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Tuesday, November 23, 2021
Eddie Redmayne Wouldn't Play Trans "Danish Girl" Role Now
www.themarysue.com: Eddie Redmayne has spoken out many times about his role in The Danish Girl, in which he played a trans woman. Once again, he is expressing his regret about taking the role.
2 comments:
Kaylie C.
said...
I think we keep having this issue of talking about who is “allowed” to play what roles and I think it is the wrong conversation to have. We should not deny that actors are talented and capable of playing all kinds of roles. Their entire job is to portray people with experiences other than their own. The problem is not one of incompetence, but one of inequality in casting. People who are often ignored by casting directors such as people of color, trans individuals, and people with disabilities need to have their roles protected in a way that other roles do not necessarily need. These people are constantly denied roles because it “doesn’t fit the character” so it is particularly upsetting when a role is designed for one of these groups and yet it still goes to a cis white man. Casting directors seriously need to take a look at the characters they are casting for and ask themselves “are any of these characters representative of a group that does not get cast as often?”. If the answer is yes, it is imperative that you cast someone from said group.
I agree with everything Kaylie said on the matter. While Eddie Redmayne may be a phenomenal actor who, although I've never seen the Danish Girl, probably did his best to do the character justice and create depth and understanding for an underrepresented demographic, the issue is casting. Just because someone can play the part and play the part well due to their skill does not mean they should if it would be more impactful, fair, and meaningful for the community being displayed to see someone who actually belongs to their community portraying this figure. It is the idea of punching up and punching down. Giving one more thing to straight white males is frustrating especially when it's a highly visible representation of your community to which they do not belong to. Having that lived experience also adds a quality to the role that someone else may not be able to replicate.
2 comments:
I think we keep having this issue of talking about who is “allowed” to play what roles and I think it is the wrong conversation to have. We should not deny that actors are talented and capable of playing all kinds of roles. Their entire job is to portray people with experiences other than their own. The problem is not one of incompetence, but one of inequality in casting. People who are often ignored by casting directors such as people of color, trans individuals, and people with disabilities need to have their roles protected in a way that other roles do not necessarily need. These people are constantly denied roles because it “doesn’t fit the character” so it is particularly upsetting when a role is designed for one of these groups and yet it still goes to a cis white man. Casting directors seriously need to take a look at the characters they are casting for and ask themselves “are any of these characters representative of a group that does not get cast as often?”. If the answer is yes, it is imperative that you cast someone from said group.
I agree with everything Kaylie said on the matter. While Eddie Redmayne may be a phenomenal actor who, although I've never seen the Danish Girl, probably did his best to do the character justice and create depth and understanding for an underrepresented demographic, the issue is casting. Just because someone can play the part and play the part well due to their skill does not mean they should if it would be more impactful, fair, and meaningful for the community being displayed to see someone who actually belongs to their community portraying this figure. It is the idea of punching up and punching down. Giving one more thing to straight white males is frustrating especially when it's a highly visible representation of your community to which they do not belong to. Having that lived experience also adds a quality to the role that someone else may not be able to replicate.
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