Right now, one of the ongoing conversations in Hollywood is about who should be cast to play what. It's a hard conversation, and there are no actual decisions. Mostly, the move is to make sure people who are usually left out of casting conversations get their time in the spotlight to portray characters that share their experiences.

How can we build a diverse array of talent and stars without lifting up the marginalized? (Feel free to continue that chat in the comments.)


This conversation has reached Eddie Redmayne, who recently told The Sunday Times that if given the chance to change things, he would not star in The Danish Girl if the drama was made today. 

The Danish Girl is inspired by the lives of Danish painters Lili Elbe and Gerda Wegener. Elbe was one of the first known recipients of gender affirmation surgery.

“No, I wouldn’t take it on now, I made that film with the best intentions, but I think it was a mistake," Redmayne said. "The bigger discussion about the frustrations around casting is because many people don’t have a chair at the table. There must be a leveling, otherwise, we are going to carry on having these debates.”

The people he's referring to are the actual trans people who might have been a good choice to be cast in these roles. 

As more and more actors speak out about past roles, it'll be interesting to see who does and who does not embrace these kinds of roles. We'll also need to see the conversation evolve from just platitudes to studios, producers, casting agents, and others making a move to diversify things on their own. 

Let us know what you think in the comments.