Kid Cudi makes casting call for trans actors after Jean-Michel Basquiat biopic announcement
Around the same time as announcing his Basquiat biopic, Cudi also called for trans actors to come forward
By Aaron Sugg
Kid Cudi has made a casting call on social media, calling for transgender actors to come forward amid news of his upcoming Jean-Michel Basquiat biopic.
The rapper plans to write, direct and star in the film, which is tentatively titled Jean. Filming is due to begin in 2027.
Cudi announced his plans for the biopic on Instagram on Wednesday (21 October). “For years people have asked me about playing Jean Michel Basquiat in a film,” the Man on the Moon performer wrote.
Kid Cudi announces Jean-Michel Basquiat biopic
“This year, I finally said fuck it, ima write it myself. Did a wardrobe test, got a wig made (this isn’t the final just a rough, trust me we gon get it perfect). But I wanted to tease what we been cooking a bit.”
He added: “This one im so proud of and excited about. To write a film about someone who existed was a challenge, but it was a welcomed one. A lot of research, books, talks with people that knew him. This film will be a love letter to Jean, the 80s and NY city.”
Around the same time as announcing his Basquiat biopic, Cudi also called for trans actors to come forward. “If you are a trans actor looking for work, holla at me,” he wrote on X yesterday (21 October).
Cudi looks for trans actors
If you are a trans actor looking for work, holla at me. 🙏🏾❤️🔥
— The Chosen One (@KiDCuDi) October 22, 2026
The post has received hundreds of responses, with budding and rising actors showing interest.
The rapper has been an ally to the LGBTQ+ community. He famously played a gay character in the indie film James White and voiced his disappointment when his kissing scenes with David Call were cut.
“This was way different than anything else I’ve ever done,” Cudi told Billboard in 2016. “It was dope to do that. I felt like I had a responsibility to present a different walk in life from that world.”
Cudi responds to James White same-sex kissing scene being cut
On his same-sex kissing scene not making the final edit, he said: “I’m mad [Mond] cut out my kissing scenes with David. We made out so many times — and it was so good! That’s my only gripe.”
He has also been a vocal supporter of Lil Nas X. In 2021, when the rapper tweeted that no Black male rappers wanted to work with him, Cudi described him as “what we need right now”.
Cudi added that having a Black gay man in rap and hip-hop “is huge for us and for Black excellence”, describing Nas as “a true rock star”.