About Calpernia

Short Version

Calpernia Addams is an actress, musician, author and activist who has toured the world as a cabaret singer, an acoustic singer/songwriter, an Edinburgh Festival Fringe award winner and major event hostess. She hosted a wildly popular cabaret night in Hollywood for many years, and at the 40k square foot Connection showbar in Nashville for 7 years. She starred in hew own MTV/LOGO show, “Transamerican Love Story”, which was the first out trans dating series, and won a GLAAD Media Award for its portrayal of the realities of dating as a trans woman.

Calpernia consults with A-List actors and directors in Hollywood on trans portrayals in film and television, her clients nominated for, or receiving, Academy Awards (Oscars), Golden Globes, Emmys and many other awards. She herself has received a Peabody Award, GLAAD Media Award, Task Force Leadership Award and was the winner of seven beauty pageant crowns at the beginning of her career.

Calpernia is a decorated war veteran who served as a field medical combat specialist (NEC 8404) in the 1st Gulf War, has been thanked by Congress for a daring Aleutian Islands plane rescue, and has received many medals and awards for her service. The tragic story of the murder of her Army boyfriend by bigoted fellow soldiers was told in the Golden Globe and Emmy nominated movie “Soldier’s Girl”.

She co-founded “Deep Stealth Productions” with business parter Andrea James, the first Hollywood production company owned and operated by out trans women, which creates trans-positive media, education and consultation. Most recently, she traveled the world performing her original live music, including the UK, Germany, Wales and Ukraine.       

Long version

Calpernia Addams has been entertaining for almost 30 years, on stage and screen, for straight and gay audiences in venues such as a solo show at Harvard University’s American Repertory Theatre, speaking at Oxford University’s Oxford Union, performing “The Vagina Monologues” the New Orleans Superdome and countless other performances at locations such as the Hollywood Palladium, the Hollywood Forever Masonic Temple, Bimbo’s 365 classic Jazz venue in San Francisco, Hollywood’s Henry Fonda Theatre, Nashville’s The Parthenon, the Tennessee Performing Arts Center and countless others.            

Actress and Musician            

Calpernia starred in the award-winning “Transscripts”, which ran for a month at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, as well as in NYC and the American Repertory Theatre. She starred in hew own MTV/LOGO show, “Transamerican Love Story”, which won a GLAAD Media Award for its portrayal of the realities of dating as a trans woman. Her business partner Andrea James and she put on the first all trans-women cast production of Eve Ensler’s international hit play fighting violence against women and girls: “The Vagina Monologues”. They were mentored by Eve and legendary actress Jane Fonda, with whom Calpernia went on to perform the monologues at the 72,000 seat New Orleans Superdome to raise money for the women and girls affected by Hurricane Katrina.            

As a multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Calpernia has toured the US and Europe playing original acoustic music opening for out gay indie superstar Patrick Wolf and celebrated New York performer Our Lady J. Her music was featured in Facebook’s first national television commercial, in which she also starred. She has guested on NCIS actress Pauley Perrette’s most recent album with vocals and violin. Her IMDB credits reflect a diverse profile in film and television, including starring in the first out transsexual dating series on television, Transamerican Love Story.            

Her weekly Pop, Jazz and Standards cabaret show featuring original arrangements of classic Old Hollywood music made famous by Marilyn Monroe, Mae West and others alongside original dance and pop music is now in its fifth year. “Calpernia Presents: Goddess” is consistently sold out and standing room only.            

Calpernia’s exhaustive IMDB credits include film and television work with Jane Fonda, Jared Leto, Felicity Huffman and original movies written, directed and produced by her and her business partner Andrea James.            

Public Speaking and Awards            

Calpernia has spoken across the USA and internationally on many topics at major Universities, schools and organizations, most recently at Harvard and at Oxford University. She has been a Grand Marshall of the San Francisco Pride Parade as well as in the Pride Parades for NYC, Hollywood, Las Vegas and many others. She’s hosted and presented at events from the GLAAD Media Awards to the annual Lavender Law conference. Calpernia was the national face for PFLAG’s outreach to the transsexual community. She has been presented with a GLAAD Media Award, a Peabody Award, the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network’s Randy Shilts Visibility Award, The National Gay & Lesbian Task Force’s Leadership Award, and is also a decorated military war veteran recognized by the US Congress for assistance in rescuing a downed Chinese airliner in Alaska’s Aleutian Islands.            

Calpernia has spoken extensively on trans representation in Hollywood, and has worked with top celebrities and directors to consult on projects that went on to be nominated for or win Academy Awards (Oscars), Golden Globes, Emmys and even a Peabody Award, among many other awards. She has spoken on LGBT issues concerning the US military as a former combat medic herself, veteran of the 1st Gulf War and partner to murdered Army PFC Barry Winchell. Her relationship with Barry and his subsequent murder by homophobic fellow soldiers was depicted in the film “Soldier’s Girl”, which has gone on to open many hearts and minds to trans and gay stories and reportedly influenced President Bill Clinton to express regret at the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy. Calpernia has also spoken at the Veteran’s Administration on healthcare and elder-care for trans veterans who seek care at the Veteran’s Hospitals. She has delivered seminars on workplace policies concerning trans and lesbian/gay/bisexual employees to major multinational corporations such as Procter & Gamble and Warner Brothers.            

Hosting

Hosting at the GLAAD Media Awards, the enormous Lavender Law Conference, packed indoor events, outdoor festivals and more, Calpernia has experience moving in the highest circles of Hollywood’s awards, glamour, business and corporate elite as an upscale hostess and entertainer. A confident and hilarious event hostess, she takes effortless command of a room and leaves the audience laughing for standup comedy shows, charity auctions, awards ceremonies, fundraiser bingo, drag, burlesque and live music shows.            

Activism            

Calpernia is a decorated war veteran who served as a field medical combat specialist in the 1st Gulf War, and the tragic story of the murder of her Army boyfriend by bigoted fellow soldiers was told in the movie “Soldier’s Girl”. In addition to the work listed above, her activism work has included fundraising for all major LGBT causes, with specific focus in the past on work with GLAAD, SLDN, The Task Force (NGLTF) and women’s causes such as VDay and Peace Over Violence (LACAAW).