Edward John David "Eddie" Redmayne[1][2] (born 6 January 1982)[3] is an English actor, singer and model. He started his professional career as an actor in both theatre and television roles in the early 2000s and then made his film debut in 2006, in Like Minds.
He has since appeared in such prominent films as My Week with Marilyn (2011), Les Misérables (2012), The Theory of Everything (2014), and Jupiter Ascending (2014). Redmayne received universal critical acclaim for his role as Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor, the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor (Motion Picture Drama), the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role and the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role. He has also continued to have several roles in theatre, most notably in the play Red (2010), on Broadway, for which he won the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play.
Early life[edit]
Redmayne was born in London. His mother, Patricia (née Burke), runs a relocation business, and his father, Richard Redmayne, is a businessman.[4][5] His paternal great-grandfather was civil and mining engineer Richard Redmayne.[6] He has an older brother, a younger brother, and an older half-brother[6] and half-sister.[7]
He attended Colet Court[8] then Eton College, where he was in the same year as Prince William, Tom Hiddleston and Ivo Stourton.[9][10] He went on to study history of art at Trinity College, Cambridge, from where he graduated with 2:1 Honours in 2003.[11]
Career[edit]
Redmayne at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival.
Stage[edit]
Redmayne made his professional stage debut for Shakespeare's Globe theatre in Twelfth Night at the Middle Temple Hall in 2002. He won the award for Outstanding Newcomer at the 50th Evening Standard Theatre Awards in 2004, for his performance in Edward Albee's The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia?,[12] and the award for Best Newcomer at the Critics' Circle Theatre Awards in 2005.[13] Later stage credits include Now or Later by Christopher Shinn at the Royal Court Theatre. The show ran from 3 September to 1 November 2008.[14]
In 2009, Redmayne appeared in John Logan's new play Red at the Donmar Warehouse in London,[15] for which he won the 2010 Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. He reprised his role in Red at the John Golden Theatre on Broadway, in a 15-week run from 11 March to 27 June 2010,[16] and won the 2010 Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play. He portrayed King Richard II in Richard II directed by Michael Grandage, at Donmar Warehouse from 6 December 2011 to 4 February 2012.[17]
Film[edit]
Redmayne has appeared in films such as The Good Shepherd, Powder Blue, Savage Grace, The Other Boleyn Girl, Hick, Glorious 39, and Jupiter Ascending. He starred as Osmund in Christopher Smith's supernatural gothic chiller film Black Death.[18] His 2008 Sundance drama film The Yellow Handkerchief was released in 26 February 2010 by Samuel Goldwyn Films.[citation needed]
He starred as filmmaker Colin Clark in the drama film My Week with Marilyn. He took on the role of Marius Pontmercy for the 2012 musical film Les Misérables.[19][20] In 2014, he starred as Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything, a role for which he won the Academy Award, BAFTA, Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actor depicting the debilitating challenges of ALS.
Television[edit]
Redmayne's television credits include the BBC mini-series Tess of the d'Urbervilles, the miniseries The Pillars of the Earth, and the two-part mini-series Birdsong.[21]
Modelling[edit]
Redmayne modelled for Burberry in 2008 with Alex Pettyfer, and in 2012 with Cara Delevingne.[22][23] In the September 2012 issue of Vanity Fair, he was featured on its annual International Best Dressed List.[24] In 2015, he was named number one in GQ's 50 best dressed British men.[25]
Personal life[edit]
Redmayne is married to Hannah Bagshawe, a public relations executive in the finance industry.[26][27] The couple struck up a friendship when Redmayne, whilst studying at Eton, was part of a group of senior boys asked to perform as models for a charity event at the local girls school Bagshawe attended.[26] Redmayne and Bagshawe married on 15 December 2014.[27]
Filmography[edit]
Year Title Role
2006 Like Minds Alex Forbes
2006 The Good Shepherd Edward Wilson Jr.
2007 Savage Grace Antony Baekeland
2007 Elizabeth: The Golden Age Anthony Babington
2008 The Yellow Handkerchief Gordy
2008 The Other Boleyn Girl William Stafford
2009 Powder Blue Qwerty Doolittle
2009 Glorious 39 Ralph Keyes
2010 Black Death Osmund
2011 Hick Eddie Kreezer
2011 My Week with Marilyn Colin Clark
2012 Les Misérables Marius Pontmercy
2014 The Theory of Everything Stephen Hawking
2015 Jupiter Ascending Balem Abrasax
Year Title Role Notes
1998 Animal Ark John Hardy Episode: "Bunnies in the Bathroom"
2003 Doctors Rob Huntley Episode: "Crescendo"
2005 Elizabeth I The Earl of Southampton Episode: "Southampton"
2008 Tess of the d'Urbervilles Angel Clare 4 episodes
2010 The Pillars of the Earth Jack Jackson 8 episodes
2012 Birdsong Stephen Wraysford 4 episodes
1992–1993 Oliver! Factory Boy #46 West End
2002 Twelfth Night Viola Shakespeare's Globe
400th anniversary production
2003 "Master Harold"...and the Boys Master Harold Everyman Theatre
2004 The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia? Billy Almeida Theatre
2004 Hecuba Polydorus Donmar Warehouse
2007 Now or Later John Jr. Royal Court Theatre
2009–2010 Red Ken Donmar Warehouse/John Golden Theatre
2011–2012 Richard II King Richard II Donmar Warehouse
Awards and nominations[edit]
Main article: List of awards and nominations received by Eddie Redmayne
See also[edit]