People Are Mad Eddie Redmayne Pinned Trans Progress On ‘The Danish Girl’

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Published

February 16, 2016

Creating a major motion picture about a significant figure in transgender history? Yeah.

Claiming that same film’s emergence is the catalyst of growing mainstream trans acceptance? Nah.

In so many words, that’s the argument being levelled at Eddie Redmayne, following recent comments on the BAFTAs red carpet.

When queried by the BBC ’bout the impact his film The Danish Girl has had, the British actor said it was just dang fantastic such progress had been made since its November release.

Eddie Redmayne: “It’s extraordinary how trans issues have come into the mainstream media since we made Danish Girl” pic.twitter.com/Zsm1vHiMS8

— BBC Ents News Team (@BBCNewsEnts) February 14, 2016

It’s a fraught gig trying to unpack the semantic possibilities of red carpet interviews, but listeners were left with two distinct possibilities:

Redmayne was speaking in generalities and honestly reckons the past four months have been an A++ time for trans issues in the public eye;
He’s claiming the flick is the singular catalyst for that change.

That first option is perhaps a little tonedeaf; the second? Well, for as much shine the issue may have gotten from The Danish Girl, it’s blatantly conceited to assign so much responsibility.

That’s the stance taken by Twitter users, who have been fervently picking apart the actor’s statement online:

@BBCNewsEnts Lucky for all those trans activists working tirelessly on this issue for decades that you decided to make a film then huh

— Landers (@LA_Anders) February 15, 2016

@BBCNewsEnts I forgot that the copies of the Danish girl got sent back in time. Thanks Eddie Redmayne for teaching us how to trans!

— 3lenor 3inhorn (@Elenor_Einhorn) February 15, 2016

@BBCNewsEnts This guy’s so full of bullshit. Now he has saved us or something

— zander (@zanderskyward) February 16, 2016

@ThatSabineGirl After The Theory of Everything, now this, I’m sure he’ll play MLK next and congratulate himself on raising awareness again

— Sam Chapter (@JusAnIdea) February 15, 2016

it’s so amazing how eddie redmayne singlehandedly defeated transphobia

— ellie (@brielarsons) February 16, 2016

Meanhwhile, the first inference has been bandied around as well.

@falsewings @BBCNewsEnts I’m fairly sure it’s the latter.

— Stephen Brown (@xim123) February 15, 2016

Of course, the fact the role was given to the cisgendered Redmayne had drawn ire too, much like Jared Leto’s appearance in Dallas Buyers Club.

For as problematic as his casting may have been – inasmuch as it may have excluded actual trans actors from the role – Redmayne has been open about his support for the cause; in a December interview, he said “I hope that in some ways our film continues the discussion, because us learning to be allies to the trans community is so important.”

He also spent a stack of time trying to make his portrayal as authentic as possible, and has clearly stated how profoundly the role changed his own perception of the issue.

That viewpoint makes the latest red carpet short-sighted / blatantly misattribution seem a hellavalot worse.