Transparent
JEFFREY TAMBOR is back as Transparent’s transgender grandmother Maura
COMEDY DRAMA Amazon Prime Video Jeffrey Tambor returns in his Emmy-winning role of transgender grandmother Maura Pfefferman.
WHEN US PRESIDENT Donald Trump tweeted in July that transgender people would be banned from serving in the US military, Hollywood actor Jeffrey Tambor was less than impressed.
The veteran star has won wide acclaim for his portrayal of transgender grandmother Maura Pfefferman in the comedy drama Transparent, and he takes pride in the fact that his character has helped change people’s attitudes.
‘A mother and father came up to me at a film festival and told me their young son said he wanted to grow up like Katy Perry,’ says Tambor. ‘They said that watching Transparent gave them the inspiration and determination to help him.’
The new fourth season sees Maura travel to Israel after she is invited to speak at a conference. When she makes a startling family discovery, it prompts the rest of the clan – Maura’s adult children Ali (Gaby Hoffmann), Sarah (Amy Landecker) and Josh (Jay Duplass), and ex-wife Shelly (Judith Light) – to join her in the Holy Land.
Tambor admits that the new series has a more political edge after Trump’s election, but says the show won’t be preachy about the transgender cause. ‘There’s no finger-wagging – it’s just the characters’ lives being lived with yet another pressure when they wake up.’
The 73-year-old actor is in line for a third Emmy for his role at this week’s awards [see panel]. Not surprisingly, he says he’ll be happy to play Maura for as long as he can.
‘I hope the show goes on forever,’ he laughs. ‘I once had my fortune read by another actor in the 1960s. He said, “Things are going to happen for you, but they’re going to happen for you very late.” He wasn’t kidding.’
‘I hope the show goes on forever’
jeffrey tambor