Most actors are very careful about the roles they choose to take. After all, it is no secret that one wrong move could have a lasting impact on an actors’ career. That said, there are plenty of actors who look back on roles they were once excited about and feel nothing but regret. That appears to be the case with Eddie Redmayne when it comes to his role in the 2015 movie The Danish Girl. In the film, Redmayne played a transwoman named Lili Elbe. Although his performance earned him lots of positive feedback including an Academy Award nomination for best actor, Redmayne now has mixed feelings about his role in the movie – and it’s not for the reasons you may think. Why does Eddie Redmayne regret his role in The Danish Girl? Keep reading to find out.
Who Was Lili Elbe?
Before we discuss Eddie Redmayne’s feelings on the role, it’s probably a good idea to discuss what the role was. The movie was loosely based on the life of a Danish painter named Lili Elbe who had been assigned male at birth. Elbe was born in the 1880s and rose to prominence in the early 1900s. According to the story, Elbe fell in love with dressing as a woman when she was asked to fill in as a model for an art project her wife, Gerda Wegener, was working on. Wegener would eventually become famous for her paintings of women which Elbe continued to model for. Lili Elbe eventually began living life as a woman and in 1930 she decided to undergo gender reassignment surgery – making her one of the first people to undergo the procedure. Upon her decision to transition, Lili decided that she wanted to give up her work as an artist. Additionally, her marriage to Wegener was annulled in 1930 because the Danish government did not recognize same-sex marriages. Gerda Wegener would go on to get remarried. Sadly, all of Lili’s surgeries did not go as planned. She ultimately died from complications resulting from a surgery meant to give her a transplanted uterus. When she passed away in 1931, Lili was only 48 years old. In the years since her death, Lili’s story has become well-known all over the world. She is considered to be an important part of trans history. In addition to the movie, Lili’s memory also lives on through MIX Copenhagen, an LGBTQ+ film festival that gives out four awards named after Lili each year.
Why Eddie Redmayne Regrets His Role
Some people may assume that Eddie regrets playing a transwoman because he doesn’t want to be associated with the trans community. However, that couldn’t be any further from the truth. His reasons for regretting the role actually stem from a place of compassion and empathy. According to an article from the New York Post, Eddie said, ” I made that film with the best intentions, but I think it was a mistake. The bigger discussion about the frustrations around casting is because many people don’t have a chair at the table. There must be a leveling, otherwise we are going to carry on having these debates”. Redmayne’s statement addresses some of the criticism he received for his role in the movie. While many people in the mainstream praised him for his performance, several members of the LGBTQ+ group felt that it was wrong to cast a cisgender man for the role. In a world where trans people are often denied opportunities solely based on their gender identity, The Danish Girl would’ve been a great opportunity to cast actors from within the community. Even though it’s been more than five years since the movie’s release, opportunities for trans actors and actresses are still minimal.
Eddie Redmayne’s Stance On Trans Issues
Outside of his role as Lili Elbe, Eddie Redmayne has been fairly vocal in his opinions when it comes to the trans community. In 2020, J.K. Rowling, who Redmayne has worked with very closely in the Fantastic Beasts franchise, wrote a series of controversial tweets regarding transgender people. Redmayne issued a statement to Variety saying, “I disagree with Jo’s comments. Trans women are women, trans men are men and non-binary identities are valid. I would never want to speak on behalf of the community but I do know that my dear transgender friends and colleagues are tired of this constant questioning of their identities, which all too often results in violence and abuse. They simply want to live their lives peacefully, and it’s time to let them do so”.
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