Doctor Who: Bethany Black as 474

When it was announced that Bethany Black would appear on Doctor Who, I was quite excited, as you can see from my article on the matter. Given this, I find myself in the rather uncomfortable position of having very mixed feelings about her role as 474 in the episode ‘Sleep No More.’ Be sure to read until the very end, because I examine this issue from contrasting angles.

Black’s appearance on Doctor Who was widely publicized months before ‘Sleep No More’ aired. This publicity had the focus of her being the first openly transgender actor on the show. If this had not been the case, [Edit: and the show had a history of openly trans actors in various sorts of roles], I would not even be writing this article.

There is nothing wrong with the character of 474 in and of herself, and Black did a fine job in the role. Despite this, something felt off about the conditions surrounding her portrayal of the character. The awkward, yet endearing oaf that is 474 is a cliche example of why we should be careful not to judge and dismiss people too hastily. But it is not the cliche nature of the character with which I have a problem, but how a trans actor was used in a questionably harmful manner.

Obviously, women’s voices range greatly. I have heard Black speak as herself, however, and her voice does not sound like that of 474. I don’t know if she was directed to speak in a lower register than is normal for her, they altered her voice in post production, or it just sounds lower due to something unintentional with how the episode was shot. I’m guessing that it has something to do with her being a Grunt, but it is still odd.

Considering Chopra’s attitude toward Grunts, I understand why he sometimes refers to 474 as “it.” His rude pronoun usage in combination with 474’s voice, however, has made for some very unfortunate misgendering in the minds of some viewers, despite her sometimes being properly referred to as “she.” I have noticed quite a bit of confusion regarding Black and 474 amongst viewers in the main Doctor Who facebook group. (I try to use specific links whenever possible, but the group is closed.)

In an ideal world, trans actors should be able to play roles such as 474 without question. The problem is that many people still have a hard time with the nuanced differences between actor and character. This is the reason why I was concerned when learning that Laverne Cox has been chosen to play Frank-N-Furter in the upcoming remake of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Frank is a crossdressing man, while Cox is a trans woman. This will probably fuel the harmful misconception that trans women are men. And while 474 is a woman, the choice to make her very masculine was a culturally tone deaf one, keeping in mind who was playing the part.