You likely know them for their role in the Netflix series ‘The Politician’. The actor plays the androgynous James Sullivan on the show, and since its release and growing popularity, Theo Germaine has seen professional success increase as well. But Germaine didn’t just appear out of the blue when the program came to television, suddenly taking the role and garnering attention for their work. No, there is a history there, just like with anyone else. So, what does that history consist of, anyway?
Well, there are a few things, to say the least, and we’re going to discuss them now. After all, it wouldn’t be fair to watch someone on television all the time while knowing absolutely nothing about them, their life, or their career, would it? No, it wouldn’t. We felt the same way, and we knew about as much as you did… before now, that is. In an effort to expand your knowledge along with our own, we decided to share the facts that we’ve learned about this talented newcomer.
Below you will find ten little-known facts about the actor Theo Germaine. But, you may say, there isn’t much information out there regarding this person. You’d be correct. But how else can fans get to know the actors who portray the characters they watch and love on television and in the movies? We share the information we learn as we learn it. So put what you think you know aside and read on to discover more about this talented actor from ‘The Politician’.
Here are 10 things you didn’t know about Theo Germaine:
1. Where Germaine Is From
Germaine is originally from Illinois, and was working as a Chicago coffee shop employee until he landed his ‘Politician’ role. When the part was secured, Theo relocated to Los Angeles to make filming more convenient. However, this is apparently a temporary move, and living in LA isn’t in his long-term plans.
2. A Breakthrough Year…And the Public’s Confusion
The first season’s end saw ‘The Politician’ quickly becoming a hit with fans, and the performers on the show beginning to realize the potential for their own future success because of it. In particular, Theo Germaine has been considered one with great potential. Soon, fans began to voice their feelings of confusion: Is Theo Germaine male or female? The transgender actor had fans on the edge of their seats, to say the least. To answer the question gallantly, we will say that identifying the sex of a transgender individual can be difficult without going straight to the source. Theo states that, while he was female, he has gone through legitimate transformation, and is now male.
3. Other Works
While still relatively new to the scene, the role of James Sullivan is not the first part played by Germaine. He played Baby in 2019’s ‘The Holy Trinity’, and the part of Carlisle in ‘Adam’ the same year. Now he is working on one of his most promising roles yet: He has been cast as Chris in the new Showtime Original series ‘Work In Progress’, which is being hailed as one of the smartest and most authentic comedy shows released in a long time. It looks like the sky is the limit for Germaine.
4. Future Aspirations
As is common with actors and others at the forefront of show business, Germaine has found himself interested in exploring other aspects of the industry. In an interview with MTV he talks about how his gender, or rather the question of it, was never touched upon in ‘The Politician’. This fact proved to be something of a relief. However, the fact remains that Hollywood and its cohorts tend to skirt around the issue without making any substantial commentary on the reality of the topic or producing quality work about it. This has inspired Theo to venture into the realms of writing and directing. The creative outlets in those positions hold much more power for the creator, which would mean real change in this particular arena in the future. To put it simply, it would help to minimize, and eventually eradicate, the typecasting that takes place.
5. His Hope for the Hollywood of Tomorrow
On the same token, Germaine would like to see trans performers who have all the same opportunities as anyone else. For instance, if a trans female is perfect for a male role, why not give it to her rather than typecasting her simply as trans? On this topic, he is quoted as saying, “I want to see trans actors in major projects, like Marvel movies and rom-coms, and just have all the same opportunities that other actors have been given for ages.”
6. ‘Not the Good Person’
In high school, Theo was involved with theater, but due to not having come out yet, was typecast into female roles. Then, after landing the part of James on ‘The Politician’, he had scenes where James and Alice (protagonist Payton’s girlfriend) have something of a relationship behind Payton’s back. Regarding this, Theo told Them, “One of the scenes I got to audition with was around that secret relationship, and I was like, ‘Oh, my God! I get to be the other man? That’s so exciting!’ I know that maybe he wasn’t necessarily doing a good thing, but I wanted to be able to do roles where I’m not the good person.” It certainly showcases his versatility in roles.
7. On Taking the Lead
Germaine admits that he didn’t have the best childhood, and that there were times he was homeless. He also says that the sudden change of his success takes some getting used to, but that he was able to gain confidence through his role on ‘The Politician’, and it’s a confidence that he has carried over into his role on ‘Work In Progress’. Coincidentally, Theo has the romantic lead on the new Showtime comedy, a part he says he never imagined he would be able to play. Thanks to ‘The Politician’, however, he has the confidence to not only step into the part confidently, but to run with it as well.
8. Life Facts
While we can’t get down to the nitty-gritty details about Theo’s life due to lack of information, we can give you the basics. He was born in 1988 and raised in Murphysboro, Illinois. According to all sources, his given name is Theo Germaine. Theo attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for college. As far as ‘gender’ clarification, he considers himself a ‘non-binary transgender’, meaning that he does not identify more or less with either sex, though he has opted to lean towards the male identity-wise. Theo prefers the use of the pronouns ‘he’ and ‘they’ when referring to him.
9. Relationship Status
Germaine identifies as gay and is in a committed relationship with long-time Chicago friend/boyfriend William Rusan, whom he affectionately calls his ‘Mr. Perfect’. The couple have been together for some time. According to his Twitter page, Rusan is a ‘humanist, feminist, technologist, mediaist, socionaut, weirdo, and nerd trying to make the world a little better.’
10. Net Worth
Theo has only been acting professionally since 2019 and currently has a total of four different credits to his name. To date, the media has not officially released his net worth, but a leak in the press stated that the number is around $100k, which is quite impressive considering the number of parts he’s had, the amount of time he’s worked, and the fact that he was only making an average of $10 per hour at his café job in Chicago. We’re sure he’s not complaining.
