In 2010, the first TV role British actress Victoria Atkin landed after graduating from London’s Royal Central School of Speech and Drama was a groundbreaker: transgender teen Jasmine/Jason Costello in Channel 4 soap opera “Hollyoaks.” She auditioned for the role with her naturally brown hair — blonde at the time — pulled up inside a beanie to look more androgynous.
MAKING A STATEMENT: The 28-year-old says she was nervous to take on the role, but considering Jasmine/Jason was the first transgender character to be featured as a series regular on British TV, Atkin saw it as an opportunity to change the way people think. The character’s storyline broached topics including self-harm and family pressure surrounding transgender issues.
GAME ON: In the videogame world, Atkin will portray Evie Frye, the first female protagonist in “Assassin’s Creed Syndicate,” the next installment of Ubisoft’s hit franchise, due out Oct. 23. The game uses the same motion-capture technology employed in feature films. “I like to think of myself as the female Andy Serkis,” she jokes.
KICKING BUTT: Atkin believes “Assassin’s” Evie will be a breakthrough for female characters in videogames. “She’s not a stereotype videogame sex symbol,” she says, describing the assassin as an intelligent, skillful woman in a male-dominated gaming world. “I hope, like my transgender role, this will make a change.”
NOVEL ASPIRATIONS: Now relocated to Los Angeles, Atkin says she would love to be a Bond girl, or star as a comicbook action hero. She’s also a self-proclaimed bookworm, and published her first novel, romance “London Love,” in February. Her debut tome, 2013’s “My First Pilot Season,” recounted her early days in Hollywood.
