Tuesday 17 May 2022 12:43 PM Who is new Doctor Who star Yasmin Finney? trends now
It was revealed that transgender actress Yasmin Finney is joining Doctor Who as a new Rose for the much-anticipated 60th anniversary of the show next year.
The BBC announced on Monday she will be named Rose, echoing Billie's stint as the beloved companion to both David Tennant and Christopher Eccleston's Doctors.
Speaking of her excitement at taking on the role, Yasmin said: 'If anyone would have told eight year old Yasmin that one day she'd be part of this iconic show, I would have never in a million years believed them.
'This show has a place in so many people's hearts, so to be seen as a trans actress by the legend himself Russell, has not only made my year, it's made my life.
'I cannot wait to begin this journey and for you all to see how Rose blossoms. Get Ready.'
But who is Yasmin Finney, the transgender actress who is set to join the cast of the popular sci-fi series alongside new Doctor Ncuti Gatwa?
Amazing! It was revealed that transgender actress Yasmin Finney is joining Doctor Who as a new Rose for the much-anticipated 60th anniversary of the show next year
Yasmin, 18, first shot to fame as Elle Argent in hit Netflix LGBTQIA+ teen romance Heartstopper, which was released on the streaming platform last month.
The series follows students Charlie Spring (Joe Locke) and Nick Nelson (Kit O'Connor), who embark on a secret romance at Truham Grammar School for Boys.
Yasmin plays the role of Elle, Charlie's friend who moves to a girls school from the all-boys school and befriends lesbian couple Tara Jones (Corinna Brown) and Darcy Olsson (Kizzy Edgell).
Starring role: Yasmin, 18, first shot to fame as Elle Argent (pictured) in hit Netflix LGBTQIA+ teen romance Heartstopper, which was released on the streaming platform last month
In the eight-part series, Elle reveals she has a crush on her best friend Tao Xu (William Gao), who is also close friends with Charlie and Isaac (Tobie Donovan).
In an interview with REVAMP magazine, Yasmin spoke of the similarities between herself and Elle, as she revealed she moved secondary school just like her character does in the show.
She told the publication: 'When I moved schools, it was to another mixed school but for Elle to move at 16/17 from an all-boys to an all-girls school… I had the option to do that but I wasn't confident enough yet.
'I didn't yet know what was going on and what was in my head, it's just a lot of anxiety to be around a whole new gender exclusively.'
Fame: Yasmin plays the role of Elle, Charlie's friend who moves to a girls school from the all-boys school and navigates her crush on her best friend Tao Xu (William Gao)
Speaking about her career, Yasmin whose favourite movie is The Princess and the Frog, said she would love the opportunity to play a cis gender role - a person whose gender identity is the same as the sex they were assigned at birth.
She said most of her roles so far have been trans individuals but that she wants the opportunity to play a character that doesn't 'capitalise' on her gender orientation.
'I think it's important trans people get equal opportunity at the cis roles as well as the trans roles,' she added.
Before her breakthrough role in Heartstopper, Yasmin, who was born on August 30, 2003, starred in a number of local theatre productions while growing up in Manchester.
Among her theatre credentials, she featured in an array of productions at The Sackville Theatre on Manchester College's Shena Simon Campus.
Yasmin starred as Leah in DNA, appeared in Port as Christine, played Ismone in Antigone and was involved in Tie as the character of Paris. She also performed at The Royal Exchange Theatre as Rose in Page to Stage.
Similarities: In an interview, Yasmin spoke of the similarities between herself and Elle, as she revealed she moved secondary school just like her character does in the show
Yasmin then secured her first on-screen role as the lead in Billy Porter's directorial debut film What If? in August 2021, but was later forced to pull out of the project.
She was originally cast as teenager Kelsa, who embarks on a high school senior year relationship with Khal (Abubakr Ali) after he reveals his crush on the internet.
But Yasmin was forced to pull out of the project amid Covid-19 travel restrictions, which impacted her ability to get a US work visa, and she was replaced by Eva Reign in the role.
Yasmin, who was raised by her single-parent mother, has admitted that she doubted whether she would be able to break into the acting industry as a black queer woman.
Speaking to Elle magazine, she praised her mother for inspiring her to be 'independent' and admitted that she always dreamed of starting a clean slate in London as an actress.
Speaking of her hometown Manchester, she said: 'Everybody knows me from before I transitioned.'
Identity: With an ambition to break through in entertainment, Yasmin first rose to prominence for on TikTok, where she shares her experience growing up as a trans woman
With an ambition to break through in entertainment, Yasmin first rose to prominence for on TikTok, where she shares her experience growing up as a trans woman.
Yasmin has previously praised TikTok for helping her to realise that she could break into the entertainment industry after seeing an array of 'young queer talent' finding their voices on the platform.
In one video to mark International Transgender Day of Visibility, Yasmin shared a video of herself applying her make-up as she spoke about how she feels she has to 'always represent' as 'one of the few trans actresses in the UK'.
In a voiceover, she said: 'Happy International Transgender Day of Visibility! For those of you who don't know, my name is Yasmin Finney and I'm a proud black trans woman. As most of you know, I started out my trans journey by documenting my experiences, through this platform, TikTok.
'Since then, I managed to get a Netflix series where I also play a trans character, Elle, who is an absolute darling - can't wait for you guys to see that!
Vocal: In one video to mark International Transgender Day of Visibility, Yasmin shared a video of herself applying her make-up as she spoke about how she feels she has to 'always represent' as 'one of the few trans actresses in the UK'
Career: Yasmin, who was raised by her single-parent mother, has admitted that she doubted whether she would be able to break into the acting industry as a black queer woman
'And yes, of course being one of the few trans actresses in the UK, I have to make sure that I'm always, always, always representing.
'For those of you who want to know how to be more of an ally to the trans community, just educate yourself! And for all my trans dolls out there, thank you for being unapologetically yourself, especially in a world that seeks to get rid of us. 2022 the year of the queer!'
Her other videos have seen her hit back at transphobic hate comments, show off her sensational sense of style and incredible dance moves, while she has also been joined by her Heartstopper co-stars in other clips.
Yasmin, whose videos have been viewed more than 12million times, is often included on lists of TikTok's biggest influencers and has an international fanbase, boasting 1.6million followers on the video sharing platform.
And in June last year, Yasmin was impressively named on GLAAD's 20 Under 20 list, which recognised 'the LGBTQ youth shaping the future' of media and activism.
But Yasmin told Elle magazine that despite getting the prestigious title, she is still figuring things out and trying to find her voice as she said she spent her teenage years trying to find where she fit in.
