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00_GenderSwap
Image Credit: NBC, Netflix, BBC America, CBS
Commonly seen in folk tales and comic book properties, the practice of gender-flipping a role has been a staple on the big screen (“Ghostbusters,” “Oceans 8”) and gaining popularity on TV, especially when it comes to reimagining male characters as female. And even though this can change what fans think of as canon, it’s been done very well on TV for the past decade.
Here are the best examples, from “Lost in Space” and “Hannibal” to “Battlestar Galactica” and more of switching a character previously conceived as a man to a woman.
Jonathan Harris played the evil and eventually more incompetent Dr. Smith in the original 1960s version of the Irwin Allen series, followed by Gary Oldman’s portrayal in the 1998 film. In Netflix’s remake, Parker Posey puts a surprising twist on the villain.
The Doctor and Missy, “Doctor Who”
Image Credit: BBC America
In the eighth season of the rebooted “Doctor Who,” a female incarnation of the renegade Time Lord known as The Master appeared on the scene calling herself Missy (Michelle Gomez), which is short for “Mistress.” In the upcoming 11th season of “Doctor Who,” the Doctor has regenerated as a woman, played by Jodie Whittaker.
Lenny Busker, “Legion”
Image Credit: Michelle Faye/FX
Noah Hawley first conceived of Lenny Busker, David Haller’s (Dan Stevens) friend in the Clockworks psychiatric hospital, as an older man, but after speaking to Aubrey Plaza, he offered her the role.
Joan Watson, “Elementary”
Image Credit: PBS, CBS
Sherlock Holmes’ right-hand man John Watson has been interpreted by various actors over the decades, including Martin Freeman on PBS’ “Sherlock.” For the CBS crime procedural, Lucy Liu portrays Joan Watson, a former surgeon. The series also gender-flips another iconic character from Sherlockian canon, but revealing it here would mean a major spoiler.
Jeri Hogarth, “Marvel’s Jessica Jones”
Image Credit: Marvel Comics, Netflix
Jeryn Hogarth is a male attorney works for the Heroes for Hire, but on the Netflix series, the ruthless and powerful attorney Jeri Hogarth is portrayed by Carrie-Anne Moss.
Kono, “Hawaii Five-0”
Image Credit: CBS
In the original 1960s series starring Jack Lord, Gilbert “Zulu” Lani Kauhi portrayed Det. Kono Kalakaua. For the CBS reboot, Grace Park portrays Kono.
Dr. Alana Bloom and Fredericka Lounds, “Hannibal”
Image Credit: NBC
In Thomas Harris’ novels on which “Hannibal” is based, Dr. Alan Bloom is “a small round man with sad eyes, a good forensic psychiatrist.” Bryan Fuller’s reimagining of the story casts Caroline Dhavernas as Dr. Alana “Al” Bloom, who teaches psychology and is a criminal profiler. Similarly, Freddy Lounds is a male tabloid journalist. On the series, Fredericka “Freddie” Lounds is a true-crime tabloid blogger portrayed by Lara Jean Chorostecki.
Agent Burr, “The Night Manager”
Image Credit: AMC
John Le Carre’s original espionage novel features Leonard Burr, a Secret Intelligence Service agent who recruits a soldier-turned-hotelier named Jonathan Pine to take down a wealthy arms dealer by infiltrating his inner circle. The BBC/AMC miniseries reimagines the agent as Angela Burr, played by a pregnant Olivia Colman.
Jennifer Goines, “12 Monkeys”
Image Credit: Universal Pictures, Syfy
The 1995 Terry Gilliam film “Twelve Monkeys” stars Brad Pitt as Jeffrey Goines, a mental patient with radical views. In Syfy’s adaptation, the mental patient is Jennifer Goines, played by Emily Hampshire.
The 1970s series featured Dirk Benedict as the pilot, Lt. Starbuck, while the 2004 reboot recast the role with Katee Sackhoff as Kara Thrace, whose callsign is Starbuck. Similarly, the 1970s Lt. Boomer, played by Herbert Jefferson, Jr., was gender-flipped and race-lifted for the reboot with actress Grace Park as Sharon “Boomer” Valerii.
Emily Thorne, “Revenge”
Image Credit: ABC Studios/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock
ABC’s “Revenge” was a modern retelling of the Alexandre Dumas novel “The Count of Monte Cristo,” about a man who was framed of treason and sent to prison. Upon escaping and amassing a fortune, he returns to Paris to avenge himself on the men who tried to destroy him. “Revenge” swaps the gender so that Emily Thorne (Emily VanCamp) is the one with a “revengenda” set in the Hamptons.
