Eddie Redmayne: People urgently need to be educated on trans issues

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Eddie Remayne has said the “entire” experience of making the Danish Girl was “one gigantic education”.

The star, who plays Lili Elbe, has been reflecting in interviews on trans issues, and things he learned whilst preparing for the role.

He told POPSUGAR: “One of the things that is actually not in the film is that Lili got the royal blessing of her gender change in order to get a new passport, which was going all the way up to the ranks of the Danish royal family.”

The ‘Theory of Everything’ star also said he is “gagging” to play some comedic roles, but said he thinks he is “deeply unfunny”.

Of ad libbing like stars like Emma Stone do on shows like Saturday Night Live, Redmayne said: “It’s my worst nightmare”, saying it would be “terrifying”.

If he was asked to do Saturday Night Live, he said he would “try and make up some really good excuse as to why I couldn’t do it.”

Playing Elbe, Redmayne said the most difficult scenes were where she was “at her least happy”.

Asked about outreach from the trans community during filming, he said: “I met many people from the community and they could not have been more generous. Every single woman I spoke to — pretty much across the board — would start the conversation by going, ‘There is no question I’m not willing to answer.’

“The need for cisgender people to be educated on trans issues, to be allies to the trans community, feels so urgent. The generosity was kind of overwhelming for me. As an actor, of course, you play parts and you do films, but the bigger thing is life experience, and I feel really privileged in having played Lili and for meeting such brilliant people.”

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