10 Things You Didn't Know About Eddie Redmayne
4. He Was Personally Praised By Stephen Hawking
Arguably Redmayne's greatest role is in 2014's The Theory Of Everything, a film about the relationship between the famous physicist Stephen Hawking and his wife. In it, Redmayne assumes the role of Hawking, who developed a rare, early-onset form of ALS (motor neurone disease) at the age of twenty-one.
Redmayne's performance as Hawking is nuanced, sensitive and deeply empathetic, receiving extreme critical acclaim and multiple accolades, including the Academy Award, BAFTA, Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actor.
Hawking himself was deeply moved by the portrayal, emailing the film's director James Marsh and claiming that there were certain points throughout the movie during which he thought he was watching himself.