The Danish Girl director reveals that Hollywood has a “problem” with Transgender actors.
The Danish Girl director revealed he was forced to cast Eddie Redmayne because Hollywood would not let him cast a transgender actor.
Tom Hooper, director of the upcoming biopic The Danish Girl, said in an interview with Guardian that the film industry has a “problem” with transgender actors:
“Access for trans actors to both trans and cisgender roles is utterly key. In the industry at the moment there is a problem: there is a huge pool of talent of trans actors, and access to parts is limited. I would champion any shift where the industry embraces trans actors. and celebrates trans film-makers .”
Hooper made the comments without directly addressing the criticism that The Danish Girl has received. The movie centers around the story of Lili Elbe, a transgender painter who worked in 1930s Denmark, and has been criticized for casting Eddie Redmayne as Elbe. Hooper asserted his decision to cast Redmayne:
“There’s something in Eddie that is drawn to the feminine; he’s played women before, most notably Viola in Twelfth Night. In our film, Lili is presented as a man for two-thirds of the movie, and her transition happens quite late on, so that played a part in coming to a decision.”
The director also pointed out that he did cast “40 or 50 trans supporting artists,” but added “I’m sure there’s more to do.”
