Brian Michael Smith’s Paul Strickland is an irreplaceable asset to Station 126 in FOX’s movement sequence ‘9-1-1: Lone Star.’ With his observational talents, Paul contributes extraordinarily to the emergency interventions the firefighters of Station 126 address. He could be a resilient firefighter who’s devoted to his job larger than anyone he shares his truck with. Even when he’ll get recognized with a coronary coronary heart state of affairs, Paul makes it clear that he fairly dies throughout the line of obligation than reside with out with the power to work as a firefighter. In the seventh episode of the sixth season, his school-time good pal Asha Fulton reopens the chapters of his earlier, making one surprise if he’s a trans man. Well, permit us to current the reply! SPOILERS AHEAD.
Is Brian Michael Smith’s Paul Strickland Transgender?
Yes, Brian Michael Smith’s character Paul Strickland is a trans man in ‘9-1-1: Lone Star.’ Paul acquired right here out to his family as trans on the age of 17, whereas they’ve been dwelling in Chicago. Although his mother welcomed his transition, his sister Naomi was unsettled by the an identical on the time. He finally grew to change into a firefighter and outcomes in Austin, Texas, when Captain Owen Strand picks his squad for a reformed Station 126, notably after the dying of a lot of firefighters all through an intervention sooner than Strand’s arrival. Brian Michael Smith, like his character, is a trans man as correctly. Smith may be the first Black trans man to vary right into a basic stable member of a group television sequence.
Paul’s identification as a trans man performs an important operate in his storyline and Smith has collaborated with the writers of the current to make the an identical real. “As we were starting to develop the story a little bit more in season one, I had a really great meeting with all the writers,” Smith knowledgeable NBC News. “I was like, ‘If you’re not going to have someone who’s gone through the trans experience in the room, I’m very happy with sharing as much as I need to help or I can point you to resources that will inform the work that we’re doing,’” the actor added. His enter as a trans man is evident throughout the storyline that entails Paul and his sister Naomi, who initially fails to simply settle for the earlier as her brother.
Through the precise storyline, the current explores how a trans particular person’s transition impacts one’s family. “Something that I really like about being able to play Paul is that he’s someone who is way beyond transitioned in terms of the physical and medical aspects of it. He’s what you refer to as post-transition, and it’s deeply embedded into his life, his true identity. But there’s still this lasting impact of his decision to live his authentic himself,” Smith knowledgeable TheWrap. “Even though there is acceptance, there has been some shifts in the relationships he’s had with his family members,” he added.
Likewise, Paul and Asha’s storyline throughout the ongoing sixth season explores how a transitioned trans man would address the reminiscences of his pre-transition interval. In the seventh episode of the season, he overcomes his reservations and fears to embrace his earlier by having fun with basketball, a sport he preferred having fun with sooner than his transition. Through these storylines, ‘9-1-1: Lone Star’ succeeds in exploring the nuances and a lot of dimensions of the lives of trans people. That’s moreover the reason why Paul has been resonating extraordinarily with trans folks, who take into consideration him nothing wanting an icon.
Trans viewers watching Paul have reached out to Smith to “ask questions or share what they’re going through or what they can expect if they make certain choices in their lives, like transitioning,” as per the actor’s NBC News interview. “They’re like: ‘I didn’t think that I would be able to be both trans and a firefighter or both trans and an actor… But when I see you doing both and not having to hide anything and there’s no risk and loss, that makes me feel like I can do it,’” the actor added.
For Smith, the biggest takeaway of having fun with Paul should be the response he has been receiving from fellow members of the trans neighborhood. “It’s been really heartwarming and empowering and validating to receive messages from people who are in these smaller communities, who don’t have access to the resources like I had living in a big city,” the actor said in the an identical NBC News interview.
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