Cassandra James was born as a male, but she had to undergo gender reassignment surgery to transition to a girl.
The American-Canadian actress is best known for her role in the ABC series General Hospital where she depicted the role of a transgender doctor, Terry Randolph. This role made her the first trans lady to play a transgender role in the movie industry, and fans have been curious to know about her professional and personal life.
What is GH Cassandra James’ Birth Name?
Her birth name has continued to elude the media and the general public. By the time Cassandra James made it to the limelight on the set of General Hospital, she had already completed her transition from the male gender to the female gender.
With that said, much info about her life as a man like her given name was lost to the public, and from what is obvious, she is reluctant to resurrect them again. Cassandra James is the name she came to the limelight with, and no other name has surfaced since then.
What Was Cassandra James As A Kid?
On the 17th of July 1989, actress Cassandra James was born in Pasadena, California, as a male child to the family of James Watzke – a German gerontologist, and Debbie Li – a Chinese woman who works and earns a living as a classroom teacher.
Cassandra was already 26 in 2015 when she gathered the courage to approach her family with her sexuality. A year after the actress told her family members, she made bold to go public as a transgender person in 2016. After her transformation surgery, the CA native has been brazenly proud of her new self as an openly transgender woman.
Cassandra has since been making an effort to promote the trans community and has been on the neck of producers of television shows to offer transgender people the chance to express themselves. According to Cassandra, her fellow trans have so much to offer to the world of entertainment; thus, they must not be denied the opportunity.
Citing the role she is currently playing in the General Hospital TV series as a transgender medical practitioner, Cass described it as an inspiring one and relatable to the context. Important to note that she has pride of place as the very first transgender lady who is privileged to be cast in the role of a trans.
Chatting with Bernard James, Cassandra spilled the beans on her childhood experience and how she was able to finally start living as her real self. According to Cass, she was different and effeminate throughout her life. Whenever she looked back, she would always see her closeted self inside but experiencing and living it was a whole new experience.
Cassandra James said she still “very contentedly identified with the gender she was assigned at birth, though she had to struggle with that feeling of isolation coupled with difficulty to fit in as a growing child. Despite all the support she received from her family, her childhood was rather too painful.
The Actress’ Before Surgery Photos
Like her birth name that is nowhere to be found, Cassandra James’ photos before going under the knife for gender reassignment surgery are equally under the shade.
Fans have been curious about seeing some visual representation of the General Hospital alum as a male, but no answers are forthcoming. People have since concluded that Cass is averse to reliving her experience as a member of the male gender since she successfully transitioned into a woman.
Cassandra James’ Transition Process
Cassandra James never gave transition a serious thought until later in her life. She spent her high school and college days living androgynously and oppressed within the gender binary. According to the actress, she suddenly started hearing resounding voices inside that kept speaking loudly, telling her of the need to authentically become who she is – “a woman.”
Even at that, deciding to go under the knife for a surgical procedure wasn’t easy for Cass as she had to dedicate quality time to introspective reflections and learning about herself. Cass said the process of navigating the nuances of her truth took years. She had to think about the woman she was and the one she wanted to be, and even after surgery and becoming a full-time woman; she still evolved several times.
She began her medical transition during the spring season of 2016, and with the help of her good friend, Gigi Lazzarato, she could foot the bill for her surgery. She has since become confident in her new self; Cass has been obsessed with both her neighborhood and her identification. She even seems to have some kind of unspoken agreement with the public as they appear to be respecting her right to privacy and have not demanded the details of her previous self.
She received a Lot of Support From Her Parents And Siblings
Speaking about how her parents reacted to her sexual preferences, the Canadian-American actress let on that she received much support and love from her family. Her mom and dad were quite supportive, encouraging Cass to go ahead and give expression to her real identity with her clothing, dolls, Barbies, and the likes.
She is especially grateful to her mother, Debbie, with whom she shares a special bond. When she first thought of herself being gay, her mum had hindsight and told her that she might not belong to the gay community, which turned out to be right. Cass never misses an opportunity to wish her mother well on birthdays and Mother’s Days.
Talking about her dad, James Watzke, Cassandra James described him as really amazing. According to the actress, her dad made her coming out very easy by simply saying, “I always wanted a daughter anyways.” With that kind of parental support, anybody would be bold to achieve anything. Her siblings also threw their weights behind her as she navigated her way into her real self as a trans woman, and Cass has been grateful to them.
Key Facts About Cassandra James
Who is Cassandra James? Cassandra James is an American-Canadian transgender actress and activist. She is best known for her role as Dr. Terry in ABC’s General Hospital, making her the first transgender actress to portray a transgender character in a telenovela.
When and where was Cassandra James born? Cassandra James was born on 17th July 1989 in Pasadena, California, United States. She later relocated to Vancouver, Canada, with her family, before returning to the United States in 2017.
What is Cassandra James’ ethnicity? Cassandra James has mixed German and Chinese roots. Her paternal grandparents were of German ancestry, and her mother is of Chinese origin, born in Hong Kong.
What is Cassandra James’ birth name? Cassandra James’ birth name remains undisclosed to the public. By the time she came into the limelight, she had already transitioned to a female gender, and she has shown no interest in sharing details about her life prior to the transition.
What is Cassandra James’ gender and pronouns? Cassandra James identifies as a transgender woman. Her preferred pronouns are she/her.
When did Cassandra James begin her gender transition journey? Cassandra James first came out as gay, but later realized she was still closeted. She officially came out as a transgender woman in November 2015 and began her medical transition journey in the spring of 2016, at the age of 27.
What is Cassandra James’ role in advocating for the transgender community? Since coming out, James has been a vocal supporter of the transgender community. She has urged television show producers to provide more opportunities for transgender individuals to express themselves in the entertainment industry. Her role as a transgender doctor in General Hospital has been described as inspiring and relatable.
What are some of the roles Cassandra James has played? Besides her role as Dr. Terry Randolph in General Hospital, Cassandra James has starred in several other productions including Roobha (2018) as Lucia, Still Wylde (2020) as Dr. Walden, Diggstown (2020) as Tanya Ivanova, A Christmas Sunset (2021) as Zoe, Sort Of (2021) as Olympia, and Lit Girl (2019) as herself.
What is Cassandra James’ relationship status? As of now, Cassandra James is not married and has not publicly disclosed if she is currently dating anyone.
