Sean Baker has made a name for himself in the indie filmmaking world for plucking non-professional actors out of obscurity and turning them into stars in his features. And there’s maybe no better example of this than in the 2015 feature, “Tangerine.” But unfortunately, even if you shine bright in a critically acclaimed indie feature, that doesn’t necessarily mean you get a full Hollywood career. But you better believe Baker is going to do his best to make it happen.
Speaking in an interview on the Jim Norton and Sam Roberts Show on SiriusXM (a talk show in contract negotiations, but I digress), Sean Baker talked about a variety of things that he has been working on, including his new film “Red Rocket,” as well as a potential TV spinoff of his breakout feature, “Tangerine.”
In regards to the latter project, it appears Baker was inspired to do a TV show version of “Tangerine” as a way to help propel the career of trans actress Mya Taylor, whose performance in the film earned her the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female. But even with the acclaim and major award win, Taylor hasn’t reaped the benefits in her acting career. And this frustrates Baker.
“She won historic awards,” he said. “The industry has..ignored her. It’s ridiculous. So what we’re trying to do is actually get a ‘Tangerine’ television series off the ground, that Maya can be the lead in…She’s just not getting the roles she deserves.”
When asked why he thinks he has been ignored, Baker said it “might have to do with racism…I don’t know.”
It’s unclear what a “Tangerine” TV series might look like. For those who haven’t seen the film, “Tangerine” follows two trans sex workers and is maybe best known for being shot on an iPhone with a reported budget of only $100,000. It was critically acclaimed upon its release and led to Baker getting the opportunity to work on “The Florida Project.”
Even though Baker’s career has been on the rise since “Tangerine,” don’t expect the filmmaker to make the leap to blockbuster films, particularly of the superhero variety. That said, there is one billion-dollar franchise Baker would be down to take a shot at.
“I don’t ever think I’ll be asked to do [a Marvel film], and I don’t want to,” said Baker. “If there was one franchise that I would jump onto, it would be ‘Fast and Furious’ all the way because I’ll be able to play with cars and crashes.”
Until Baker gets his chance to join the ‘Fast’ Family, you’ll have to make do with “Red Rocket,” which hits theaters on December 10.