So I of course heard of Eddie Izzard from his standup comedy where he cross dresses and has a whole fabulous routine around cross-dressing. But now that his acting career is taking off, is he really a cross-dresser or was that just part of his stand up comedy career?
– IG
It’s funny, we were just watching “Dress to Kill” last night (my boyfriend had never seen it) and we were wondering the same thing. Is it just a schtick? Because I hate to think that a real transvestite would have picked quite that lip color.
If I am remembering correctly, he is a cross dresser, but it wasn’t ever part of his routine. It was just sort of who he was. I have seen several of his specials and I think the only time he really references he cross dressing is in circle, and then it is only a passing reference to his shoes.
I think I remember him saying in an interview that it makes him more comfortable to be on stage in front of an audience if he is in women’s clothing, but I could be making that up.
He also has that action transvestite/executive transvestite routine, but in general I agree: if dressing in women’s clothes was just a schtick for his stand-up, he sure didn’t seem to utilize it too much.
He pretty much just wears whatever he wants, no matter if he’s on stage or off.
According to his Fresh Air interview it’s real.
How could I have forgotten that! I guess it has been too long since I have watched one of his specials. My clearest memories are of single lines at this point. That and the Star Wars bit. Love the Star Wars bit.
Oh and the No Flaggy No Country bit. “It’s a rule we just made up, right now.”
Bah, my ex has all my copies of his stuff! ::grumble::
That seems to sum it up, along with the ‘Lesbian Transvestite’ description he applied to himself. Just because a man wants to dress in women’s clothing, it doesn’t necessarily follow that he’ll be in sequined ball gowns and blonde wigs. Or in anything kinky. I’ve seen routines by him where he’s wearing a skirt, but otherwise nothing is particularly ‘womanly’ about his dress, and it doesn’t crop up in what he talks about.
Just to make sure no one thinks wrong of me, I don’t whether he does or doesn’t - I was just curious. Thank folks!
– IG
He seems less crossdresser than glam when I’ve seen him in his get-ups.
Lesbian tomboy, I believe.
Male tomboy, actually. (running, jumping, climbing trees, and putting on make up while you’re up there)
ETA: on checking the transcript he says both male tomboy and male lesbian.
You don’t what? 
There was a relatively brief period where he was well known on the comedy scene before he publically came out as a transvestite.
Hence my old lame line that I saw him live[sup]*[/sup] not merely before he was famous, but before he was a cross-dresser. Though I agree that the latter is incidental to his later routines and success.
[sub]* - Edinburgh 1991, the year he was nominated for the Perrier but didn’t win. Shitty mid-afternoon slot, in which he bombed badly on the day I saw him, as he acknowledged to the crowd as he did so. The Grand National/Great Escape bit was really the only thing in the routine he got to work that day.[/sub]
Nobody’s linked to his website yet, so I will: www.eddieizzard.com
It has a pretty decent biography of the man.
When I think of Eddie’s choice in dress and style, I can’t help but think of one of my favorite English band’s stylee. It’s London androgyny and the alternative scene that might motivate it. May I present, Placebo.
please do! imho, best band EVER
But I don’t think it’s a fashion thing with Izzard, just a way of life he feels more comfortable living.
(And you have to go back a good few years to see placebo’s androgynous fashion. I went to see them last december, and I was amazed to see Brian playing in trousers. 
)
When you think about it, there’s no logical reason why men shouldn’t be able to dress themselves up in the same manner as women, certainly the opposite is considered widely acceptable, but for some reason it’s got a stigma attached to it.
I don’ think he desires women’s clothing so much as likes the fashions that women get to wear.
He doesn’t [crossdress] whether [Eddie Izzard] does or doesn’t ??