Eddie Redmayne was not a nobody before 2014 by any stretch of the imagination. Fans of frothy historical fiction will remember him as the enigmatic Jack from 2010's Pillars of the Earth, and he showcased an impressive set of pipes when he played Marius in the star-studded film adaptation of Les Miserables. But in terms of mainstream critical success as a leading man on the big screen, 2014 is his year. Because this is the year when he put in an emotionally resonant, physically demanding performance as Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything, a role looking increasingly likely to earn him his first Academy Award nomination. Within the next few months, he's going to go from one of Hollywood's best kept secrets to one of its biggest stars. So far, he has two projects lined up for next year (The Danish Girl and Jupiter Ascending), but as the offers inevitably begin to roll in for him, that number is bound to skyrocket.
Audrey Fox is an ex-film student, which means that she prefers to spend her days in the dark, watching movies and pondering the director's use of diegetic sound. She currently works as an entertainment writer, joyfully rambling about all things film and television related. Add her on Twitter at @audonamission and check out her film blog at 1001moviesandbeyond.com.
