Fantastic Beasts star Eddie Redmayne has reflected on his role in The Danish Girl, sharing that his decision to portray a transgender woman was "a mistake".
In the 2015 movie, Redmayne played trans pioneer Lili Elbe, a painter from the 1920s who is believed to be one of the first people to have had gender confirmation surgery.
At the time, Redmayne defended his casting to The Guardian, explaining that he wanted to help "clarify the difference between sexuality and gender" and that he had met with members of the trans community prior to filming.
What to Read Next
Now, however, Eddie has admitted that he "wouldn't take" on the role if asked again.
In an interview with The Times, the Oscar-winning actor explained: "No, I wouldn't take it on now. I made that film with the best intentions, but I think it was a mistake."
Adding that there is still work to be done in creating a more inclusive and representative industry, Eddie said "there must be a levelling".
"The bigger discussion about the frustrations around casting is because many people don't have a chair at the table," he continued. "There must be a levelling, otherwise we are going to carry on having these debates."
Eddie's comments about his role in The Danish Girl pre-empt his performance as the Emcee in an upcoming production of Cabaret.
Related: Fantastic Beasts star Eddie Redmayne criticises JK Rowling's trans comments
Acknowledging that Emcee is often played by LGBTQ+ actors, Redmayne said: "Of all the characters I've ever read, this one defies pigeonholing.
"I would ask people to come and see it before casting judgment."
As well as his upcoming work on Cabaret, Eddie has recently finished filming for the third instalment in the Fantastic Beasts franchise, The Secrets of Dumbledore.
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore is set for release on April 15, 2022.
