Rebecca Romijn Saw Her Transgender 'Ugly Betty' Character as 'Hot,' Now Thinks Trans Actress Should Step In

While playing Alexis Meade on the ABC hit from 2006 to 2010, the cis actress "wanted to do that character justice" but would be happy to step aside for a more authentic portrayal in a potential reboot

Rebecca Romijn is reflecting on her iconic role in Ugly Betty.

During an interview with The Independent, the 50-year-old actress opened up about how she approached her character Alexis Meade in the 2000s dramedy series.

As fans may remember, Romijn's character was the sister of Mode magazine Editor in Chief Daniel Meade (Eric Mabius) who eventually faked her own death to receive gender confirmation surgery.

Aired during a time of poor trans representation in television, Romijn revealed she "really wanted to do that character justice — and make her as hot as possible."

Related: Rebecca Romijn Details Why She Didn’t Speak Out About Past #MeToo Allegations Against 2 'X-Men' Filmmakers

Additionally, the X-Men actress claimed that ABC network executives weren’t too fond of the idea of having a trans character on the show until Romijn was suggested to helm the part.

"The executives at the time didn't love the idea of the character," she explained. "There was a real boys' club running the show behind the scenes at that point. So to try and make it palatable to the boys' club... they pitched me. And I jumped at the chance."

Romijn first appeared as Alexis during the show’s first season in 2007. Before her debut, the character had only been featured in bandages post-surgery until she was revealed to be Daniel's brother, Alex, who was long believed to be dead.

Related: Rebecca Romijn Says She Doesn't 'Have a Huge Fear of Aging' and Will Embrace Her Smile Lines

Though she acknowledged that she would "never would be cast in that role today" as a cis-gendered woman, she shared that she believed that her performance as Alexis did "open doors for the trans community."

"I'd like to think that, anyway," Romijn explained. "I don't want to pat myself on the back too much."

While the actress would love to partake in an Ugly Betty reboot one day, she noted that it would be unlikely that she would return as her beloved character.

“I do think Alexis should be cast with a trans actress,” she said. “That would be the correct thing to do.”

Related: Jerry O'Connell and Rebecca Romijn's Relationship Timeline

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Back in 2021, Romijn's costar, Vanessa Williams, revealed it was unlikely that the dramedy would be getting a revival any time soon.

"The concept would be great. Unfortunately, our creator-executive producer, Silvio Horta, died last year due to suicide, so I don't know what the status of the rights are," she told Entertainment Weekly at the time. "We love each other, we keep in touch, but, who knows. At the moment, not at all [possible]."

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