Ivory Aquino | |
|---|---|
.jpg) At the 2017San Francisco Trans March | |
| Alma mater | Berklee College of Music |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Notable credit | When We Rise |
Ivory Aquino is an American actress. She is known for portrayingtransgender activistCecilia Chung in the 2017 miniseriesWhen We Rise.[1][2]
Aquino was born in thePhilippines. She knew from a very young age that she was transgender, stating in a 2017 interview, "As soon as I was born, I was always a girl; I was just assigned differently at birth."[1] In her mid-teens, she startedhormone therapy.[1][3] She was often bullied at school, but her parents were supportive of hertransition.[1]
As a teenager, Aquino moved to the United States to study at theBerklee College of Music, which she graduated fromsumma cum laude.[1][4] She enrolled to study singing, thinking that there would be no acting roles for a transgender Filipina. But after havinggender confirmation surgery, Aquino decided to pursue her childhood dream of being an actor.[2][3]
In 2015, Aquino performed the role ofJuliet in a production ofRomeo and Juliet inNew York City with The Drilling Company'sBryant Park Presents.[1][2] Other stage roles she has played includeDesdemona inOthello,Mark Antony inJulius Caesar, and Isabella inMeasure for Measure, all with The Drilling Company's Shakespeare in the Parking Lot on the Lower East Side of New York.[5][6][4]
Aquino was cast in the role of transgender activistCecilia Chung for the 2017docudrama miniseries,When We Rise. At the time she auditioned, she had played mostlycisgender roles, and was not open about being trans, as "There never was a reason to talk about it."[7][8] Aquino made sure to let series writerDustin Black know that she was transgender, which helped her secure the part, as Black was specifically looking for trans actresses.[2][7][8] She publiclycame out as transgender during a January 2017 press conference for the series.[7]
Aquino met with Chung in person to prepare for her part onWhen We Rise. They became friends; Aquino considers Chung to be a mentor and "older sister" figure in her life.[9]
Aquino plays a minor but important character named Cassie in theFBI: Most Wanted season 1 episode "Silkworm" in 2020.[10]
In January 2022, Aquino was cast asAlysia Yeoh in the unreleased superhero filmBatgirl, set in theDC Extended Universe.[11]
Aquino has spoken out in support of trans children andtransgender rights, criticizing theDonald Trump administration's overturn offederal protection for transgender students.[12][13]
Aquino lives in New York City, where she enjoys spending time with herShih Tzu dog Chewybear.[7][13] She is the niece of former President of the PhilippinesCorazon Aquino.[3]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | The Fever and the Fret | Lea | |
| 2019 | Lingua Franca | Lea | |
| 2020 | Lapsis | Jo | |
| 2025 | Concessions | Linda Chung | [14] |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | When We Rise | Cecilia Chung | 3 episodes |
| 2019 | When They See Us | Ms. Baqri | Episode: "Part Three" |
| 2019 | Tales of the City | Doctor Perez | Episode: "Happy Now" |
| 2019-2020 | New Amsterdam | Inmate Fran Meale | 2 episodes |
| 2020 | FBI: Most Wanted | Cassie | Episode: "Silkworm" |
| 2021 | Blue Bloods | Ashley Roberts | Episode: "Guardian Angels" |
| 2022 | City on a Hill | Lourdes Mendoza | 2 episodes |
