Worth the pain! Bradley Whitford tried on a bold new style of footwear for his role in Amazon's Transparent, slipping into towering heels to play the transitioning character of Mark/Marcy, and he said at the Critics' Choice Television Awards 2015 on Sunday, May 31, that the trouble opened his eyes.
"Heels hurt," the West Wing alum, 55, said simply of his turn on the drama in stilettos. "I am so grateful to all the women who wear them… I know how much they hurt."
Whitford acknowledged the pain but added that he found one benefit to the fancy shoes: "They make your butt and your legs look great."
The Emmy-winning actor went on to speak to Transparent's message of acceptance and individuality, especially at a time when transgender issues are being brought to the public eye. In the celebrated show, Whitford plays a friend to Morton/Maura L. Pfefferman — a father of three who comes clean to his family about his gender identity and begins to transition into a woman.
"It meant a lot to be a part of this," Whitford said of the show on the red carpet outside of the 5th Annual Critics' Choice Television Awards. "Creatively, it was an amazing experience and it's a story that needs to be told now."
Whitford added that actors and storytellers "can put flesh and bone and heart and humanity" into something "that can be scary for people," helping the audience to better understand sensitive topics.
The Jeffrey Tambor-starring show has garnered acclaim for its comedy, insight, and portrayal of a complex transgender character. Transparent's stars hit The Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles on Sunday for the Critics' Choice Television Awards, where the series is nominated for Best Comedy Series, Best Actor for Tambor, and Best Supporting Actress for Judith Light.
