Who Is Lili Elbe? See Eddie Redmayne As Transgender Pioneer In First Photo For ‘The Danish Girl’

Eddie Redmayne is not slowing down. The 33-year-old actor just won an Oscar for best actor for his portrayal of Stephen Hawking in “The Theory of Everything.” It’s been less than a week since he took home the gold statue, but he’s already moved onto his next project – “The Danish Girl.”

A photo was released from the upcoming film, giving Redmayne fans their first look of the actor as Lili Elbe, a transgender pioneer. Redmayne can be seen wearing a curly red wig and full makeup.

“The Danish Girl,” initially a book published by David Ebershoff in 2000, tells the true story of Danish painter Einar Wegener and his wife, Gerda. One day, Gerda asked Einar to wear female clothing to finish a painting after a portrait model canceled. The synopsis teases that, “with that, one of the most passionate and unusual love stories of the twentieth century begins.”

Einar Wegener and Gerda wed in 1904 after meeting at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen. Einar began to experiment with women’s clothing after he modeled for Gerda. His wife encouraged him to embrace his feminine side, which is how he landed the name Lili Elbe.

When Einar was dressed as a woman in public, Gerda would pass off Lili as Einar’s sister. However in 1930 Einar started experimental sex reassignment surgeries, becoming the first person to have the operation. Shortly after, Gerda and Einar’s marriage was annulled because two women could not legally be married at the time. Lili died in 1931 from complications stemming from an ovarian transplant.

“The Danish Girl” is being directed by Tom Hooper, who Eddie Redmayne also worked with in “Les Misérables.” Amber Heard (“The Rum Diary”), Alicia Vikander (“Seventh Son”) and Matthias Schoenaerts (“The Loft”) are also attached to the project.