The Danish Girl starred Eddie Redmayne as Lili Elbe, a Danish painter and one of the first transgender women to undergo gender-affirming surgery. Redmayne earned an Oscar nomination for his portrayal, though viewers have been frustrated with the Tom Hooper-directed film for casting a cisgender man in a trans role since its release.
Vikander understands that backlash, but does see some of the ways the film benefited the conversation around trans rights. “At that time, it was a pivot in something that it made [the subject of transgender lives] at least discussed,” she said. “I hope that in a way it was a bit of an eye-opener and opened the way for art to cover those themes.”
Redmayne has also spoken out about the film, telling The Sunday Times in 2021 that playing Elbe was “a mistake,” and though he “made that film with the best intentions” he “wouldn’t take it on now.” “The bigger discussion about the frustrations around casting is because many people don’t have a chair at the table,” he elaborated. “There must be a levelling, otherwise we are going to carry on having these debates.”
The actor seemed to already have the seeds of this opinion in his head when the film was released a decade ago. “I hope there’s a day when there are more trans actors and trans actresses playing trans parts, but also cisgender parts,” Redmayne told IndieWire back in 2015. “And I hope—as an actor one hopes—that one should be able to play any sort of part if one plays it with a sense of integrity and responsibility.”
