
Nicole teams up: Nicole Kidman is set to play Einar-Lili Wegener - the first transsexual in the world to undergo an operation. Charlize Theron will play her wife in the film called The Danish Girl.

The subject: Einar Wegener (left) underwent sex-change surgery in 1930. This was a result of years of modeling as a woman named Lili. After the surgery she adopted the name Lili Elbe permanently.

Object of her affection: Lili discovered her feminine side when she modeled for artist Gerda Gottlieb. She remained the subject of Gerda's paintings for years. The two married in 1904, even though the marriage was discredited by the King of Denmark.

Hillary triumphs: As Nicole gets ready for the most challenging role of her life, here's a look at some of the best films with trans-gendered and transsexual characters. Hillary Swank won an Academy Award for her role in the film Boys Don't Cry.

Felici-tated: Desperate Housewives star Felicity Huffman played the lead role in the film Transamerica, which was based on the life of a woman stuck inside a man's body.

Doggedly: The Al Pacino starrer Dog Day Afternoon had Chris Sarandon playing Leon - a pre-operative transsexual, who was Sonny's (Pacino) lover.

Great power: In the film Kiss of the Spider Woman, William Hurt played the transsexual character Luis.

Irish trouble: Breakfast on Pluto stared Cillian Murphy as a male to female transsexual before the sex-change operation.

Irony calling: Beautiful Boxer was a film about Thai transsexual kick-boxing champion, Parinya Charoenphol - a man before the sex-change operation, who enters this male sport to fund his surgery.

Games we play: Oscar nominated actor Jaye Davidson played Dil in the film The Crying Game.

The man himself: Tim Burton teamed up with Johnny Depp to portray the legendary transsexual film director in the film named after him - Ed Wood.

The other way around: In a film named Better Than Chocolate, a character called Judy is a woman in a man's body.

Adventures ahoy: In the Australian cult film The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, Terence Stamp played a transgendered woman.