Actor Eddie Redmayne is already in another breakthrough role after winning the Academy Award.

A first picture of his role as a transgender in the Tom Hooper directed movie, The Danish Girl, which was released last Friday, according to The Guardian.

The first image shows the actor in red lipstick and flaming red hair.

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Redmayne plays Lili Elbe,a pioneering transgender woman, who was one of the first patients to have received gender reassignment surgery.

Lili Elbe was originally born in Denmark as Einar Mogen Wegener transitioned to become a woman in the 1930s.  

The film is based on a novel written by David Ebershoff and is a fictionalized account on the Danish artist's life, according to the news site Out.

Set in the early 1900s of Denmark and Paris, the film will also focus on Elbe's relationship with fellow artist Gerda Gottlieb.

Prior to Elbe's transition, the two artists married but their union was annulled by the King of Denmark after a legal name change and an official receipt of documentation confirming the gender as female.

Hollywood has set the trend on casting non trans men in transgender roles, this move sparked a debate among different individuals.

Although in movie productions, a transgender consultant is always present but the depiction of transgender woman by straight men with the likes of Jared Leto and Jeffrey Tambor already set the mark high to convince the public that they can be easily played by men too.

Redmayne may soon face the same scrutiny.

"There is an incredibly valid discussion for why a trans actress isn't playing the part, because there are many brilliant trans actresses, I'm sure many can play this part sensationally," says Redmayne, in response to the controversy why the role was not played by an actual transgender woman.

"The issue of hormone therapy was a problem," he further added, emphasizing that in the early 20^th century, hormone therapy was still not yet developed when Elbe transitioned.

TagsAcademy Award Winner, eddie redmayne, Role, transgender