The 18-year-old actor makes his off-Broadway debut in Taylor Mac's family dramedy.
By Brandon Voss
Get ready to see a lot more of Tom Phelan. Making his off-Broadway debut in the family dramedy Hir, the 18-year-old trans actor has permanently relocated from L.A. to New York. “I graduated high school and I was like, maybe I’ll go to college,” he says. “Then I got this show and I was like, nevermind.”
Penned by genderqueer playwright and performer Taylor Mac, Hir, which opens November 8 at Playwrights Horizons, stars Phelan as Max, a newly transitioning teen. The play’s title refers to Max’s preferred gender pronoun. “If you met me two years ago, Max and I would be pretty much identical,” Phelan says.
Best known for his recurring role as trans teen Cole in ABC Family’s The Fosters, Phelan plans to pursue more stage work after Hir. Noting the dearth of trans representation in mainstream theater, he already has an eye on non-trans characters. “That’s the dream,” he says. “It would be great if the world had that kind of imagination. Who knows? I might be underestimating.”
Phelan, who was recently included in Teen Vogue’s Young Hollywood issue, connects with young LGBT fans through social media. Does he feel the pressures of being a role model? “I definitely have a special obligation to these kids, but I don’t know,” he says. “I’m too busy trying to figure out what to eat for dinner and when to do my laundry.”
Next, October 2015.