On Netflix's 'The Politician,' teenage election drama kicks into high gear with trans actor Theo Germaine
CHICAGO - After making his name at Fox, Ryan Murphy left the studio for a $300 million deal at Netflix. "The Politician" is his first new show on the streaming service, with a high school senior at its center named Payton (Ben Platt) who is obsessed with securing the role of class president. The show has all the expected stylized Murphy hallmarks: The high drama satire of unfettered ambition, displays of wealth (skewered but also filmed with an aspirational gaze) and dialogue that occasionally ping-pongs at a frenetic pace.
That speed was reflected behind the scenes as well when it came to casting the role of James, a transgender classmate and one of Payton's fully committed, hilariously savvy campaign managers. Consider the timeline: Within a week, trans actor Theo Germaine sent in a taped audition, landed the part and flew to Los Angeles for a costume fitting days before filming began.
That's not typical. Often the process can extend to
