Prime Video’s U.S. acquisition of the queer drama What It Feels Like for a Girl has been hailed by star Ellis Howard as “a revolutionary act” and “an act of protest” amid a hostile political climate in the United States. Howard said the series arriving on a major platform during Pride Month gives queer audiences and allies “some sort of safe space” and community, especially at a moment when public rhetoric and cultural politics continue to target LGBTQ people.
The BBC series, which was the broadcaster’s first to be created and produced by a trans person, is adapted by trans journalist and author Paris Lees from her memoir. Produced by Hera Pictures, the show follows teenage Byron, played by Howard, as they leave a former mining town and enter a chaotic underground club scene where identity, survival and chosen family become central themes. Howard described the series as more than a milestone for representation, calling it a propulsive class thriller that can be read through gender, politics, ambition and social identity.
Howard said he once doubted the show would even reach a British audience, given its bold subject matter and the intensity of its opening scenes. He added that the U.S. launch feels especially meaningful because of the current climate, including comments from political figures that have drawn backlash over anti-LGBTQ statements. He also noted that British creator Russell T. Davies recently expressed doubt that an explicitly political new project would receive American financing.
The actor, a BAFTA nominee for the role, said What It Feels Like for a Girl sits comfortably alongside other acclaimed British exports that have found major audiences in the U.S., including I May Destroy You and It’s a Sin. He said the series is designed to resonate in different ways with different viewers, and that part of its appeal lies in its ability to refract multiple meanings at once.
Howard is also building momentum beyond the show. Speaking from Los Angeles, where he is promoting the series and meeting with industry figures for new work, he said his projects in development include a Netflix series based on his early life, as well as other collaborations with A24 and Hera Pictures. He is also set to appear in an adaptation of Caroline O’Donoghue’s The Rachel Incident.
The conversation also touched on Howard’s connection to fellow Scouse actor Stephen Graham. Howard lost the BAFTA Best Leading Actor prize to Graham, but said the shared recognition felt meaningful because both come from working-class Liverpool backgrounds. He said Graham and Adolescence star Hannah Walters have been in touch about possible future collaborations, joking about creating a “Scouse power alliance.”
Howard reflected on the reaction from people in Liverpool when What It Feels Like for a Girl first aired, saying friends and family who had never met a trans person in real life still responded to the show’s humor, language and working-class sensibility. For him, that response showed the drama’s wider reach beyond identity politics. What It Feels Like for a Girl is now streaming on Prime Video.
