Jared Leto in ‘Dallas Buyers Club’ (photo credit: Focus Features)

Jared Leto. Chiwetel Ejiofor. Phillip Seymour Hoffman. You may think the only thing these actors have in common is an Academy Award, but there is another fun fact that all these talented gentlemen share: they’ve all played drag queens or trans women at one point in their careers.

Of course, Jared Leto’s snatched up secret wasn’t really a secret to begin with since it earned him his own little golden man at this year’s Academy Award when he won ‘Best Supporting Actor’ for playing a HIV-positive trans woman in the film Dallas Buyers Club.

Another big winner that night was Chiwetal Ejiofor, who won ‘Best Actor’ for 12 Years A Slave. But what many fans don’t realize is that only nine years ago, Chiwetal portrayed another iconic character when he played drag queen Lola in the film production of Kinky Boots. Sporting fierce heels and an attitude to match, it’s no wonder the Broadway rendition that followed became such a success, scoring the Tony for ‘Best Musical’ in 2013. I mean you don’t get more passion than when you’re shouting out lines that include, “The sex is in the heel!”

Another role that will always stand out to me is the late, great Phillip Seymour Hoffman’s performance in Flawless where he plays a ‘female impressionist’ named Rusty (how fab!) living in the Lower East Side who helps costar Robert De Niro overcome a speech impediment that resulted from a stroke. Like the film’s title Hoffman’s acting is absolutely flawless, bringing to the role flair, humility and charisma that allowed him to become his character. The role serves as a precursor and testament to Hoffman’s superb talents that led him to receive an Academy Award in 2005 for ‘Best Actor’ when he played the lead in Capote.

I didn’t bring up these actors for just a movie history lesson, but rather a lesson in life. To quote an actual drag queen, “It takes a real man to become a woman,” though some may rebut at this while grabbing their crotch, I ask that they look at the evidence again.

Actors who have stepped up to play women – to make an attempt to reach and understand psyche much more foreign to their own – are the ones that take home the gold in the end. And if this list isn’t enough to convince you, then why not also look at the work of Jude Law (Roge), Dustin Hoffman (Tootsie), and Wesley Snipes and Patrick Swayze (To Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything! Julie NewmarI).

If you still don’t believe me, then just try walking in a pair of heels for a day… I double dare ya.