Eight years after rising to fame through Netflix's 13 Reasons Why, Tommy Dorfman has transitioned from acting to directing with her powerful feature film debut. I Wish You All the Best presents what Dorfman describes as a fantasy vision of community support for young queer individuals navigating their identity.
From Actor to Director: A New Chapter
Dorfman makes her feature directorial and screenwriting debut with I Wish You All the Best, which premiered in theaters last week. The film adapts Mason Deaver's 2019 novel of the same name, telling the story of Ben, a nonbinary teenager portrayed by Corey Fogelmanis of Girl Meets World fame.
The narrative follows Ben's journey after being rejected by their conservative parents during Christmas. Forced to relocate, Ben moves in with their estranged sister Hannah, played by Alexandra Daddario. Despite family turmoil, this fresh start becomes transformative for the young protagonist.
A Support System That Transforms
Ben discovers unexpected support systems in their new environment. With guidance from an eccentric art teacher, Ms. Lyons, portrayed by Lena Dunham, and the friendship of new peers, Ben begins to thrive academically and personally. The film also explores Ben's budding romance with Nathan, played by Miles Gutierrez-Riley, adding another layer to their journey of self-discovery.
Dorfman first encountered Deaver's novel around its publication date and felt an immediate connection to the material. She described experiencing a spiritual, inexplicable desire to translate this world into visual media. As she explained to HuffPost, As queer people, we often have to contort ourselves emotionally and physically to relate to characters in media and books. I didn't have to have that lens on.
Personal Parallels and Professional Growth
Dorfman's personal journey mirrors aspects of Ben's story. The 33-year-old director initially worried that publicly transitioning as a transgender woman in 2021 might shorten her acting career. Instead, much like Ben's character arc, embracing her authentic self led to professional rejuvenation.
Since her transition, Dorfman has enjoyed significant career milestones including a Broadway debut in Romeo + Juliet alongside Kit Connor and Rachel Zegler last year. This spring, she portrayed a transgender rabbi in the off-Broadway production Becoming Eve while simultaneously releasing a memoir.
Dorfman began writing the screenplay for I Wish You All the Best as she started her own transition. She now views the film as a form of wish-fulfillment prophecy. I got to write Ben finding comfort in their own body before I got to mine, she revealed. I knew that if it was possible for them at 17... it could be possible for me at 29.
Casting and Creative Collaborations
When casting the pivotal role of Ben, Dorfman sought an actor who could challenge and deepen her understanding of the character. She found her ideal Ben in Corey Fogelmanis, whose performance showcases what she describes as a contained vulnerability, particularly during the film's emotional climax when Ben confronts their parents for the second time.
The film also features Lena Dunham, with whom Dorfman shares a longstanding friendship. Dunham previously gave Dorfman her first post-transition acting role in the 2022 film Sharp Stick. Dorfman praised Dunham as the hardest working person I know and a creative powerhouse, noting that despite their intimate friendship, she still wanted her teacher to be proud of her.
With I Wish You All the Best now in theaters, Dorfman has already begun work on her next project: adapting Mariko Tamaki's 2019 graphic novel Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me for the big screen.
While the film will undoubtedly resonate with LGBTQ+ audiences, Dorfman hopes it will also reach viewers who struggle to understand transgender or gender nonconforming family members, friends, or colleagues. In our current climate of increasing hostility toward trans individuals, she emphasizes a simple but powerful message: When a child gets rejected for being the person they are, there should be a mass of mutual aid coming together to buoy that kid. It's that simple.
