Written by Edwin Francisco
Filipina Ivory Aquino has joined the cast of Batgirl.
Ivory Aquino plays Barbara Gordon’s best friend Alysia Yeoh.
Ivory Aquino and Yeoh are both transgender.
Writer Gail Simone created Yeoh for Batgirl No. 1 in 2011.
Ivory Aquino’s filmography began with 2007’s Virtue: The Way of the Modern Samurai.
However, she is more known for her roles in Lapsis (2020), Lingua Franca (2019), and When We Rise (2017).
She has actively spoken in support of trans children and transgender rights.
In a 2017 interview, she revealed:
As soon as I was born, I was always a girl; I was just assigned differently at birth.
Ivory Aquino is part of a major political family in the Philippines.
Filipina Ivory Aquino Joins Batgirl Cast
Image: WireImage
Specifically, she’s as niece to former President Corazon Aquino.
Moreover, she is a cousin to Filipina celebrity Kris Aquino.
In other words, she is not new to advocacies.
As a teenager, she moved to the United States and pursued college, graduating summa cum laude at the Berklee College of Music.
She eventually landed Shakespearean roles such as Juliet and Desdemona with The Drilling Company’s Shakespeare in New York.
One can only anticipate how Ivory Aquino will bring Yeoh to life.
Yeoh is Gordon’s roommate who painted during the day and worked as a bartender at night.
Yeoh wants to be a professional chef one day.
Although she was keen to notice that Barbara has a reserved and secretive side, she never pried and respected Barbara’s privacy instead.
In the story, it was not immediately disclosed that Yeoh is a transgender woman.
Filipina Ivory Aquino Joins Batgirl Cast
Image: DC Comics
Furthermore, one can also note that she also dated Barbara’s brother James Gordon Jr.
She was able to share that she was a transgender only after an emotionally pivotal time with Barbara.
And Barbara only responded with love and acceptance.
Ivory Aquino will be part of the Batgirl cast with Leslie Grace as Batgirl, together with Academy Award-winner J.K. Simmons as Commissioner James Gordon, Brendan Fraser as Firefly, Academy Award-nominee Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne, and Jacob Scipio whose role is yet undisclosed.
Truly we are excited to see how she adds to the dynamics of the story and we look forward to Ivory Aquino’s Alysia Yeoh painting colors into Barbara Gordon’s world.
We will all see Batgirl within a year.
We look forward to seeing it on HBO Max.
Related: HBO Max’s Batgirl Movie Will Leap Into the Snyderverse
