Andrea James

The Transformation of Felicity Huffman

By Brad Balfour

March 2, 2006.

What research did you do?

I did a lot. I am so sorry to run down the litany – but I did not know a lot about the transgendered community; as Andrea James, a wonderful transgendered woman [who advised us] says. So I read every biography and autobiography I could get my hands on and watched every documentary I could. I went to the library and looked through the articles. And I went to a couple of transgender conventions and met a wide spectrum of the community.

Was there long line for the ladies room?

That’s prurient on your part… (laughs) I worked with a woman named Dinae Doyle who coached men on how to become women; I worked with Andrea and Calpurnia Adams who helped me go through script and tell what worked and didn’t. And the final linch pin was the voice – not because I wanted to do it last but because I couldn’t figure out how to do it. It was the last thing to fall into place.