Eddie Redmayne's transformation for Tom Hooper's "The Danish Girl" was not done overnight. The Academy Award winner for the drama "Theory of Everything" has done his research to be able to effectively play the transgender woman character of Lili Elbe.
Redmayne has a lot to thank for to his "Jupiter Ascending" director Lana Wachowski. The transgender filmmaker has given him advice and point to where he should start. "She pointed me to where to start reading: Jan Morris' book 'Conundrum,' Kate Bornstein's 'Gender Outlaw' and Niels Hoyer's book about Lili, 'Man Into Woman,'" Redmayne told The Hollywood Reporter. "I absolutely adore Lana. She's such a generous human being."
This generosity was given a "Thank You" credit at the end of "The Danish Girl," which is already generating early Oscar buzz. The actor and director's professional relationship started when they had the chance to collaborate on the sci-fi action-adventure "Jupiter Ascending" which had Redmayne featured as the central villain.
Wachowski who was once Laurence (Larry) Wachowski is a noted filmmaker. Together with her brother Andy Wachowski, they are the creative duo behind the modern classic Matrix (1999) and Cloud Atlas (2012). She used to be mum about her change but after she was honored the Visibility Award at the Human Rights Campaign's annual San Francisco gala in 2012 she has finally talked about the obstacles that come with trans visibility.
In her statement, she said that it is the complexity of not being seen and having no identity that makes their situation as transgender people difficult. They are only seen as transgender when it is a matter of life and death just like the case of Gwen Araujo.
Upon reading the book that Wachowski recommended to Redmayne, the British actor began to discover and realize the emotional complexity and the inevitable public views that can come with transitioning which Wachowski herself has experienced.
"The Danish Girl" has played to critical acclaim at both the Venice Film Festival and the Toronto International Film Festival, and will make its way to theaters in the United States on November 27th.
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