The Danish Girl director further explains lack of trans actor in lead role
Tom Hooper has spoken further about why he chose a cisgender actor for the film.
The director recently explained why he chose to cast Eddie Redmayne as the lead role in new trans film The Danish Girl – instead of casting a trans actor.
Hooper discussed the problem with sourcing trans actors – saying he hopes The Danish Girl will help “champion” the trans community and highlight the lack of diversity within the film industry.
“Access to trans actors, women and men, to roles, both trans roles and cisgender roles, is utterly key, and I feel that within the industry at the moment there is a problem,” he told Variety.
“There is a huge pool of talented trans actors and the access to parts is limited.
“I would champion any shift where the industry could move forward and embrace trans actors in trans and cisgender roles and also celebrate and encourage trans filmmakers.”
Oscar winning actor Redmayne is taking on the role of 1920s transgender pioneer Lili Elbe for the upcoming film, helmed by Hooper. The pair previously worked together on Les Miserables.
The Danish Girl is based on the true story Lili Elbe, a landscape painter who realised that she was transgender after posing in women’s clothes for her wife.
She became known after undergoing one of the first gender reassignment surgeries.
However, some trans activists are none too thrilled the casting of Redmayne – questioning whether transgender roles should be played by cis actors.
Hooper recently spoke out about why he chose Redmayne for the role.
He said: “Eddie was really the person I wanted to make the film with, and I was very passionate about that.
“I was a great believer in him as an actor. I think also there’s a certain gender fluidity that I sensed in him, that I found intriguing and it led me to think he might be a really interesting person to cast in this role.
“I felt that there was something in him that was drawn to the feminine… that was something that I felt he might be interested to explore further.”
The first official poster was released this week, though images were printed in several major newspapers earlier this year after an accidental leak
