Clarice Adds Trans Character to Tackle Impact of Silence of the Lambs' Buffalo Bill

CBS' Clarice will pick up roughly a year after the events of The Silence of the Lambs, featuring Rebecca Breeds (Pretty Little Liars) in the role that Jodie Foster made famous on the big screen. Though without Hannibal Lecter, the shadow of antagonist "Buffalo Bill" will loom large in the show despite Clarice having killed him in the events of that story. His presence is teased in the trailers, and though it's unclear if someone will play the role of the character, the series has enlisted the help of a transgender consultant to help them navigate their storyline in a respectful way. Now, that consultant has been upped to a cast member!

Variety brings word of transgender activist and actress Jen Richards, who was previously hired as a consultant for the series and will now appear on screen. Richards' character was crafted as part of her work as a consultant, helping the writers/producers create a voice in the series that would act as a direct response to the harm that Buffalo Bill as a character has done to the way people think about those that are trans, not only in the context of Clarice but for viewers too.

"All I can say is that the character intersects with Clarice's storyline in a way that her transness isn't central to her storyline, but her identity as a trans woman prompts her to discuss with Clarice the complicated legacy of Buffalo Bill," Richards said. She also revealed that the representation of Buffalo Bill and viewers understanding of that character has previously effected her in her personal life, making this opportunity that much more meaningful for her.

Richards was reportedly hired to help create the character, who was was made to "address the complicated, horrible legacy in a way that didn't reduce it to that one issue" in addition to featuring a "trans character that was part of the story but didn't reduce it to a stereotype." She admitted as well that she expected "some younger, prettier tans actress" would get the part, and not herself, but frankly it seems like the part was made for her. This marks the latest credit for Richards though who has previously appeared in Mrs. Fletcher, Nashville, Blindspot, Better Things, and Two Sentence Horror Stories.

Joining Breed and Richards in the series are co-stars Nick Sandow, Michael Cudlitz, Marnee Carpenter, Lucca De Oliveira, Devyn A. Tyler, and Kal Penn. Check out the series premiere of Clarice on CBS on February 11.