Did Eddie Redmayne Have Any Doubts About Taking on The Danish Girl?

After his wrenching portrayal of Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything, Oscar winner Eddie Redmayne, 33, gets in touch with his feminine side in The Danish Girl as one of the first known recipients of sex reassignment surgery. Redmayne’s powerful performance, based on the real-life story of how Einar Wegener became Lili Elbe in the 1920s, has already made him a top contender for this year’s Oscar nominations.

What advice did you get from transgender women on playing Lili?

Because the time frame is condensed in the film, it was really about Lili finding herself. Some of the trans women I met spoke about this period in their lives. They described it as “hyper-feminization.” As they were beginning to transition, perhaps they wore too much makeup or dresses that were perhaps a bit too much. They described it as being like a girl’s adolescence.

Did you ever have any doubts about taking on this dual role?

When I read the script, I found it the most passionate love story, a story of identity and authenticity. As I started to research Lili’s life, I thought she was the most extraordinary person. So there wasn’t really any question in my mind.  It felt like a great privilege to get to play the part.

You’ve taken on some very dramatic roles. Do you ever want to play something more frivolous?

I’m doing a film at the moment, J.K. Rowling’s Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, which couldn’t be more different from playing Lili, but definitely has its own challenges. The thing that drives you as an actor is getting lucky enough to be able to choose to play interesting people, whether they’re real or fictional. I’ve been pretty blessed.

Do you have a hobby?

You’ve caught me at a rare moment of down time. I’m sitting in a local café, where I live in south London, doodling, sketching very badly. I’m pretty useless at it, but I love doing that because it takes my mind off things. I enjoy art. I live in a part of London with art galleries and tend to head there and get lost in them.

Lili seems coy and girlish. How did you determine what kind of woman to make her?

Our film is based on the truth about what Lili and Gerda’s life was. After Lili died, a book, Man into Woman, was published, which is meant to be some of her writings, although it was edited by someone else and people don’t know if it’s an entirely reliable source. So you have that sort of history, and you then have The Danish Girl, David Ebershoff’s fictionalized version and then you have the scripted version.

You sang in Les Misérables. Did you ever want to be a rock star?
I don’t think I’m rock star material, really. I find it interesting when you do a play, and you play the same part for several months, you’re always trying to get it right and you go back each night and try again. I always think with musicians, if they’re promoting an album, I think it’s several years of touring around the world with it. I wonder if it must get a wee bit lonely.

Can you tell us anything about Fantastic Beasts, or are you sworn to secrecy? 

You know what? Whenever I hear someone ask about Fantastic Beasts, I feel like there are dudes from Warner Bros. with wands snipering from buildings. All I can say is that J.K. Rowling has written something that is totally fantastical. When I read it, it just made me smile. I had a massive smile across my face as I read it, so I hope we can do it justice.

See the Photo: Eddie Redmayne and Prince William at School Together