Eddie Redmayne starts his Oscar Campaign
Thursday, August 13, 2015 at 9:00AM Here's Murtada on the first major magazine cover of the 2015 Awards Season.
Our current best actor winner is ready for his second straight nomination. Eddie Redmayne is starting his Oscar campaign for Tom Hooper’s The Danish Girl more than 3 months before the movie’s release. This week he covers OUT magazine’s fall preview issue with a lengthy interview that touches on everything from where he keeps his Oscar, to his privileged upbringing, to playing transgender artist Lili Elbe.
Perhaps what people are most curious about is how he handles the potential minefield of his casting as a transgender woman. Elbe, who had sexual reassignment surgery in 1930s, was one of the first known transgender people to transition and a movie about her life has been in the making for more than a decade.
Redmayne and his handlers are obviously trying to get ahead of any potential controversy. Hence the careful choice of the publication to which he gives his first interview about the film, and the inclusion in the article of advocates from the trans community like Paris Lees and Lana Wachowski. Lees is quoted and says about Redmayne's casting “Politically, it makes me groan. But if anybody’s going to do this justice, then I’m happy it’s Eddie. We had a good chat about everything”.
The interview is a good read and he handles some of the thornier issues with deft and careful thought. He comes through as humble while acknowledging his luck and privilege. He recognizes how divisive his portrayal of Elbe might become.
”People were so kind and generous with their experience, but also so open. Virtually all of the trans men and women I met would say ‘Ask me anything.’ They know that need for cisgender people to be educated. I felt like, I’m being given this extraordinary experience of being able to play this woman, but with that comes this responsibility of not only educating myself but hopefully using that to educate [an audience]. Gosh, it’s delicate. And complicated.”
As for the movie itself, the verdict will be out soon. It plays at both the Venice and Toronto film festivals in early September. Venice comes first and that will be our first indication whether or not that nomination is happening as we’ve seen many an Oscar campaign start at the Biennale.
In the last 10 years, 8 men and 3 women have won the Volpi Cup for English language performances, a big percentage. Of those performances David Strathairn (Good Night and Good Luck), Cate Blanchett (I’m Not There), Colin Firth (A Single Man), Philip Seymour Hoffman and Joaquin Phoenix (who won jointly for The Master) went on to land Oscar nominations. Michael Fassbender (Shame) came close but ultimately missed. However the only winner this decade at Venice who went on to win an Oscar is Helen Mirren (The Queen).
Are you looking forward to The Danish Girl? Do you think Redmayne is a good choice to play Elbe?
Reader Comments (28)
Yes and Yes. I love the guy.
I'm hopeful for this film and for Eddie's performance.
I'm a tutor at a drama school in London. One of my colleagues has recently started a course for Trans performers. This weekend, Eddie went along to one of their sessions and spent the afternoon with them. There was no fanfare and no press were informed, and it was all within Eddies time, with no fee. Eddie was totally engaged with the group and generally, great. Go Eddie.
I'd say he's handling it with much more grace and sensitivity than Jared Leto did, and since that didn't damage his Oscar campaign, I think Redmayne should be fine.
I think he will approach the role with intelligence and subtlety. The hallmark for playing transgender was Vanessa Redgrave in "Second Serve". If you haven't seen it, do. Her entire body transforms in the most delicate ways.
I'll still sit on my throne of pettiness and continue to be upset that Nicole couldn't get this off the ground.
I love this guy's thirst for Oscar because it's rare and refreshing. The possibility of us avoiding both Hooper and Redmayne with this project and instead having Kidman play Lili will always be in my mind. Redmayne would be a easy win had he not already won no matter the quality of the film.
I don't find him one bit humble and his connections have totally helped him,I am also biast as I was looking forward to the Kidman/Theron/Paltrow or whoever was cast with Nic film,I am intrigued and am willing to see him differently,I personally did not think his Oscar performance was good just gr8 mimicry but all the best wishes to him.
Fassbender "came close" to an Oscar nomination? Are they giving out that kind of information now? Without confirmation from the accounting firm, one either gets a nomination or not. He may not have even been in the running, for all we know.
Wow vladdy that's what you take issue with? Fassbender was nominated for a BAFTA and Golden Globe that year and he received several critics awards including LA Film Critics. By all measures he was close to a nomination and one of the top contenders to get one that year.
I have not seen The Theory of Everything, nnr do I intend to. He may have been terrific. But this Oscar win rankles me. And if he wins again, even if it's deserved, that will not sit well either--he already has one.
Yes, definitely looking forward to this. Not sure he was the right choice politically (but maybe that's not for me to decide anyway?) but I bet the performance will still be good.
Not by all measures, Rami, by some only. The only one that actually matters we have no data for. We only know he was in the conversation. The Academy membership doesn't overlap with critics' groups or the Golden Globes, and the BAFTAs are easier to crash if you're Irish and making British films. But for all we know, only four Brits put him on their Oscar ballot that year. I like Murtada and this website a lot, but I still feel like language should be used properly by those who write for a living.
vladdy, vladdy, vladdy.
this is not a statistics website. these are thoughts, opinions, ideas, and emotions. i for one, happen to agree: fassbender came close to a nomination. shall we draw swords? or, move on to the topic at hand: REDMAYNE!
I have only seen him in Savage Grace and he was dreadful in that. Also, campaigning for oscar this far in advance is kinda distasteful.
Anonny - Who's to say this was him campaigning for an Oscar (I mean IT IS, but...). It could've just as easily been Out Magazine approaching them for this piece since trans issues are hot topics right now and they never pass up a chance to feature a hot guy on their cover. As it is, this article might be more beneficial for the "Redmayne for Best Actor" campaign a little closer to the film's release and/or end of the year.
Like everyone, I wish Nicole had done this. But I'm super excited to see Redmayne's take. I do love how this article is almost like the anti-Miles Teller article on Esquire.
I, for one do not wish Nicole had done this movie... I think she has been quite poor in her last number ( vast ) of roles ..
IMO Redmayne deserved the Oscar this year and if he does an excellent job this year... there is no reason for him not to win again...
Hanks won for a very deserving role and then he won again for the freakin' Gump mess....
After a year of constantly talking about ALS, it feels kinda fake that suddenly he'll talk non-stop abut trans issues.
One bad weekend at the box office, I guess the summer movie blockbuster season is over so why not jump immediately into Oscar season talk???
(That isn't a knock at you Nathaniel, more of why is Eddie Redmayne's team already doing this to us)
On the other hand, today's NYT write-up of Sam Elliott is the kind of thing I would like to see more. A supporting player in a small film that might otherwise not get talked about. It's a great article and makes me wish I had seen the Danner movie in the theater.
"After a year of constantly talking about ALS, it feels kinda fake that suddenly he'll talk non-stop abut trans issues."
I mean, this is an actor's life, no? They do research and get involved to better inhabit the lives they're acting out? So would we side eye Julianne Moore now if she suddenly starts talking about gay rights rather than Alzheimer's support? I mean come on. At least in this way these celebs ARE using their clout to spotlight worthy causes. Does it matter that it might be part of the "Oscar game?"
@Ryan T. - right on. Can you imagine if this movie was coming out and Eddie was all "no, no, I don't want to talk about trans people"?
Take RedCarpet out to the landfill, pleeese. SO over him already!
XYZ - Redcarpet? that's the funniest name ever! Good job....
Eddie is no Meryl.
Maybe this isn't just OSCAR campaigning, but campaigning in general. Sometimes people forget that the Oscar trail is all part of the marketing of a movie. They want the film out there in the public discussion as well as winning awards. Let's not be so cynical that everything is done for Oscar.
Do we know what percentage of the film has him pre and post transition? Much like Stonewall, we don't know the specifics yet, so hopefully we can wait and see because that will also help in the "why didn't they cast a trans actor" thing.
Kidman > Redmayne. Keaton > Redmayne. I'd sooner see My Life with Kidman and Keaton (and boy was that a howler!).
Este actor me ha hecho llorar el alma, aplaudo de pie, ovaciono su actuacion, Desde la Teoria del Todo a Una chica Danesa
BRI LLAN TE !! WONDERFULLLLLLLLLLLLLLL
MI ADMIRACION TOTALLLLLLLLL
desde Argentina