Matrix director Lana Wachowski helped Eddie Redmayne prep for trans Danish Girl role

http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2015/11/23/matrix-director-lana-wachowski-helped-eddie-redmayne-prep-for-trans-danish-girl-role/

Pink News/Nick Duffy   11/23/2015

"Eddie Redmayne has credited Matrix co-director Lana Wachowski with helping him prepare for his role as a trans woman.
The actor plays pioneering trans woman Lili Elbe in upcoming film The Danish Girl – which charts the artist's realisation that she is female.
Speaking to Cinema Blend, Redmayne admitted he was "pretty ignorant" of trans issues before the role."

Imagine that he was hanging out with some famous black guy to get ready for his black face role.

Could have got a trans actor, then you wouldn't have to hear something silly like that.

Quote from: Elsa Delyth on November 23, 2015, 03:56:04 PM
Could have got a trans actor, then you wouldn't have to hear something silly like that.

This is a big budget movie looking for Oscars, so they need an 'A' list actor or actress to be taken seriously.  The people financing this film have a lot at stake, so playing it safe is what's happening here. When an eight figure movie flops because of a substandard performance, heads roll in Hollywood.

Other than Laverne Cox, can you name a trans actress that will put asses in seats?  Eddie Redmayne is an amazing actor with a proven track record (read:Oscar winner) that, after makeup, makes him look convincingly female.

In the first part of the movie, it is pre-transition, so you do need someone who looks like a guy.  Again, you could have a trans actress here, but how many of you ladies could be made up like a guy for weeks on end without dysphoria going into overdrive?  Hell, even Laverne Cox had her brother play her OITNB character before she transitioned.

Again, to be blunt, there are not enough trans actresses that can actually act.  If you are outraged by The Danish Girl having a cis male actor in the lead role, perhaps you can help by joining your local theater group and studying the craft.

I just want to see a good movie. 

I was just reading that the director of the film, Tom Hooper, lamented the serious lack of "transgender talent" available.

Something being what sells, and "puts butts in seats", or appeals to the most people hardly justifies it as good, right. No, I'm not aware of many trans actors, but this could be not because they don't exist, but because it's too risky, or controversial to cast them, when they may not put butts in seats.

They use the same justification for why they don't cast other minority actors in leads, because they just aren't any good ones, or don't think that people will be as likely to watch it.

I've no interest in it.

many transgender actors cant afford to be in big films, to be eligible for them you have to be a member of the screen actors guild and entry is not free that alone hurts things. It is a shame that more trans characters cant be played by transgender actors but its a difficult field to get into and to make matters worse most trans actors would rarely if ever get cast in non trans roles making there acting options limited

I truly hope that as the general public comes to understand transgender people and accept our lives things like this will become more and more rare, but until then I just hope our representation in media can improve to the point where young transgender kids wont grow up with the whole world telling them that there only role in life is as a joke/pervert/killer/monster to be laughted at and tormented.

Serena

Quote from: Elsa Delyth on November 23, 2015, 07:29:19 PM
Something being what sells, and "puts butts in seats", or appeals to the most people hardly justifies it as good, right. No, I'm not aware of many trans actors, but this could be not because they don't exist, but because it's too risky, or controversial to cast them, when they may not put butts in seats.

They use the same justification for why they don't cast other minority actors in leads, because they just aren't any good ones, or don't think that people will be as likely to watch it.

I've no interest in it.

That's fair enough, but I would suggest that having a higher profile film that's sympathetic to trans people that more people will see will do us more good than a smaller less successful indie film.

Also, the role requires someone who starts out as a man. That would be quite a hard sell for a lot of trans actresses. And, our own Rebecca Root has a small part in the film as a cis gender character I believe. I do worry that having actors play only parts that are identical to who they are in real life is a dangerous road to start going down. I'm also a bit uncomfortable with the whole black face analogy, for reasons I can't quite figure out.

Quote from: Squircle on November 24, 2015, 04:08:06 AM
That's fair enough, but I would suggest that having a higher profile film that's sympathetic to trans people that more people will see will do us more good than a smaller less successful indie film.

Also, the role requires someone who starts out as a man. That would be quite a hard sell for a lot of trans actresses. And, our own Rebecca Root has a small part in the film as a cis gender character I believe. I do worry that having actors play only parts that are identical to who they are in real life is a dangerous road to start going down. I'm also a bit uncomfortable with the whole black face analogy, for reasons I can't quite figure out.

It doesn't have to be a smaller indie film, they could just cast a trans person in a bigger movie. That's the point. I think that giving trans people more work, rather than empty support is better. The reason that it's a good analogy to black-face, is because it's about an oppressed minority, either being caricatured, or shunned in place of hetero white people. Surely a positive portray of a black person by a white actor is better than a negative one, but neither are appropriate.

Why is it that the transwoman ought to be played by a man in the first place? Why is it a hard sell for a woman to play a man, but won't be for this male actor to play a transwoman? I don't see why it would be any less of a sell for a ciswoman to play the part, and play a man in the early parts, and a woman in the later, than for the man to play the man in the earlier parts, and a woman in the later. Seems like a product of prejudice to take it as a given that a cisman is better suited to portray a transwoman than a ciswoman is. It ought to be a hard sell, for the woman to play the man, isn't that the whole deal?

I don't think that everyone should have to play the identical parts to who they are in real life, I just think that actual real trans actors need work, and are not represented in film, or television, and are shunned generally.

I don't think that movies, particularly ones that don't want to be risky when they cost so much money, don't do anything beyond reflect general dispositions, and sentiments towards demographics and people. They reflect what they think people think about that sort of thing, or person at the time. How positive of a portrayal it is will merely reflect common perception, and not be the cause of it.

Not like it's a huge deal, just sayin'...

I meant it might be a hard sell to get a trans actress on board for that role. Eg having to dress and act like a man. I don't know.

My unease with the use of black face, I can't describe why exactly, but I think they are different. And using that to defend actors not being able to play a range of parts just seems a bit um, I don't know, inappropriate somehow. I guess I just don't see it as being equally offensive for Eddie Redmayne to play a trans character as I would do if he were to black up for a role. That's just my opinion.

And I guess the other point I was making is that this film wouldn't be as big as it is without Eddie Redmayne in it, because that's Hollywood, and names sell films. He's a world famous Oscar winning actor. There aren't any trans actors with the same level of box office draw as him, so without him the film wouldn't have got the funding it did do, or the marketing it has received. Yes it's crappy that there aren't any trans actors of that kind of standing and it needs to be addressed, and hopefully in time it will. Probably the most famous trans actor who would be right for the role of Lili would be Jamie Clayton, who I think is awesome but she wouldn't be a big enough draw for the producers to back right now, unless it was a smaller indie film. As for a cis woman playing the part, I don't see how that addresses the problem at all, it's still a non trans person in a trans role, and whether she could pull it off depends entirely on the individual actor.

As it is the film is getting decent enough reviews and is reportedly hugely sympathetic to trans issues, and it sounds like they've done their homework. It's not ideal but I think this film will help more than hinder. We will get there in time, it's just not going to happen overnight.

It was great and I don't think I've ever cried that much watching a movie

yea, that's why I'm hesitant to see it.

I don't get the must have a trans actress hate for the movie.  Are their any great trans actresses?  I sure don't know of any.  I saw sense 8.  I have seen orange is the new black.  Ok  Oscar winners they are not.

Also, you assume any trans actress wanted the role.  I would never do it.  I would not detransition for a role.  To have the world have those scenes and pics.  To have to look at myself in public on talk shows and hear a male voice I worked to end.  No.

Quote from: Oliviah on November 29, 2015, 10:56:49 PM
I would not detransition for a role.

I sure wouldn't either. But actors (and artists of all stripes) are a different breed. There's almost reverence for those who will suffer for their art.

Quote from: suzifrommd on November 30, 2015, 07:12:26 AM
I sure wouldn't either. But actors (and artists of all stripes) are a different breed. There's almost reverence for those who will suffer for their art.

Some might.  However, I don't know of a single trans actress who might be both willing and good enough.  Also, Why just trans female? 

Would a trans male who detransitioned to play a trans female be ok? 

I don't see what the big deal is, they wouldn't have to detransition... that is kind of extreme, not like this guy that is playing the role is actually transitioning, he's just dressing up.

Would you want the story of your life played by a cisman? Don't you think that at the very least, that a ciswoman should have played the part? Or would dressing up like a man be too traumatic and impossible for her as well?

Quote from: Elsa Delyth on November 30, 2015, 06:37:12 PM
I don't see what the big deal is, they wouldn't have to detransition... that is kind of extreme, not like this guy that is playing the role is actually transitioning, he's just dressing up.

Would you want the story of your life played by a cisman? Don't you think that at the very least, that a ciswoman should have played the part? Or would dressing up like a man be too traumatic and impossible for her as well?

What I mean by detransition is to go back to a male look and play up my male feartures.  I would then be asked about all that and if that is how I looked.  Prompting comparison to my old look. 

I wouldn't want to.  That isn't to say no one would of course, but it is a lot to ask.  I would only want female roles or post transition transfemale roles.  That is me. 

Felicity Hoffman played a trans woman in a movie once I thought she did a great job.  I saw the trailer for this and thought as far as I can tell he did a great Job.  I honestly couldn't picture any trans actor or actress I am aware of pulling this role off.