Oscar winner Eddie Redmayne to play transsexual and a train

EDDIE Redmayne was judged the year’s best actor at the Oscars but can he pull off his two new roles? The first as a train and then as a transsexual woman.

Winner for Best Actor Eddie Redmayne holds his trophy at the Governor's Ball following the 87th Oscars February 22, 2015 iin Hollywood, California. AFP PHOTO / VALERIE MACON

EDDIE Redmayne has lined up two very different roles post his Oscar win. The first in Thomas the Tank Engine and then as a transgender woman.

Clearly revelling in his last biopic where he played Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything, Redmayne has signed on to play Danish painter born Einar Wegener, who with the support of his wife became one of the first people to undergo sexual reassignment surgery in the 1930s.

Early adopter ... Einar Mogens Wegener (left), was born in 1882 and went on to become one of the first transgender women, called Lili Elbe (right).

Directed by Oscar winning director Tom Hooper (The King’s Speech), the film will focus on how Wegener risked it all to live the life she felt she needed to. It will explore the love story between Weneger and ‘wife’ Gerda Gottlieb, who pretended to be her sister after she transitioned but the pair remained in love until their deaths.

You almost think if Redmayne nails the role he could be back on the Oscars stage next year.

Eddie Redmayne as Stephen Hawking in a scene from The Theory of Everything.

Nicole Kidman was attached to the project at one point but her involvement now is unclear.

Redmaybe has also voice a steam engine called Ryan in the latest Thomas the Tank Engine film.

The hourlong film will be released later this year and is billed as “an epic story of friendship, betrayal and, ultimately, loyalty where Thomas is at the centre of the action”.

Eddie Redmayne voices one of the trains in the new Thomas the Tank Engine film.