The long awaited reboot of the late 2000’s teen drama series Gossip Girl got everyone’s attention after photos of the new cast filming on the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York were released. It’s been 8 years since fans of the book series-turned-TV-hit last got a glimpse into the Gossip Girl universe and much has changed since. The HBO Max reboot’s cast is noticeably more diverse than the original. But one actress in particular, a Mexican-American transgender model-turned-actress, is making waves for how groundbreaking her casting feels.
Moreno was born in 1992 in El Paso, Texas to parents from Chihuahua and Monterrey, Mexico. She grew up speaking Spanish at home and watching Mexican television with her parents and remembers wanting to pursue a career in acting but felt discouraged because she did not see people like her on camera. But with her successful introduction into the acting industry, Zion has become the representation she wished she had seen as a child.
Zion previously starred in Netflix’s Mexican teen drama Control Z in which she played Isabel, a popular girl who loses her friends and boyfriend after she is outed for her gender identity during a school assembly. Zion has been outspoken about her hesitation to take the role since she wished for opportunities in which she could showcase her talents without solely focusing on her gender identity. However, her experiences with getting bullied at school because of her early transition encouraged her to take on the role since it showcased a sad reality for a lot of trans youth.
Zion has mentioned wanting to portray characters who may be trans but are much more complex than just that part of themselves, just like her. She pointed to the character of Jules from the breakout HBO hit Euphoria as an example. With a little bit of luck, HBO’s Gossip Girl reboot could offer Zion and viewers with an equally complex character.
