Originally published September 6, 2015. Updated November 29, 2022.
Tom Hooper, director of Oscar hopeful The Danish Girl, has spoken about roles for transgender actors after his film’s world premiere at the Venice Film Festival.
SEE ALSO: First trailer for The Danish Girl starring Eddie Redmayne and Alicia Vikander
According to Variety, the director was asked at a press conference why he chose not to cast a transgender actor for the central role in the film.
“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,” Hooper said.
“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.”
Hooper went on to describe why he chose to cast Eddie Redmayne as gender reassignment pioneer Lili Elbe.
He said: “In terms of the casting of Eddie, I’m going to say something that would be easier to say if Eddie weren’t sitting next to me, but I think there is something in Eddie that’s drawn to the feminine.”
SEE ALSO: The Martian, Demolition and The Danish Girl head 2015 Toronto International Film Festival lineup
The Danish Girl will open in November in the US and on New Year’s Day in the UK, with a cast that also includes Alicia Vikander (The Man From U.N.C.L.E.), Matthias Schoenaerts (Far From Madding Crowd), Ben Whishaw (Spectre), Amber Heard (Magic Mike XXL) and Sebastian Koch (Homeland).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PL18yMRIfoszEaHYNDTy5C-cH9Oa2gN5ng&v=qvTY7eXXIMg
