Julie Kalceff and Evie Macdonald Talk about Australian TV Trans Drama 'First Day'

The four-episode Australian series "First Day" is now available for American audiences on the streaming service Hulu. The series, which premiered in Australia earlier this year, began as a short film in 2018; after the film proved a success at festivals, a series order was placed by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, and a further three episodes were produced. The series centers on Hannah Bradford, a transgender child played by actor and model Evie Macdonald, who made history as the first trans actor to play a trans character on scripted Australian television. The series became a success at home and in markets overseas; a second season is now in development.

The half-hour series, produced as a children's show, focuses on themes that will be familiar, but with a fresh perspective. Hannah is just beginning middle school, a time in a young person's life that's hard enough without also being transgender. "First Day" addresses issues that the trans community faces on a daily basis: Discrimination, prejudice, misgendering, dead-naming, and – even among well-meaning cisgender people – confusion about what it means to be transgender.

While the episodes don't shy away from tough realities, neither is it heavy-handed. Hannah's loving parents (played with great sympathy by Jo Hunt and Mark Saturno) show complete acceptance and unconditional love for their daughter, and work to strike a balance between being overly protective and allowing Hannah the space she needs. (Among their rules: No sleepovers with friends who don't know Hannah is trans, a restriction that creates tension in one episode.) Older brother Jack (Ethan Gifford) is something of a comic foil: He's a teenage boy who leaves smelly shirts lying around and exhibits poor table manners. But a shared love of video games and his brotherly devotion to Hannah makes for a close sibling bond.

While Hannah can simply be herself at home, at school things are different. As she prepares to leave primary school behind – and with it, the male student uniform she's been forced to wear – Hannah looks forward to starting fresh with a new group of classmates in middle school, escaping the bullying she's endured from a group of mean girls led by Isabella (Isabel Burmester). Things take a turn, though, when Isabella ends up at the same middle school – and Isabella, realizing that knowing Hannah is transgender gives her power, relishes her position as only a classic bully can. Even here, though, things are not entirely black and white; bruises on Isabella's wrist suggest that she's facing her own problems at home, and despite their old enmity glimmers of a possible new understanding between the two girls start to appear.

The real joy (and, in certain ways, complication) of Hannah's new school is the group of friends she quickly falls in with: Jasmine (Arwen Diamond), Olivia (Elena Liu), and Natalie (Nandini Rajagopal). Suddenly, Hannah is living the life she's wanted – but will her friends stick by her once they know she's transgender?

Evie Macdonald turns in an affecting performance as Hannah, with the character finding her voice and blossoming into self-confidence as the series progresses. Writer-director Julie Kalceff keeps the storylines relevant, but also age-appropriate and family-friendly. Even when the first episode tackles the most obvious dramatic point – the school restroom policy – the show avoids fiery rhetoric from either side of the political debate and zeroes in on the painfully personal: Namely, the mortification of being marked by a requirement to use a gender-neutral restroom located in the nurse's office. Hannah knows this will set her apart from her new schoolmates, and indeed, they take notice. (The show handles the storyline graciously.)

EDGE had a chance to chat with both Julie Kalceff and Evie Macdonald and hear more about the show and the exceptional creative talents behind it.

EDGE: You were commissioned by ABC to write "First Day." I would guess that is pretty much a direct result of your success with creating LGBTQ content like "Starting from Now," and being so well known for your work in bringing diversity to film.

Julie Kalceff: It didn't hurt, I don't think. It was originally part of an initiative that the Australian Broadcasting Corporation was running here in Australia for The Day of the Girl, and they were looking for more content for a female audience and children's television. I put in a submission with our producer, Kirsty Stark, and from that, it was chosen and it was taken to production, I think having had that success with an LGBT audience certainly would have helped.

EDGE: Do you have some insight into what led to an interest in this subject matter in particular for a younger audience?

Julie Kalceff:: I think they'd done some research and they realized that there was a lot more male-led content, with male protagonists on children's television than there were female protagonists. The male audience was well served, but they felt like there as a gap, and the female audience wasn't being as well served and didn't have as much content, so this was an initiative they started in order to redress that balance to some extent. We were one of five projects chosen to go into production, and that was when we made the original short film that was then later picked up and commissioned to go to a series.

EDGE: That short film was also in film festivals, wasn't it?

Julie Kalceff: Yeah, it screened around the world. We won the Diversify TV Award for children's content at MIPCOM [an annual trade show at Cannes], and the Gender Equity Prize at Prix Jeunesse, which is a children's television festival. We screened at multiple festivals around the world. Evie's got a trophy at her house, we won the Audience Award the Mardi Gras Film Festival, and we figured that Audience Award was probably in large part because of Evie's performance, so she got that trophy. It was really well received, and I think a big part of that was Evie's performance and what she brought to the role. It was off the back of that that we were able to then approach the broadcaster and talk to them about exploring the story more and having a look at what it would look like as a series.

EDGE: And it's true; Evie, you've done such a wonderful job in this portrayal. Your character Hannah seems very anxious, very withdrawn and uncertain at the start of the series; but you yourself, in real life, are quite outspoken, and you seem very self-assured. Did you have to go through a similar process that Hannah's in your own life?

Evie Macdonald: I feel like before I transitioned I was very much like Hannah. I was more kept to myself, and I was more on the shy side. I didn't really feel comfortable, even in my own skin, let alone around other people. I feel like after I transitioned I became more confident in myself, and I stopped caring about what other people thought. I think Julie captured that beautifully; you can see how Hannah is very shy at the start, and so not confident in herself, and not sure if others can tell [that she is trans, or] if she has passed. Which is such a sad thing, because it's such a reality; I felt that very much when I was transitioning. I passed as a female and sadly that's the expectation that a lot of trans people get. But I feel that even towards the end, Hannah gets more comfortable, and she gets better when she's around good people. I feel like that was the same with me.

EDGE: One of the people you have stood up to is Australia's prime minister, Scott Morrison, in 2018, responded to a report that teachers were being trained to pick up on signs that students might be transgender by tweeting, "We do not need 'gender whisperers' in our schools. Let kids be kids." When you hear people say these things – in particular, cisgender adults who don't have a clue – how does that make you feel?

Evie Macdonald: It was just – somebody with that kind of power, it frustrated me to the max that he could go online and he could tweet something like that. It wasn't even like he publicly said it out on the news; he tweeted it like a teenager and said it out of spite. I think it was just ridiculous to say something like that. The fact that he went to those levels and he was, like, "We don't need gender whisperers" – it aggravated me, because I feel like if a child is saying this over and over again, then it's not gender whisperers telling them, "You're a boy," "You're a girl." That's not how it works. And obviously, a child knows what they want. I feel that he had no right to say the thing that he did.

I feel like even for the people who were starting to transition, people that do look to him, seeing that he is our prime minister, a lot of people do listen to him and take his word into account. He says things like that, and a lot of people will actually listen.

EDGE: Julie, you both wrote and directed the series. Was this a matter of wanting to be sure that you shepherded the project through from start to finish, rather than writing a script and handing it over? Or was it just part of the package deal, that you were expected to handle both writing and direction?

Julie Kalceff: I wrote and directed the original episode, so in that process I feel as though I formed a bond with Evie, and given the subject matter, and given it's such a responsibility for Evie – her character is in every scene, it is Hannah's story; we shot for four and a half weeks. That's a big responsibility for any actor. At the time, Evie was thirteen, and my producer Kirsty and I were aware of how difficult that might be, and what a toll it might take, and so we made the decision that I would direct the whole series just so I could be that one constant for Evie, so that she knew she had that support; that I could create a safe environment; that I could kind of control what happened on set, so that we knew that she'd be looked after and she'd be in safe hands.

EDGEThere's quite a lot that the series delves into that could be difficult for actors and viewers alike – bullying online and in the real world, child abuse, and of course the fear and cruelty that cisgender people sometimes display when it comes to transgender people. But these things are more suggested than addressed in explicit terms. Was that because it's a kid's show? Or was it also a stylistic choice, using the power of suggestion over being explicit?

Julie Kalceff: Yeah. I think that's exactly right. It is for children; the target audience is typically eight to 12-year-olds, although we have seen that it has really appealed to family viewing. Also, our aim from the start was to create a story of hope and something that was positive. We didn't want to put a series out into the world that was in any way harmful to trans kids, or to trans adults; it was important to us that it was a story that was uplifting. Obviously, we need to show that Hannah has difficult times; we wanted to be true to the story. But we didn't want to dwell on things that we didn't need to and make them more prominent than they had to be, because it was important for us that Hannah ultimately goes through those difficult time, but in the end, the overwhelming sense of the story is that it's one of hope, and one of resilience and triumph.

EDGE: Hannah has a wonderfully supportive family; her parents and brother accept her just as she is, and they take pride in her. Evie, have you had a similar story of a supportive and accepting family?

Evie Macdonald: I've been really privileged in the way I've been able to transition. Even transitioning from a young age, a lot of people haven't been able to. In that sense, yes, I've had a really good upbringing. I would like to say that it wasn't always easy from the start, and obviously there wasn't a lot of information about it. It was hard for my parents to understand why I was this way. I actually thought I was the only one; I thought, "Why am I the only person in the world that feels like this?" But it was nice to know that once my parents had found people that were like me, that I wasn't alone. I think it was easier for them to wrap their heads around the fact that, you know, this is real and this is actually happening. After that, they were pretty good.

EDGE: Were those experiences in your own life something you were able to reach back into and draw on as you were crafting your performance?

Evie Macdonald: Yeah, absolutely. A lot of the things Hannah goes through and some difficulties she might face were really similar to some stuff that I went through I feel like even Hannah not being able to go to parties was something that I had to go through. I understand her anger, and I understand how angry I would be if that were me.

EDGE: One of the very first issues the series addresses is the question of who gets to use what restroom. Personally, I have never understood the panic around this. Is it something people genuinely have fear around, or is it just a convenient handle for people who want a cudgel to use against the trans community?

Julie Kalceff: It's a good question. When we started writing the series, the issue of which restroom transgender people use was a big issue. It was in the media quite a bit. It's not as prominent now, but I feel like it is still an issue right now, unfortunately. In our [series], the principal of the school was kind of trying to take the path of least resistance. He knew that if word got out there would be pushback from some of the parents, and he was trying to do what was easiest for him. I think that's what a lot of people do. I think a lot of people aren't empathetic enough, or generous enough, to be able to [ask] what's best for this person; they're more concerned about what's easiest for them. I think recently a lot of statements that have come out targeting transgender people on Twitter. I think it's used as a way for people to push an agenda. Trans people often become the easy scapegoat, the easy target; I think when that happens, it's important to look at the person making those comments and really dig deep into what's the issue with them, not what the issue with trans people is. I mean, I'm a cisgender woman. I have no problem who uses the toilets; it's more important for people to be in a space where they feel comfortable.

Transgender women are women, and any women who think otherwise, I think it's either ignorance or they're pushing an agenda.

EDGE: We have a lot of pushback in the U.S. any time there's a film or TV show or book that addresses LGBTQ issues, especially when it addresses those issues in terms of youth. Do you get a lot of pushback in Australia around this as well?

Evie Macdonald: For me, in school and in public, there's not a lot of people that are against me being trans. I feel like people are just confused; they don't understand it, and that's just why I'm bringing up the education part. I feel like if people were properly educated on what it means to be trans, I don't think I'd have many problems. I face issues because there's always going to be haters, but there's really not a lot [of pushback]. When we release TV series that have LGBT themes in them, I feel like there are more people who actually [appreciate] them than not.

Julie Kalceff: I agree with Evie. We have a conservative government here in Australia, and Australia is a lot more conservative than people realize, so there is pushback on LGBT issues. When we released the series, though, we only had positive responses. We were bracing for some pushback, and even one of the newspaper here that's extremely conservative and that often targets trans kids wrote a really glowing review of the series, so I felt like we're able to cut through that ignorance and cut through those barriers by creating a series that is about a girl starting school. It's about the issues that she's facing that a lot of people share. I think that helped.

When we released the series on the BBC in the UK, there was a lot more pushback there. I think it's even more difficult for trans kids over there, and we saw a lot of pushback. But again, that was before the series aired; once the series went to air, that all died down. I think that they saw it wasn't some crazy show pushing an agenda. It's a kids' show about a girl starting school, and dealing with a lot of issues that a lot of kids deal with.

EDGE: That comes across in the series, in the writing as well as the performance – this is a story about a person and the challenges she faces. That creates a kind of understanding and sympathy that an agenda-driven show probably couldn't have created.

Julie Kalceff: We wanted it to be a universal story. We wanted to create a series about a character that people could identify with, which was behind the intention of the thing about her starting school, and showing different aspects of her character. We try to look at Hannah in all different environments and all different aspects of her life so that being transgender is one aspect of who she is – but it's not entirely who she is. That was really important to us.

EDGE: You mentioned a moment ago, Julie, that trans people, in particular, have a harder time; they are an easier target in our social and political climate. Why do you think that is?

Julie Kalceff: I'm reluctant to speak for trans people because I'm not trans, but I think as a cisgender person I have some perspective on how cisgender people are responding to trans issues. We just got marriage equality in Australia a couple of years ago, and I think what's happened since then is now it's no longer socially acceptable to target gays and lesbians. If you look back in the '70s, gays and lesbians were bashed and targeted and were scared to come out, and were treated with the utmost disdain by a lot of people, and I think attitudes toward gays and lesbians have shifted – and now trans people are the next target. I don't understand it, and I've seen how much it hurts people that I care about, and I'm hoping that with more shows like "First Day" and more shows about transgender people, audiences can see trans characters on screen and can open up their world view and hopefully have some compassion for other people.

EDGE: There's a really great scene in the fourth episode, where Hannah and her classmates are sitting around a fire and everyone starts to ask questions about what the trans experience is like. Do you have this sort of thing happen in real life, Evie, where people will ask you these sorts of things?

Evie Macdonald: Yes, all the time! I feel like people are curious, people want to know, and I feel like I am very open in the way I talk about my life, and me being trans. I've been asked every question in the book. You could ask me anything, and I've probably been asked it once or twice. And I don't see it as a bad thing; I see it as an education thing. People just want to know and understand.

EDGE: You are certainly a hero for many LGBTQ youth and especially trans youth, but who are your own heroes? Who would you say are the role models you look up to?

Evie Macdonald: I've always looked up to [Bosnian-Australian model] Andreja Pejic to see somebody that's successful and amazing. I've always looked up to her, ever since I was a little kid, and I've been lucky enough to meet her in real life. I've also looked up to one of my close friends, Grace Highland – she's a really big influence of mine. I've had close friends and I've had other people in the media.

EDGE: Julie, do have other projects lined up that we can look forward to?

Julie Kalceff: We're in development on a season two [for "First Day"]. We also have plans for a spinoff series that Hannah will be part of, but that will also focus on other characters and will give us more scope to explore the different issues that other characters are experiencing. That will be for a slightly older audience. And I've got a feature film in development, which is an adult drama, so I'm kind of moving out of the kids' space a little bit.

EDGE: Evie, what about you?

Evie Macdonald: I've just gotten an audition for a Netflix TV series that hopefully I can get to talk about a little bit more in the future. Just small things are coming in right now, and hopefully I'll land something.

EDGE: Evie, how can cisgender people be better allies and advocates for their trans friends and family members?

Evie Macdonald: I believe for me, the best way for cisgender people to accept me and understand who I am and where I'm coming from and what it means to be trans is to just try and educate yourself as much as you can. There's a lot of documentaries, there are interviews, there's a lot of new stuff coming out now. Just doing your best to educate yourself and trying to understand what it means, and the true meaning behind it is important. A lot of people don't really understand that there's no one to be trans. Everyone is different.

"First Day" is streaming now at Hulu.