Rebecca Romijn Reflects On Transgender Ugly Betty Role

Back in 2006, Rebecca was cast to portray Alexis Meade, the transgender sister of MODE editor-in-chief Daniel Meade.

After being seen covered in bandages for much of the first season, it was revealed that she’d faked her own death before undergoing gender reassignment surgery.

While Rebecca is not transgender, she says she “jumped at the chance” to take on the role, even though it was risky at the time.

“The executives at the time didn’t love the idea of the character,” she recently shared in an interview with The Independent.

She continued, “There was a real boys’ club running the show behind the scenes at that point. So to try and make it palatable to the boys’ club…they pitched me.”

Rebecca acknowledges that taking on the role was a big deal, and she hopes that she did right by the trans community.

“I really wanted to do that character justice – and make her as hot as possible,” she joked.

Nowadays, Rebecca knows she would never get the role, as it would most definitely go to a trans actor.

“I never would be cast in that role today, but I do feel like it helped open doors for the trans community. I’d like to think that, anyway,” she said. “I don’t want to pat myself on the back too much.”