Ash Palmisciano

Ash Palmisciano (born 3 January 1990) is an English actor. He came out as transgender in 2012 and later became the first trans actor to appear on stage at the Royal Shakespeare Company. He was later hired by the ITV1 soap opera Emmerdale to work as a story consultant for a trans storyline, but after impressing producers, he was instead cast on the soap. His character, Matty Barton, became the first trans character on Emmerdale and he won the Best Newcomer accolade at the Inside Soap Awards for his portrayal of Matty.

Early life Palmisciano was born on 3 January 1990 in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire. Ash discussed gender dysphoria in a 2020 TED talk, recalling discomfort using female changing rooms, and feeling forced to use pink items. Palmisciano's family helped him through his transition and he decided to get back into acting. He attended a summer acting school for trans people led by the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, which gave him the confidence to begin attending auditions for theatre and television work. He also played an elf during numerous Christmas seasons due to his short height. He then began working with the charity Diversity Role Models, with whom he visited schools across the UK to talk about his experiences as a trans man. He described the work as the most terrifying thing he had done, but wished that he had heard the same talk as a child. In 2018, he wrote and directed a short film, The Lady That Dances, which was broadcast on Channel 4. He then worked for the Royal Shakespeare Company and was the first trans actor to appear on their stage. After he informed producers that he was an actor, he was asked to audition for the part of Matty Barton. The character, who was previously on the soap as Hannah (Grace Cassidy), was reintroduced as a trans man that had transitioned off-screen. Palmisciano was originally contracted on Emmerdale for a three-month-long stint, but it was soon renewed and he has remained on the soap since. At the 2018 Inside Soap Awards, he won the accolade for Best Newcomer. In 2023, he became a judge on the National Diversity Awards panel.

Personal life Palmisciano made his relationship with girlfriend Shea Rowan public on New Year's Eve 2021. Palmisciano's mother died aged 60 in 2022 due to complications from long-term rheumatoid arthritis.

Filmography Year Title Role Notes 2016 Boy Meets Girl Alex 1 episode 2017 Mum Andrew Short film 2018–present Emmerdale Matty Barton Regular role 2020 Pop Stu Short film