More than five years after the film’s debut, there’s still quite a bit of controversy around the Oscar-winning feature, “The Danish Girl.” Well, there’s controversy around the fact that Eddie Redmayne was cast in the lead role as a trans woman. And with time to digest the problem of a cis-man taking on the role of a trans woman in a film, Redmayne has come to the conclusion that his role was a mistake.
Speaking to The Times, Eddie Redmayne talked openly about his role in “The Danish Girl,” the drama telling the real-life story of the trans woman who became the first sexual reassignment surgery recipient. At the time, Redmayne was lauded for his performance with only a small outcry from the LGBTQ community. But over the last several years, as people began to understand more about trans issues, it’s clear Redmayne considers that role a mistake.
“No, I wouldn’t take it on now,” said Redmayne. “I made that film with the best intentions, but I think it was a mistake.”
He added, “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.”
Obviously, there’s no way to retroactively remove Redmayne and his performance from the film, so “The Danish Girl” will live forever as a bit of a cautionary tale about how Hollywood doesn’t do the right thing sometimes when it comes to inclusivity and representation in casting. But with folks like Redmayne speaking out about it and supporting the outrage, perhaps a studio will think twice before that situation comes up again.