Transgender teen Nicole Maines makes her acting debut as a guest star in “Royal Pains” episode 704, “The Prince of Nucleotides,” which will air on Tuesday, June 23rd at 10/9c on USA Network. Maines will play “Anna,” a teenage choreographer who is transgender, whom Hank (Mark Feuerstein, “Defiance,” “Good Morning Miami”) treats and soon discovers that some of the hormones she is taking for her transition may be endangering her health. USA Network has partnered with PFLAG, — the original family and ally organization uniting people who are LGBTQ with families, friends, and allies — to raise awareness of people who are transgender and to provide support and resources to viewers. The partnership includes a special PSA, featuring Mark Feuerstein, which will run during the episode on June 23rd and on social media.
Nicole Maines is a 17-year old senior high school student who made history in January 2014 by winning a landmark transgender rights case in the state of Maine. This was the first time that a state court has ruled that transgender students be allowed to use the bathrooms that align with their gender identity. Maines has a strong voice that reaches beyond the state of Maine to promote change and equality for all. At the young age of thirteen, she served as the keynote speaker at the 2011 GLAAD banquet and in 2012. Maines and her family received the Roger Baldwin Award, the Maine ACLU’s highest award for civil right advocacy. In November of 2014, Maines was named one of Glamour Magazine’s 50 Inspiring Women of the Year, when she was chosen to represent the state of Maine in their feature: “Hometown Heroes: 50 Phenomenal Women of the Year Who Are Making a Difference.”
“Playing Anna on ‘Royal Pains’ was an incredible experience and the amount of warmth and encouragement that I received from the cast and crew was so unexpected, but welcome,” said Maines. “Everyone’s words were so supportive and kind and they really made me feel part of the cast immediately, and made my very first television acting experience a pleasure, one I will remember forever.”
“The Maines’ family story has been a journey of love, education, acceptance and celebration, but initially they thought they were on this path alone. Now, as part of the extended PFLAG family, we are so proud to see Nicole step confidently into this challenging and groundbreaking role on ‘Royal Pains,’” said Elizabeth R. Kohm, Deputy Executive Director, PFLAG National. “With the visibility of people who are transgender at an all-time high, it is more important than ever that PFLAG’s support and educational resources are easy to find and readily available. We are thrilled to partner with our friends at USA Network on a public service announcement to bring that important, and potentially life-saving, information to its viewers.”
This very special episode of “Royal Pains,” episode 704 “The Prince of Nucleotides,” (airing on Tuesday, June 23rd at 10/9c) starts off with Hank (Feuerstein) treating a transgender teenager (guest star, Maines) who learns her life is more complicated than he expected. Evan (Paulo Costanzo, “Joey”) and Jeremiah (Ben Shenkman, “Drop Dead Diva”) host a gala fundraiser for the Center for Rare & Orphan Diseases and Jeremiah makes a major purchase for the lab. Meanwhile, Paige (Brooke D’Orsay, “Two and a Half Men”) and Evan’s journey to parenthood takes an unexpected turn, and Divya (Reshma Shetty, “30 Rock”) grows closer to Prince Quami (guest star, Wole Parks, “Devious Maids”). Vanessa Williams (“Ugly Betty,” “Desperate Housewives”) also guest stars.
