a post for National Coming Out Day last month, he wrote: “Coming out is simultaneously one of the worst and the best things I ever did. The worst for its difficulty, the best for its consequences.
“Coming out, though, is truly the anticlimax. The hardest work is done before, internally and alone. I’m so proud of myself for coming out, not because of the happier, healthier (cough and sexier cough) me you see today, but because of the pained and scared me of the past who chose to listen to myself over anyone else.
“Who chose to stay and hope that maybe others would one day see me as I saw myself. I’ve reached that today only because of him.”
Charmed was one of many TV shows forced to end its run early due to the coronavirus pandemic, but the third season will pick up right where things left off.
