Zach Barack On Dead End: Paranormal Park, Spider-Man, And Life As A Trans Actor
“Part of being an actor, but specifically a trans actor, is we get to go out for fewer things. People don’t always consider us for cis roles, and that’s something we need to talk about if it’s ever going to change,” Zach Barack tells me following the release of Dead End: Paranormal Park on Netflix, which pushes forward trans representation in animation.
Barack plays the role of Barney Guttman, a gay, Jewish, trans teenager confident in his identity as he hopes to grow into adulthood with more friends, a deeper connection to his family, and a willingness to accept his own flaws. I caught up with the actor to talk about bringing this character to life, being the first trans actor in the MCU, and how the world of acting is becoming more accepting of trans people, despite still having a long way to go.
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“When I read the comics I was taken aback, and not to sound like I’m giving a soundbite, because it was just really well written,” Barack tells me. “For someone who isn’t trans, and my roommate and I even googled Hamish [Steele] to find out if he was, because I feel strongly that queer stories should be written by queer people, and I want to read trans written stories. But if you’re going to do it, do it like this. It speaks truth to what a lot of people’s experiences are, and I know not all of us are kicked out but a lot of us are, and it’s so important to talk about that.
“But I also think there’s value in a parent seeing a show where it’s more nuanced, where it’s ‘Oh, I have a trans kid and I think I’m supporting them, but what I'm actually doing is accepting them and tolerating them.’ That’s so different, and you have to support them,
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