It was revealed in February of 2015, via a publicity still, that Eddie Redmayne has been cast as trans pioneer Lili Elbe in the upcoming 'Working Title' film 'The Danish Girl'. Despite acknowledging how wrong it is to take away a role from trans actors, Eddie justified his casting as a trans woman in a Metro article by stating: 

‘There is an incredibly valid discussion for why a trans actress isn’t playing the part, because there are so many brilliant trans actresses, and I’m sure there are many who could play this part sensationally.

‘But one of the complications is that nowadays you have hormones, and many trans women have taken hormones.

‘But to start this part playing male you’d have to come off the hormones, so that has been a discussion as well. Because back in that period there weren’t hormones.’

I, for one, applaud Eddie Redmayne for 'taking one' for the trans community, and making sure that the trans community is safe by starring in a film about a trans woman, despite being a cisgender male. Obviously a trans actress could not simply continue taking hormones while filming is taking place, as that would be inauthentic. Hollywood has a rich history of actors taking their roles so seriously that they stop taking necessary medications to play their roles, so it's truly awe-inspiring to have a cis-male do this for the trans community. 

But I can't help but feel that Eddie's dedication to the role could be taken even further, to add true authenticity to the role. You see, Lili Elbe was one of the first trans women to receive gender confirmation surgery (commonly Sex reassignment surgery, or SRS) and I feel that to really get into the right mindset, Eddie should also undergo surgery to complete his dedication to the role. If a trans woman cannot play the role due to concerns over health and safety, than oscar award winning actor Eddie Redmayne should do his very best to stay true to the role. 

So please sign this petition to let Eddie Redmayne know how seriously we take his great sacrifice in playing a trans woman, and how dedicated we all are to him doing the best job he can, in his role as trans pioneer Lili Elbe. No doubt Eddie Redmayne will go down in history as the greatest method actor to have ever lived, receiving accolades for his portrayal of a trans woman, while the actual trans community continues to suffer from abuse, harassment, erasure, and death due, in part, to the continued misrepresentation of trans people in the mainstream media.  

With enough signatures, I'd be happy to reach out to Working Title and Eddie Redmayne, in anyway I can, with this request that he be as authentic to the trans experience, and specifically Lili Elbe's narrative, as possible. Considering his reasoning, we feel it's only right to ask this of him.

If Eddie Redmayne declines, perhaps he should ask himself how dedicated he actually is to playing a trans woman, and bow out of the project.