A Little Casting Help

[Bry_Sinclair]

I'm devising a new species for a project I'm working on at the moment, and I need some help with casting one that will be on my ship.

The Species: They are a humanoid race that look human, except for wide variations in hair colour (the characters will be light blue). Where they differ is that every few months they go through a "gender shift", where in if they were male, they would become female and vice versa.

The Character: They will start off female but 'shift' to male and back again at various points. I'm looking for someone that could pull off both (maybe with the help of a some photomanipulation). Ideally I'd like a woman in the role, but would accept a man. They would need to be in their mid-20s to mid-30s (no suggestions for Zac Efron or Justin Bieber please, I actually like what I've developed for the character so far and don't want to have to kill them off horribly).

All suggestions would be appreciated.

Cheers,
Bry

 

[admiralelm11]

Just a shot in the dark but what about Milla Jovovich?

 

[Gul Re'jal]

Is a person of Asian look considered? Like Jay Chou? Young Asian men often have very soft features and could easily go as women with little Photoshop help (and sometimes not even that ).

 

[sojourner]

How about Ranma 1/2?

 

[goofy]

May I suggest eliminating the "shift" aspect and create them as a permanently "hermat" character-species, but retaining all of the other aspects you've described? They're somewhat indifferent to Human morality-/-ethics, perhaps live in group-families?

They identify with submissive/dominant gender roles as young adults, choose their career paths much as Humans do.

Have they ever been interfered-with on any level by The Dominion, Hur'q or any other species? Are they kinda just getting around to warp travel or have they been keeping an eye on us for a while now?

I need more information. Do they care about the other (warp-capable) races or just hoping to stay out of everyone else's politics, carrying on with their own everyday civilian lives in the meantime?

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

Just a shot in the dark but what about Milla Jovovich?

She is at the forefront of my mind for the role. Do you think she can pull off someone younger? Ideally the character (lets call them Sue-Bob, as I've still got to figure out a name , which would change to Bob-Sue with the shift to male) is mid-20s, a year or two out of the Academy.

Is a person of Asian look considered? Like Jay Chou? Young Asian men often have very soft features and could easily go as women with little Photoshop help (and sometimes not even that ).

That is something I did ponder on. It deserves some more thought me thinks.

How about Ranma 1/2?

Never heard of that.

May I suggest eliminating the "shift" aspect and create them as a permanently "hermat" character-species, but retaining all of the other aspects you've described? They're somewhat indifferent to Human morality-/-ethics, perhaps live in group-families?

I like the 'shift', it will lead to an awkward situation or two, besides I don't want to have to worry about 'hir' or 's/he'. There culture would be far more open (sexually that is), due to their shifts. They are only able to reproduce with others of their own species, but can enjoy intimate relations with most other races.

They identify with submissive/dominant gender roles as young adults, choose their career paths much as Humans do.

The idea is they are born with one gender, and it is only when they hit puberty that the shifting begins (as if it weren't an awkward enough time for most ). When one becomes pregnant, they are then gender-locked until after the baby has been born weined.

Have they ever been interfered-with on any level by The Dominion, Hur'q or any other species? Are they kinda just getting around to warp travel or have they been keeping an eye on us for a while now.

I need more information. Do they care about the other (warp-capable) races or just hoping to stay out of everyone else's politics, carrying on with their own everyday civilian lives in the meantime?

They have lived a somewhat isolated existence, in an unclaimed region of the Alpha Quadrant, far from most other species. Not many know of their existence and their shifting. They are a warp capable species that are in the process of entering the Federation, but they haven't established any colonies outwith their home system. They are a peaceful, very open race, that feels ready to take its place in the wider galaxy.

 

[Gul Re'jal]

Shifting would certainly create a lot of interesting situations... You fall in love with a guy and a few months later he's a girl and all you have to do is it wait a few more months to have your boyfriend back

The idea gives a lot of opportunities, more than a hemaphrodite character would.

 

[admiralelm11]

I agree with Re'jal.

Milla Jonovich could pull it off, I think. Are you going for someone who's a recent Academy graduate or a cadet on field study?

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

They've been on active duty for the last year or so, but didn't enter the Academy until their 20s (I'm thinking Sue-Bob is now about 25/26).

 

[admiralelm11]

They've been on active duty for the last year or so, but didn't enter the Academy until their 20s (I'm thinking Sue-Bob is now about 25/26).

So he-she is basically an ensign. Which department? Because I believe someone on STPMA did a manip once of Milla Jonovich as a Hermat.

I would talk to JM1776 there if you want to use Milla.

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

She's in Life Sciences (botany, exobiology, etc).

I have seen that one by JM.

 

[Tiberius]

I like the idea of shifting genders, but may I suggest something other than simply, "It's been a few mon ths, better shift"?

There are some species on Earth that change gender. There's a type of fish where, if it is all female, one of the females gradually changes gender over a few days.

Perhaps you could do something similar to this. That way the shifts can be unexpected, leading to further difficulties. "Oh no! I've just been exposed to gamma radiation! I'm going to shift genders! Not now, damn it!"

 

[Admiral2]

If they weren't too old for the concept I would suggest Eric and Julia Roberts. I've always thought of them as gender versions of each other so I would say (obviously) Eric's the male form and Julia's the female form.

But I would lose the blue hair. Switching genders is different enough for an alien race.