Alicia Vikander has shared her thoughts on The Danish Girl and its controversial legacy.
In 2015, the Tomb Raider actor starred in the film opposite Eddie Redmayne, who portrayed trans painter Lili Elbe.
Directed by Tom Hopper, The Danish Girl follows the life of Elbe and her journey as one of the first trans individuals to receive gender reassignment surgery.
Following its release, the movie received generally positive reviews from critics. Redmayne also earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor, with Vikander taking home the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.
While The Danish Girl was a moderate success with movie critics, it was panned by members of the trans community and LGBTQIA+ activists, who called out the film’s inaccurate story and for casting a cisgender man to play Elbe.
In a new interview with British Vogue, Vikander reflected on the film and whether it has stood the test of time.
“I’m the first one to say it already feels extremely dated, which I think is a good thing,” she revealed. “At that time, it was a pivot in something that made [the subject of transgender lives] at least discussed.”
While Vikander admitted that The Danish Girl doesn’t hold up 10 years after its release, she expressed her hope that it was “a bit of an eye-opener and opened the way for art to cover those themes.”
The Ex Machina star isn’t the only cast member from the film to share a similar opinion.
Over the past few years, Redmayne has expressed regret over taking on the role of Elbe on numerous occasions.
In a 2021 interview with The Times, The Good Nurse star admitted that taking the role was a “mistake.”
“I wouldn’t take on [the part] now. I made that film with the best intentions, but I think it was a mistake,” he said.
Two years later, Redmayne revealed to The Guardian that he attended a workshop led by trans actors after the backlash.
“A few years ago, I did a workshop with trans actors at the Central School of Speech and Drama. A lot of them were quite rightly interrogating me about my choice to do The Danish Girl,” he said.
“[They pointed] out that many trans actors don’t go to drama school because they don’t see it as an opportunity. Unless there are parts that you think are possible for you to play, why would you?”
Towards the end of his interview, Redmayne said he wouldn’t take on “certain parts” until openly LGBTQ+ actors get “a seat at the table.”
“I believe everyone wants to be able to play everything. That’s what we dream of as actors and should do,” he continued.
“No one wants to be limited by their gender or sexuality, but, historically, these communities haven’t had a seat at the table. Until there’s a levelling, there are certain parts I wouldn’t play.”
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