A recent article published by Forbes discovered that in 2014, there were 4,610 speaking characters in the top 100 grossing films of that year. Of those 4,610, only 19 belonged to characters that were lesbian, gay, or bisexual. Not a single transgender character was portrayed. Despite the fact that nearly two million Americans identify as transgender, Hollywood has chosen to ignore these demographics and instead opt to reflect a reality in which only 0.4% of their characters are somewhere on that spectrum.
Filmmaker Tom Hooper (Les Miserables, The King’s Speech) has said: “Access for trans actors to both trans and cisgender roles is utterly key. In the industry at the moment there is a problem: there is a huge pool of talent of trans actors, and access to parts is limited.” Ah! Here is a man that sees the issue as it is and takes steps to solve it, right? Well, as it happens, Hooper has done no such thing.
In late November, his newest film The Danish Girl will hit theaters and probably garner much attention come awards season. The film depicts Lili Elbe, a Danish artist who became one of the first people in the world to undergo sexual reassignment surgery in 1930. So, who plays Lili? One of the great transgender actresses that Hollywood continually skips over, right? Michelle Hendly? Candis Cayne?
The role went to Eddie Redmayne who is, if you don’t know, a cisgender male. While I’m sure that the casting had nothing to do with the fact that Redmayne recently won an Oscar for his role in The Theory of Everything, it seems problematic that Hooper would ignore his own words and opt for a popular, skinny, white dude. Redmayne had this to say: “There’s also a great history of cisgender, cis people sort of gaining on the back of trans stories, and I absolutely understand that that is not cool.”
Yeah Eddie. Not cool.
Heteronormativity in Hollywood is a pandemic. Why do filmmakers think that in order to tell a good story that their protagonist and casting choices must focus on straight males? Hooper even pointed out that there is a large pool of talented trans actors going without work, so why contribute to that? Unfortunately, I have no answer. It would seem that Hooper isn’t in this for the prospect of proper representation, but for the awards that this Oscar-bait of a movie will surely harvest.
One important caveat to the director: there’s a very easy way, Mister Hooper, to ensure that trans actors get the proper spotlight and representation that you seem to be able to acknowledge yet go without treating; cast them in your movies. To quote the prophet Cher, “If you really want something you can figure out how to make it happen.”
It seems to be a brand of common sense to simply think, “Hey! This historical person that I’m making a film about ought to played by someone who is the same sex/gender/race.” Those of you who had the pleasure of witnessing Laverne Cox speak at Ball State back in February may recall one of the more poignant and quotable things she said: “I’ve come to understand that when a transwoman is called a man that is an act of violence.” You wouldn’t misgender someone in real life, so why would you misgender someone in a depiction of that person’s life?
This “pool of talent[ed] trans actors” would have no trouble if their roles weren’t being snatched up by cisgendered males all the time.
Jos Truitt, executive director of development at Feministing (an online network) examined the controversy that films like The Danish Girl generate and said: “when actors like Redmayne and Jared Leto (who, if you recall, won an Academy Award for his portrayal of a transgender woman in Dallas Buyers Club) play these roles, it perpetuates “the stereotype that trans women are just men in drag.”
Hooper’s attempt at Lili Elbe’s story, The Danish Girl, will be out on November 27. You could go see it, sure. Or, you could go see a movie with an actual trans actor, if they ever make one.
