Eddi Redmayne is creating headlines as he stars in yet another challenging role, as he plays the transgender character Lili Elbe in the upcoming film The Danish Girl.
The Danish Girl covers the fictionalized account of Lili Elbe (born Einar Wegener) played by Redmayne. She was one of the first transgender women to undergo sexual reassignment surgery. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, he describes his character portrayal as "an extraordinary experience and it's continuing to be." He continues, describing it as a very delicate and intricate piece.
Redmayne also comments on how he had to fully educate himself on a very complicated role. The International Business Times reports that the actor met with many transgender women and learns of their stories and experiences.
Redmayne's casting has gained both appluse and intrigue, with the issue of a cisgender playing a transgender surfacing. Academy Award winning director Tom Hooper answers in an interview with Screen Daily, saying that he was very ardent about Redmayne as his choice. Having worked with Redmayne in Les Miserables before, he sensed "a certain gender fluidity that I sensed in him, that I found intriguing."
On the other hand, Redmayne addresses this issue by saying "Look, I've just played a man in his fifties with motor neurone disease. I'm acting." He believes that there is no need to label gender for it is fluid.
The reigning Oscar best actor has gained a reputation for his brilliant portrayals of complex characters. In the movie "The Theory of Everything", he played physicist Stephen Hawking, which eventually earned him more than ten awards for his performance.
The Danish Girl is an adaptation of a book of the same name by David Ebershoff. The trailer for the British biographical film was released last Sept. 2. Redmayne's portrayal of The Danish Girl will have the following release dates: September 5 for the Venice International Film Festival, November 27 for the US theaters, and January 1 next year for the UK theaters.
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