The very first actress to play the fan-favorite Meowth's ability to talk also gives fans a Pokémon with more depth. Meowth was originally played by Nathan Price for the first 30 episodes of Pokémon's official English dub before being succeeded by voice actress Maddie Blaustein.
Maddie Blaustein was a Trans woman who made the childhood of countless fans with her performance as Meowth. After succeeding Nathan Price in the role of the talkative feline, she went on to voice Meowth for eight whole seasons. This would also include the Pokémon movies that released during this time, such as Pokémon the First Movie where Meowth says one of the most poignant quotes in the show's history. Blaustein made the role hers and continued to play Meowth until 2005 when the entire dub cast was changed. After Pokémon, Blaustein worked on more personal projects until she unfortunately ed away in 2008 due to a stomach virus. She left a lasting impact on fans across the world, but it turns out Meowth actually played a major role in her gender transition.
According to an article by David Levesley on the LGBTQ+ website Jessie and James in Pokémon's Team Rocket after his love interest harshly rejected him, but Meowth finding himself was a major inspiration point for Blaustein. This moment saw the character realize he "was a human trapped in a Pokémon's body." According to McQuade, Blaustein felt similar to Meowth in that way. Her outside didn't match who she was on the inside, and it helped her journey to come out and live as herself.
The Episode that Inspired Blaustein Can Help Others in the Trans Community
What's amazing about this story is that it opens up an entirely new level of connection for this classic Pokémon episode. Trans representation in media is still lackluster and in need of a boost. There are few shows out there that include Trans people, and even the ones that do often focus on making fun of them. This has led to a nationwide misunderstanding of what it means to be Trans, as well as transphobic laws and violence. However, episodes like Go West, Young Meowth and other recent lights in Trans representation like the X-Men's newest member Escapade are important to combat this negativity. Questioning Trans people can turn to this episode as a helpful tool to figuring themselves out just like it did for the very person who voiced Meowth.
Blaustein will continue to live on through her work as the most iconic voice for Meowth throughout Pokémon's long history. Not only did she create the mental image most fans would picture when they think of the character, but she also gave fans some of the character's most famous moments. The fact that an episode she did for Pokémon would end up playing such an important role in her transition just makes Meowth even more interesting because of how much he's in sync with Blaustein herself.
Source: Them
