| Revision as of 22:35, 31 July 2008 view sourceCalperniaaddams (talk | contribs)32 edits →Career← Previous edit | Revision as of 22:39, 31 July 2008 view source Calperniaaddams (talk | contribs)32 editsm →CareerNext edit → | ||
| Line 49: | Line 49: | ||
| ==Career== | ==Career== | ||
| Calpernia began entertaining as a child, playing ] gospel fiddle in church and performing in school plays. She worked in community theater while in the ], both as an actor and a director. Upon returning to ] after her service in the military, Calpernia played fiddle in a working college ]. In 1993, she began working at the 40,000 sq. ft. Connection theater and nightclub, where she eventually joined the cast as a headliner and performed full time, doing up to 10 shows a week for up to 2,000 people on weekend nights. It was in her sixth year as a full time cast member that she met PFC ], who was killed the night she won the title of Tennessee Entertainer of the Year 1999. Previously, Calpernia had won the titles of Miss Heartbreaker, Miss Dreamgirl and Miss Nashville Entertainer of the Year. She left her job at The Connection a year later to move to Chicago and then to Los Angeles. | Calpernia began entertaining as a child, playing ] gospel fiddle in church and performing in school plays. She worked in community theater while in the ], both as an actor and a director. Upon returning to ] after her service in the military, Calpernia played fiddle in a working college ] band. In 1993, she began working at the 40,000 sq. ft. Connection theater and nightclub, where she eventually joined the cast as a headliner and performed full time, doing up to 10 shows a week for up to 2,000 people on weekend nights. It was in her sixth year as a full time cast member that she met PFC ], who was killed the night she won the title of Tennessee Entertainer of the Year 1999. Previously, Calpernia had won the titles of Miss Heartbreaker, Miss Dreamgirl and Miss Nashville Entertainer of the Year. She left her job at The Connection a year later to move to Chicago and then to Los Angeles. | ||
| Following the debut of ''Soldier's Girl'', Addams met ] (whose son ] played Barry Winchell in the film) at the ]. Fonda suggested that Addams mount the first all-transgender production of '']''.<ref name = Podcast /> The production raised money to combat violence against women and was the subject of the 2006 ] '']''. | Following the debut of ''Soldier's Girl'', Addams met ] (whose son ] played Barry Winchell in the film) at the ]. Fonda suggested that Addams mount the first all-transgender production of '']''.<ref name = Podcast /> The production raised money to combat violence against women and was the subject of the 2006 ] '']''. | ||
Revision as of 22:39, 31 July 2008
"Calpernia" redirects here. For other uses, see Calpurnia.| Calpernia Addams | |
|---|---|
 Andrea James (left) and Calpernia Addams (right) | |
| Born | (1971-02-20) February 20, 1971 (age 53) Nashville, Tennessee |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Notes | |
| calpernia.com | |
Calpernia Sarah Addams (born 20 February 1971) is an American transgender author, actress, and activist for issues regarding transsexual people.
Biography
Addams grew up in the suburbs of Nashville, Tennessee, the child of the leaders of a religious group she characterizes as a "fundamentalist Christian cult". Growing up she played the fiddle. She served as a combat medic in the United States Navy and the Marine Corps. During her last year in the military, she came out as a transgender woman.
Addams chose the name "Calpernia" from the William Shakespeare play Julius Caesar (a variant spelling of Caesar's wife Calpurnia) and from its appearance on a tombstone in the film The Addams Family.
Addams was a performer at a club called "Connections" in 1999 when she met and dated Barry Winchell, an Army private who was training at a nearby military base in Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Winchell was harassed and ultimately murdered by fellow soldiers after rumors of his amorous relationship with Addams circulated around the army base.
The New York Times article entitled "An Inconvenient Woman" refers to the manner in which some political groups attempted to portray the relationship between Addams and Winchell as "homosexual", so they could exploit Winchell's murder in order to protest the U.S. military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy regarding sexual orientation.
In the Times article, Addams said of the affair: "I do feel like I was an awkward element for everybody involved. I didn't want to be anybody's anything, really, except Barry's girlfriend. And that was already taken away from me."
Their relationship and Winchell's murder were depicted in the 2003 film Soldier's Girl. Addams was portrayed by Lee Pace.
Career
Calpernia began entertaining as a child, playing Bluegrass gospel fiddle in church and performing in school plays. She worked in community theater while in the Navy, both as an actor and a director. Upon returning to Nashville after her service in the military, Calpernia played fiddle in a working college Celtic band. In 1993, she began working at the 40,000 sq. ft. Connection theater and nightclub, where she eventually joined the cast as a headliner and performed full time, doing up to 10 shows a week for up to 2,000 people on weekend nights. It was in her sixth year as a full time cast member that she met PFC Barry Winchell, who was killed the night she won the title of Tennessee Entertainer of the Year 1999. Previously, Calpernia had won the titles of Miss Heartbreaker, Miss Dreamgirl and Miss Nashville Entertainer of the Year. She left her job at The Connection a year later to move to Chicago and then to Los Angeles.
Following the debut of Soldier's Girl, Addams met Jane Fonda (whose son Troy Garity played Barry Winchell in the film) at the Sundance Film Festival. Fonda suggested that Addams mount the first all-transgender production of The Vagina Monologues. The production raised money to combat violence against women and was the subject of the 2006 documentary film Beautiful Daughters.
Transamerican Love Story, a reality dating television series featuring Addams choosing from among eight suitors, debuted on Logo on 11 February 2008.
Addams read for the tenth anniversary production of The Vagina Monologues, held in April 2008 at the Louisiana Superdome. She performed alongside Fonda, Glenn Close, Salma Hayek, Alicia Keys, and others.
Addams also has a musical career, having released her single "Stunning" on iTunes and several videos on YouTube.
Further reading
- Calpernia Addams, Mark 947: A Life Shaped by God, Gender, and Force of Will (Writers Club Press, 2002). ISBN 0-595-26376-3
- Jonathan Ames (ed.), Sexual Metamorphosis: An Anthology of Transsexual Memoirs (Vintage, 2005). ISBN 1-4000-3014-5
References
- ^ France, David (2005-05-29). "An Inconvenient Woman". New York Times Sunday Magazine. calpernia.com. Retrieved 2007-01-30.
- ^ Jonny McGovern, Linda James, Martin Beauchamp (2008-03-11). "Gay Pimpin' with Jonny McGovern" (Podcast). Retrieved 03-11.
{{cite podcast}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - Clines, Francis (1999-12-09). "Killer's Trial Shows Gay Soldier's Anguish". New York Times. NYTimes. Retrieved 2008-02-23.
- The V-Day Event Of The Decade | V To The Tenth
External links
- Calpernia Addams at IMDb
- Template:Amg name
- Calpernia Addams's official website
- Calpernia Addams: Widowed by Hate - Podcast interview
{{subst:#if:Addams, Calpernia|}} [[Category:{{subst:#switch:{{subst:uc:1971}}
|| UNKNOWN | MISSING = Year of birth missing {{subst:#switch:{{subst:uc:LIVING}}||LIVING=(living people)}}
| #default = 1971 births
}}]] {{subst:#switch:{{subst:uc:LIVING}}
|| LIVING = | MISSING = | UNKNOWN = | #default =
}}
Categories: