Eddie Redmayne describes trans role as “a mistake”

Eddie Redmayne has described his role in The Danish Girl as “a mistake” and has admitted that he would now turn down the part.

The film – released in 2015 – saw Redmayne portray the first person to undergo gender reassignment surgery and earned him a nomination for Best Actor at the Oscars.

Despite the critical acclaim, the movie drew much criticism from trans activist groups who argued that the role should have been played by a trans actor instead.

“I wouldn’t take it on now,” Redmayne told The Sunday Times. “I made that film with the best intentions, but I think it was a mistake.”

He added: “The bigger discussion about the frustrations around casting is because many people don’t have a chair at the table. There must be a levelling, otherwise we are going to carry on having these debates.”

Redmayne can currently be seen in a new production of Cabaret at the Playhouse Theatre in London.