Eddie Redmayne to Play First Transgender Woman to Undergo Reassignment Surgery in 'Danish Girl'

Eddie Redmayne has just signed on for The Danish Girl, where he will play the first transgender woman to undergo a gender reassignment surgery back in the 30s.

The role is based off of David Ebershoff‘s book of the same name. Eddie will portray Einar Wegener, a Danish painter who became transgendered and changed her named to Lili Elbe. She had her reassignment surgery in 1931.

“There are many people who have written Ph.D’s on Lili‘s story. Even though it is period and under completely different circumstances than today, I’m meeting many women from the trans community and hearing their experiences,” Eddie said (via E! News). “I have put on dresses and wigs and makeup. I’m beginning to embark on that and trying to find out who she is.”

Tom Hooper, Eddie‘s Les Miserables director, will return to the director’s chair for the film set to begin in January.