British actor Eddie Redmayne says he regrets playing a transgender character in the 2015 film, The Danish Girl, calling his decision to accept the movie role a “mistake.” Redmayne, however, is set to star in the London revival of the 1972 musical Cabaret as a character typically played by “queer” actors.
In an interview with the Sunday Times, Redmayne reflected upon his portrayal of the transgender character Lili Elbe in The Danish Girl, which is based on the true story of one of the first-ever documented recipients of sex reassignment surgery.
In 1931, Elbe died at age 48 from complications stemming from an operation that involved a uterus transplant and the construction of an artificial vagina.
“No, I wouldn’t take it on now,” Redmayne told the Sunday Times after being asked if he would take the role of Elbe if he were offered it today. “I made that film with the best intentions, but I think it was a mistake.”
The actor’s casting as Elbe reportedly sparked backlash, because Redmayne does not believe he is a woman in his personal life. Left-wing and LGBTQ activists believe the role should have instead gone to a biological male actor who believes he is a woman.
While Redmayne says he regrets starring in The Danish Girl, however, the actor will reportedly go on to play Emcee in Cabaret. This move has also provoked ire from left-wing activists, as the character is often played by LGBTQ actors.
“While the musical has never put a label on Emcee, the character is queer-coded, often appearing in drag and has been played in the past by queer talent,” reports PinkNews.
But Redmayne insists that the situation is different this time, as the character “defies pigeonholing,” adding, “I would ask people to come and see it before casting judgment.”
“I hope when people see the performance, the interpretation will justify the casting,” the actor told British Vogue.
Redmayne’s portrayal of “queer-coded” or transgender characters is not the first time left-wing activists took offense to an actor who doesn’t have gender dysphoria taking on such roles.
In 2018, actress Scarlett Johansson was attacked after accepting a role as a transgender man in the film Rug & Tug. Johansson later dropped out of the project, stating that her decision to accept the role was “insensitive.”
Jared Leto was also the subject of backlash over his Oscar-winning portrayal of Rayon, a transgender character with AIDS, in the 2013 film, The Dallas Buyers Club.
Similarly to Redmayne, Leto said in 2018 that he would “probably pass” if offered the transgender role today.
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