Movies / News
Alicia Vikander Regrets Her Best Role: "Extremely Outdated"
Alicia Vikander reflects on her role in The Danish Girl, acknowledging its outdated representation and the importance of inclusivity.
Alicia Vikander has established a number of strong roles. Consider A Royal Affair and Ex Machina, to name just a few. Although The Danish Girl is often seen as her finest work, she feels regret about her participation.
In 2016, the beloved Swedish actress even won an Oscar for her role as Gerda Wegener, the wife of Lili Elbe, one of the first trans women to undergo a gender-affirming operation. While the film received much praise at the time, it has been subject to increasing criticism in recent years.
The reason for this? Many people believe it’s unacceptable that real trans actors are absent from the cast. Vikander herself agrees and comments: "I’m the first to admit that it already feels extremely outdated, and I think that’s a good thing".
"I do think that 'The Danish Girl' served an important purpose in 2015. At that time, it was a turning point because the subject of trans lives was at least discussed. I hope the film opened the door for art to tackle such themes".
Despite the controversy, the role marked a significant breakthrough for Vikander in Hollywood. She took home the coveted golden statue, the only award the film won out of four nominations.
Vikander mentioned that the sudden success came with a downside. "It happened so quickly that I had no time to reflect. It took years before I could understand that moment, especially how a public image of me was created, which I also looked at and thought: 'Who is that?' I had to find a way to come to terms with all that..."
In 2016, the beloved Swedish actress even won an Oscar for her role as Gerda Wegener, the wife of Lili Elbe, one of the first trans women to undergo a gender-affirming operation. While the film received much praise at the time, it has been subject to increasing criticism in recent years.
Understanding
The reason for this? Many people believe it’s unacceptable that real trans actors are absent from the cast. Vikander herself agrees and comments: "I’m the first to admit that it already feels extremely outdated, and I think that’s a good thing".
"I do think that 'The Danish Girl' served an important purpose in 2015. At that time, it was a turning point because the subject of trans lives was at least discussed. I hope the film opened the door for art to tackle such themes".
Change
Despite the controversy, the role marked a significant breakthrough for Vikander in Hollywood. She took home the coveted golden statue, the only award the film won out of four nominations.
Vikander mentioned that the sudden success came with a downside. "It happened so quickly that I had no time to reflect. It took years before I could understand that moment, especially how a public image of me was created, which I also looked at and thought: 'Who is that?' I had to find a way to come to terms with all that..."
