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Karla Mosley Reveals Why She Stepped Away from Trans Role in The Bold and the Beautiful: ‘Truly Inappropriate...’
The actress opens up about why she felt it was no longer right for her to play Maya Avant.
Karla Mosley is back in daytime television, starring in the CBS drama Beyond the Gates as Dani Dupree, a former model turned momager. However, the actress recently reflected on her past role as Maya Avant in The Bold and the Beautiful and why she ultimately stepped away from playing the groundbreaking character.
Mosley, who portrayed Maya from 2013 to 2019, revealed in an interview with People that she would not reprise the role, stating that it was “truly inappropriate” for her to play a transgender character as a cisgender woman.
“When my boss asked me if I would do this story, I first was going to say no because it felt inappropriate for me to play that role as a cis woman,” Mosley said. “I do identify as queer, but I’m not transgender.”
Despite her initial hesitation, Mosley ultimately took on the role of Maya, whose coming-out storyline in 2015 coincided with Caitlyn Jenner’s public transition. She recalled how friends encouraged her to accept the role, telling her, “If you don’t accept this story, this story won’t be told.”
Reflecting on the impact of Maya’s journey, Mosley shared how the storyline helped foster conversations about acceptance and identity.
“I am so grateful for that character because people who loved Maya and then had issues with what she said had to ask themselves like, even with a family member, ‘Well, if I loved her yesterday, why don’t I love her today?’” she said. “I had so much feedback around healing that was able to happen within families and communities because of that storyline.”
While she acknowledges the significance of Maya’s character, Mosley affirmed that she would not take on another trans role.
“At a certain point, it really became truly inappropriate for me to play that role,” she explained. “That’s why I stepped away from it. So no, I will not be playing another trans role.”
However, Mosley remains passionate about portraying meaningful characters, stating, “I would love to play a role with the kind of gravitas and importance that Maya had for sure.”
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