Isis King is taking Hollywood by storm, from 'America's Next Top Model,' to Prime Video's 'With Love'

From a groundbreaking appearance as an openly trans woman on America's Next Top Model, to roles in shows like When They See Us, The L Word: Generation Q and Prime Video's With Love, actor Isis King is taking Hollywood by storm.

Teasing the upcoming second season of With Love (premiering June 2), King highlighted that her character Sol will see some significant life changes, particularly making the shift from a resident to a doctor, in addition to personal relationships.

“I'm excited for Season 2 because it's different life events,” King told Yahoo Canada. “You kind of get to see the family and friends, and different scenarios and situations.”

“Season 2 is going to be awesome because in Season 1, Sol was a resident oncologist and for the next season, Sol becomes a doctor, and you can kind of, in a way I guess, see their life change, see the budget change for Sol. Their life is different, I felt like the look is different. Sol is a little bit more elegant and now, they're in a relationship, the friends bugged them enough to step it up. So I just feel like Sol is even a little bit more glamorous, if I can say.”

When Season 1 of With Love dropped, it was often referred to as "unapologetically queer" and King praised the show's creator, Gloria Calderón Kellett, for telling a story where a trans, non-binary character, like Sol, is actually able to hold the position of a successful, highly educated and skilled doctor.

“Being a successful trans, non-binary person, I feel like that's not something we usually get to see," King said. "So I love that Sol has that perspective with everything we're doing. To have a successful career, the love, the family, the friends, they have it all. So I think that kind of really grounds them and helps them to be kind of the voice of reason for a lot of the family.”

“Being on this show with so many queer people and with someone like Gloria, ... it just allows you to feel safe, and allows you to explore and to come to work, and really play and explore the characters. Also just feel like you're in a comfortable environment with people who care about you. I think it just allowed me to relax into the character and vulnerable moments, to feel safe and protected because of the people that were around me.”

While historically, a lot of roles written and made available for trans actors have been for trauma-based narratives and characters, King also stressed that With Love opens up that storytelling for trans characters.

“I definitely think because there have not been that many opportunities, people still want to see it, unfortunately,” King said. “I feel like we should have both.”

“I feel like people should be able to see those raw, gritty stories, that kind of just shows the real life of so many trans people, especially trans people of colour, especially Black trans women, specifically. ... But at the same time, we also deserve to see those lighter stories that are about magical powers and finding love, and just normal people doing normal things that are not trauma-based. So I feel like there's room for all of it and I think that With Love shows that it's possible to have it. Don't get me wrong, this season you're going to see some drama with Sol, ... but I definitely think there’s room for both.”

'Everyone deserves to see themselves represented and it literally is that simple'

Many people first saw King on the eleventh cycle of America’s Next Top Model in 2008, largely considered a watershed moment where she was one of the first openly trans women on TV.

Looking back at her entire career, King recognizes that much of what she accomplished was "before its time."

“I had so many opportunities to be seen, but they weren't really paid or when they were it was extremely lowball,” King revealed. “So it made it really difficult, but I kind of just kept going and juggled jobs along the way.”

“I never wanted to give up because I feel like I personally contributed so much of myself in a public format during an era where it wasn't accepted, really, and there were not really opportunities for trans people out there.”

She added that establishing her acting career has been an "uphill battle," since she left Top Model, but in terms of there being dynamic, complex, meaty roles for trans actors that don't necessary portray trans people with a monolithic view, King said we're "slowly" making strides.

“It’s slowly but surely happening, but it's still really, really, really, small, really rare,” King said. “There's still a lot of work.”

“Everyone deserves to see themselves represented and it literally is that simple. We all deserve representation and every storyline doesn't have to be ‘oh, let me come out.’ What if the sergeant is trans? What if the mermaid is trans? What if the doctor is trans? Just because we're not exploring them talking about that, doesn't mean that the character is not trans. … We're not objects. We're not creatures. We're in your everyday world.”

Amid the celebration of shows like With Love, it's difficult to avoid governments attacking human rights, targeting the LGBTQ+ community, including anit-trans bills in the U.S.

It's these actions that, as King stressed, makes having trans characters visible in entertainment even more critical.

“It's very frightening,” King said. “I think it's really important, so many people don't know someone trans in real life and sometimes the only experience they have with someone trans might be on TV, and in the media.”

“So if that representation isn't there, how will they know how to interact? … That's why it's also important to show us as we are in real life. We do have these careers, so it's important to say ‘oh, that's a trans person, they're just like me. They deserve love and happiness, support and career and family, and to not be discriminated against.’”

Looking forward in her career, King believes that she's only cracked the surface of her possibilities.

“I love that I'm loved and supported the way I have been, but … I'm just starting to make a dent and to create a name for myself as an actress, even after all these years that I've been trying to push into the industry," King said.

“I've always wanted to do action. I would love to be a leading lady myself in a rom-com and I really want some powers. … I've grown up a comic book fan and I just want to kick butt, I want to be like Cameron, Lucy and Drew in a Charlie’s Angels-type of project.”

For anyone looking at King, identifying with her and hoping to be able to achieve similar success, the actor's advice is to "bet on yourself."

“I think a lot of my career was me focusing on looking for approval, maybe it even comes from being on reality TV and a model in a competition where you're literally looking for approval," King said. “I looked for approval in all the wrong places, … from bosses and relationships, which opened me up to the wrong type of people and really abusive situations."

"I feel like the only approval I really needed was from myself, as cliche as it sounds. So just bet on yourself and just follow your heart and believe in yourself, because the quicker you do that, the further you'll get. … It could take many years but as long as you believe in yourself and keep going, it's possible.”