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ICYMI: Tangerine's Mya Taylor Won Big at the Independent Spirit Awards

ICYMI: Tangerine's Mya Taylor Won Big at the Independent Spirit Awards

mya taylor independent spirit awards

'There is transgender talent. There's very beautiful transgender talent. You better get out there and put it in your next movie.'

Although Tangerine and Mya Taylor were shut out from this year's Oscars, god bless the Independent Spirit Awards which recognized the trans actress for her breakout role in last year's feel-good revenge buddy comedy.

Taylor won the Best Supporting Actress prize on Saturday, but she didn't provide any weepy sentiment, or political grandstanding, not even a "this moment is so much bigger than me." Instead, Taylor simply advocated for using more trans actors in film.

"There is transgender talent. There's very beautiful transgender talent," Taylor said with a flip of her hair. "You better get out there and put it in your next movie."

Taylor also thanked Sean Baker, Tangerine's co-writer and director, for taking a chance on her and essentially changing her life. Baker, for his part, couldn't have been prouder.

"It's a groundbreaking moment and Mya was so incredible up there," he told The Hollywood Reporter. "This is all I care about. I don't care about me winning or best picture. I care about these two parlaying this into their future. That's all that matters to me."

Jay Duplass, who along with his brother Mark produced the film, echoed Baker's adulation:"I'm blown away. I'm so proud of her and so proud of Sean."

While Taylor's co-star Kitana Kiki Rodriguez was a no-show at the ceremony--according to Baker, "she's not in a place right now where she wants to pursue this"--Taylor is currently developing a TV show about trans youth.

All involved, however, hope Taylor's historic win means more roles for trans actors in the future. "How can it not?" Baker asked.

Good question. Check out Mya Taylor's acceptance speech below:

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