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Gaby Hoffmann

Gaby Hoffmann on the Trans Revolution

Gaby Hoffmann first caught our attention playing Adam Driver's loud-mouthed, batty, and frequently nude sister on Girls - but her acting credits go all of the way back to the Eighties. The daughter of Warhol superstar Viva, Hoffmann grew up in Manhattan's notorious Chelsea Hotel, and as a child actor took roles in Field of Dreams, Uncle Buck, and Sleepless in Seattle. Now, she's found new stardom in Jill Soloway's Emmy-winning Transparent. The groundbreaking dramedy follows the Pfefferman family after father Myron (Jeffrey Tambor) announces he's transitioning into a woman. In season one, Hoffmann's part as wayward youngest daughter Ali saw her dealing Valium, 'twerking out' and enjoying a drug-fuelled threesome - all while wearing a tomboy-slash-preppy style that helped make her offbeat character even more memorable. As she returns in the new season, Hoffmann, 33, spoke to Vogue from her Manhattan hotel room about breaking rules, getting nude and why the transgender movement is unstoppable.

What can we expect from the new series of Transparent?

Well, we can expect more shenanigans from everybody in the Pfefferman family - a good amount of sex and destructive, outlandish behavior - but also we can expect a lot of 'contending with oneself'. I'll just speak for my character, Ali, but she's trying to pull herself together this season and figure out who she is. I think everybody in the show is starting to question, 'If you're not who I thought you were, then who am I?'

Transparent has been part of this wave of heightened awareness for gender- and sexuality-related issues in the past few years. How do you feel about the progress that's been made so far?

It's kind of a 'two steps forward, one step back' situation. Here in America, just as we see such incredible progress happening in one state, we see another state passing absolutely disgusting and oppressive laws against the rights of all sorts of people - transgender people, gay people, women. So it's still a very complicated, difficult place, as is the rest of the world. We've got a long way to go, and it's long overdue, but we are forging ahead, and in terms of Transparent, this kind of work and this kind of attention is only good in the long run. I'm baffled why anybody gives a shit what other people do with their genitals or in their bedroom or what clothes they want to wear or pronouns they want to use. Why should some old white man give a shit what somebody else does or where they put their penis?

You have been acting professionally since you were young. How do you feel about your experiences on set as a child now?

I had a lot of fun on movie sets when I was a kid. I loved being on the set of Field of Dreams because I hung out with the baseball players all day, played cards, flirted with Ray Liotta and had a ball. Every once in a while I would say, 'I don't want to do this anymore,' and I would go back to third grade, and after six months I'd say, 'OK, I'm bored. Let's go make a movie.'


How did you first meet Lena Dunham?

Her mother Laurie Simmons is a contemporary artist, and my stepmother, Cindy Sherman, is a photographer, so they've known each other forever. Lena and I were often at the same dinner parties when we were kids. We ran into each other again about ten years ago, and we had this shared history and talked about doing something together. Then, she called me up and said, 'Want to come play this part?'

There was a lot of press around your nude scenes in Girls. How did you feel about people calling you brave?

I understand that it's an act of bravery to do something you're afraid of, so it might be brave for somebody else, but I'm quite comfortable being nude. I think the implication when people say that is, 'Oh, it's brave for you and Lena to be naked because you don't look like you're supposed to look.' Unfortunately, despite the fact that we export nothing but violence and sex, the US is still a fairly puritanical country in a lot of ways.

Now you're in the spotlight, have you felt any awkward pressure to look a certain way?

God no, they wouldn't dare. I don't feel that. I've actually done very little press this past year because I had a child so I stayed home and worked as little as possible. I was lucky enough to be able to do that because Amazon have been totally understanding that I should be at home with my new baby. So not only are they not pressuring me to look a certain way, they're not even pressuring me to show up. Nobody would dare to tell me to look differently.

Season 2 of Transparent is available on Amazon Prime from December 11.

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