"The Bold and the Beautiful" just got a little bolder and a lot more beautiful with its recent reveal of the first transgender character in 28 years of the show being on air.
Fans of the soap were thrown for a loop with this unexpected but celebrated plot twist.
On Wednesday's episode, it was revealed that model Maya Ivant, played by Karla Mosley, was born as a male. Maya's character was brought onto the show two years ago in 2013, and the news came out through her sister Nicole (Reign Edwards) during an "emotional argument," according to People.
"You're not my sister, Maya. You're not Maya at all," Nicole said. "You're Myron, my brother."
This is the part where viewers' jaws dropped.
"I didn't expect daytime to be taking on a story like this," Mosley said. The role is clearly sparking Mosley's interest, as the actress has started to do research on transgendered individuals as well as consult with members of GLAAD in order to make her character come to life in a way that is accessible for all people, trans or not.
"As someone who is an artist and an activist I know how important trans issues are - how it's life and death for people at this point," she said. "The more that we in Hollywood can help people to understand what it is to be transgender, what that experience might be like for someone, and just to normalize it, I think we have the possibility of really changing some hearts and lives."
Mosley, 33, is a board member of the Covenant House, a shelter for homeless youth, but she also recognizes that not everybody is as open-minded as her. She is hoping for the best - in terms of viewers' reactions to her character - but preparing for the worst.
"I am very engaged on social media and I'm prepared to continue to engage with people. I think that boycotts are possible, but I also think there's a possibility of really being embraced by some audiences that might not have been watching."
Maya is the first regular transgender character on broadcast television, aside from smaller storylines seen in "Glee," "Transparent" and "Orange is the New Black," Us Weekly reported.
"We reach a demographic that might not watch prime time, that might not stream; we're in over 100 countries. We have over 35 million viewers or something crazy like that," Mosley explained. "So we really have an opportunity that a lot of shows don't have to reach some minds that may be closed at first and that might take a minute to even understand what the terminology is and what it all means."
Mosley believes that her part is a "gift" and a "privilege," and she will use it to further promote the public's understanding and acceptance of what it means to be transgender.
"If you are transgender, gay, straight, it doesn't matter. It's about finding love in life. This is a love story," executive producer Bradley Bell said in a statement.
"The Bold and the Beautiful" airs weekdays at 1:30 p.m. EST on CBS.
