Five facts about trans Poker Face star Patti Harrison – including hilarious reason she was banned from Twitter
Five fascinating facts about trans Poker Face star Patti Harrison (Corey Nickols/Getty Images for IMDb)
Five fascinating facts about trans Poker Face star Patti Harrison (Corey Nickols/Getty Images for IMDb)
Poker Face spoilers ahead!
Critically acclaimed murder mystery show Poker Face has left fans gagging after its whirlwind finale to series two, with many people praising Patti Harrison’s performance as Alex.
While a third series is yet to be announced, the show’s star-studded cast – including Orange is the New Black‘s Natasha Lyonne and Everything Everywhere All At Once star Stephanie Hsu – has been widely praised, with comedian Patti Harrison in the role of Alex emerging as a fan favourite.
But what else do we know about Patti Harrison? Here are five fascinating facts about the actor and comedian.
Her big break was on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
The 34-year-old actor, writer and comedian found fame with her big break on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in 2017, delivering jokes about then-president Donald Trump’s ban on trans officers in the military.
Speaking about the ban, Harrison addressed the president, saying: “As a trans person, it’s hard to articulate exactly how I feel, but I guess if I had to describe it I’d say, Donald you’re so stupid, you are SO stupid. You’re lucky you’re so hot.”
After appearing on the show, Harrison went on to perform on TV shows I Think You Should Leave, Bojack Horseman and Tuca & Bertie, as well as gain roles in movies including Theater Camp and Raya and the Last Dragon.
Her part in Poker Face is her ‘dream role’
In the series two finale of Poker Face, Harrison’s character Alex is unmasked as the deadly international assassin, the Iguana, something the actor described as a “dream”.
“As soon as I could imagine what it would be like to act, I wanted to play an assassin or a ninja or something,” Harrison told Deadline in an interview. “But as a kid, I actually wanted to be an assassin or a ninja, so it’s kind of better for everyone if I just do it on screen.”
She added: “I feel so blown away and lucky to get to play what is really a dream role.”
She was the first trans actor to star in a Disney animated film
Patti Harrison made history for her role in Raya and the Last Dragon, becoming the first out trans actor to voice a character in a Disney animated movie.
Harrison, who plays Chieftess of Tail, only has a few lines in the film, but was widely praised for making trans history with the role.
“My character was in Raya and the Last Dragon for a second, but that’s a win for all trans-kind. I hope there are bigger opportunities in our future. But it still feels cool and nice to check it off,” she said in an interview with Variety.
Fans have affectionately described her comedy as ‘unhinged’
Fans of the actor and comedian have affectionately described her style as “unhinged”, with one reviewer describing her 2024 stage show as “one of the most unhinged, depraved, audaciously sustained shows around right now”.
The comic has been known for an absurdist style of humour, wearing comically large fake breasts for an Edinburgh fringe show, posting silly TikToks, and joking about farts and horny old people.
“I love to create very dumb and stupid s**t,” Harrison told Rolling Stone in an interview. “And that’s the funny thing – when people seek me out as this like political comedian, I literally just want to joke about IBS and farting.”
She was banned from Twitter
Harrison was banned from Twitter in 2021 in the most hilarious way possible, changing her verified display name and photo to resemble the snack brand Nilla Wafers’ account.
The comedian used her Twitter account to impersonate the musician Sia as if she had taken over the Nilla Wafers account for the day, posting comments including “there are only two genders” and “if you are bisexual, we do not want your business”, adding that the brand itself was “pansexual”.
Her joke came after a previous legitimate tweet by the snack brand which stated “trans people not only exist but are valued and loved by Nilla Wafers”.
She later joked about the prank on Jimmy Kimmel Live, claiming she was sorry to “bisexual people who love Nilla Wafers”, adding that Sia will “never ever get an apology from me”.
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