By any standards, Eddie Izzard is a legend, be it in comedy, acting or being outspoken as a transgender artist. Izzard brings her REMIX tour Live event to Sandy Springs October 25 and 26.
The tour started in October and lasts through November, pausing for what Izzard calls “a little election you’ve got coming up.” The tour makes a return to Atlanta for Izzard, who starred as “Big Bad” Wolfe in the 2015–2016 television series “Powers,” which was filmed locally. Being in the U.K. with no definitive idea about Atlanta, she was impressed by the area and its “groovy people.”
Izzard was seven when she decided she wanted to act. Her mother had passed away a few years before and after seeing a play, Izzard knew she needed that audience reaction and affection. She tried serious acting and was not getting roles, then discovered Monty Python and realized it could be possible to specialize in comedy. By 16, she definitely knew she could do that for a living, and after decades in the industry, she can now turn from the likes of Shakespeare to surreal comedy, which she calls completely different.
“I look at the dramatic work and the comedic work as day jobs,” she toldGeorgia Voice. “I have two day jobs, and you are not supposed to have two day jobs. Film and dramatic work is my first love, but it is great doing comedy.”
A one-person run of “Hamlet,” which debuted in September 2023, made its way to New York earlier this year and was a career highlight. In all, Izzard gave her own spin to 23 roles.
“In my stand-up, quite often I play two or three characters who are talking to each other and I realized I could do it dramatically,” she said. “‘Great Expectations’ was the first one we did, which got a great reaction, and I wanted to do ‘Hamlet’ in a similar style. I am going to be doing it across the world in 2025 — Australia, New Zealand, anywhere I can take it. It’s very hard to do and draining with all these characters, but I do love doing it.”
Back in 1985, Izzard came out as transgender. It wasn’t easy.
“I knew it wasn’t [going to be] a walk in the park,” she said. “But mentally I thought I was in a good place to do it, and I thought if people are aggressive in the streets or shout at me, I’ll stand up for myself and push and fight for myself, so that is what I did from 1985 on. Even though people say it is noisy and there are a lot of arguments now, when I came out there were no arguments. Even though it is noisy, it is a lot better than it was. The right-wing talks about culture wars, but there is no war going on, it’s not invading frontiers. The right-wing wants to spin; they deal in fear. We carry on, soldier on. Some transphobic people hate that I exist, but trans people exist, gay and lesbian people exist. It is our time to go through it, and we’ll keep pushing.”
Izzard has been an icon and trailblazer, but is modest about her accomplishments.
“I was being very selfish,” she said. “I was trying to help myself because you have to help yourself to get to a good place, a place where you feel okay. I thought [it would be great] if anyone else could see what I was doing and say ‘I am kind of like that.’ I don’t want to take too much praise, though, because I am standing on the shoulders of giants who came before me who did great work.”
Politics is very important to the performer. In August of last year, she began a campaign for Parliament, but was not chosen. When Izzard was 18, she thought she should enter politics, but realized she loved creating things more. Her political passion has remained, however.
“I am a determined bastard, and I think I have a positive vision,” Izzard said. “My vision for the world is that everyone has the right to a fair chance in life.”
Unsurprisingly, she is not a fan of Donald Trump.
“I think it’s the dying throes of the extreme right,” she said. “Trump gives permission to people to behave in a way that they did in the 1950s or 1930s. He harkens back to a Nazi past. He is not that bright and doesn’t seem that intelligent, and he has no shame; he lies with every breath. If he actually said something truthful, I think it would be a shock to the world. He is fake, and he is not really part of humanity. I encourage people to follow Taylor Swift’s advice. People don’t listen to my advice, but they listen to hers.”
Eddie Izzard’s REMIX tour Live runs October 25 and 26 at the Byers Theatre at Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center. Purchase tickets here.
