Edward John David Redmayne
OBE (; born 6 January 1982) is an English actor.
His accolades include an
Academy Award
The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...
, a
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...
, a
British Academy Film Award, a
Golden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally held every Janua ...
, and two
Olivier Awards.
Redmayne began his professional acting career in West End theatre starring in productions of ''
The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia?'' (2004), for which he gained a nomination for an
Olivier Award, ''
Red'' (2009–2010), which won him that award, and ''
Richard II'' (2011–2012). He made his
Broadway debut in the transfer of ''Red'', earning a
Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play
The Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play is an honor presented at the Tony Awards, a ceremony established in 1947 as the Antoinette Perry Awards for Excellence in Theatre, to actors for quality supporting roles in a Broadway theatre, Broa ...
. He starred as The Emcee in a West End revival of
''Cabaret'' in 2022, earning a
Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical. He returned to Broadway in 2024, acting in a transfer of ''Cabaret'', which earned him a nomination for the
Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical.
His first leading film role came with ''
Like Minds'' (2006), and his breakthrough came with the roles of
Colin Clark in the biopic ''
My Week with Marilyn'' (2011) and
Marius Pontmercy in the musical ''
Les Misérables'' (2012). Redmayne won the
Academy Award for Best Actor
The Academy Award for Best Actor is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It has been awarded since the 1st Academy Awards to an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading ...
for his portrayal of the physicist
Stephen Hawking
Stephen William Hawking (8January 194214March 2018) was an English theoretical physics, theoretical physicist, cosmologist, and author who was director of research at the Centre for Theoretical Cosmology at the University of Cambridge. Between ...
in ''
The Theory of Everything'' (2014). He was nominated in the same category for playing the transgender artist
Lili Elbe in ''
The Danish Girl'' (2015). From 2016 to 2022, he starred as
Newt Scamander in the
''Fantastic Beasts'' film series. He has also portrayed
Tom Hayden in ''
The Trial of the Chicago 7'' (2020),
Charles Cullen in ''
The Good Nurse'' (2022), and
the Jackal in the television series ''
The Day of the Jackal'' (2024).
Early life and education
Edward John David Redmayne was born on 6 January 1982 in
Westminster
Westminster is the main settlement of the City of Westminster in Central London, Central London, England. It extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street and has many famous landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, Buckingham Palace, ...
,
London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
.
His mother, Patricia (''née'' Burke), runs a
relocation business, and his father, Richard Redmayne, is a businessman in
corporate finance
Corporate finance is an area of finance that deals with the sources of funding, and the capital structure of businesses, the actions that managers take to increase the Value investing, value of the firm to the shareholders, and the tools and analy ...
. His paternal great-grandfather was Sir
Richard Redmayne (1865–1955), a civil and mining engineer, and a leading figure in improving mine safety in the early twentieth century.
Sir Richard also led an enquiry into an experiment by the chain
Boots
A boot is a type of footwear. Most boots mainly cover the foot and the ankle, while some also cover some part of the lower calf. Some boots extend up the leg, sometimes as far as the knee or even the hip. Most boots have a heel that is clearl ...
to reduce the working week, allowing workers to have a 48-hour weekend, which found that the workers were happier, had better health, and were less likely to be absent, and advocated its adoption across wider industry. He has an elder brother,
James Redmayne, a younger brother, and an elder half-brother, Charlie Redmayne, who is CEO of the UK division of publisher
HarperCollins
HarperCollins Publishers LLC is a British–American publishing company that is considered to be one of the "Big Five (publishers), Big Five" English-language publishers, along with Penguin Random House, Hachette Book Group USA, Hachette, Macmi ...
,
and a half-sister.
From the age of 10, Redmayne attended Jackie Palmer Stage School, where he found his love for acting and singing. Redmayne attended
Eaton House, followed by
Colet Court (now St Paul's Juniors), on a choral scholarship, where he sang with the St Paul's Choir,
then on a music scholarship to
Eton College
Eton College ( ) is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school providing boarding school, boarding education for boys aged 13–18, in the small town of Eton, Berkshire, Eton, in Berkshire, in the United Kingdom. It has educated Prime Mini ...
,
where he was in the same year as
Prince William. He received a choral scholarship to attend Cambridge, where he read History of Art at
Trinity College, specialising in Venetian architecture and surrealism, and graduated with
2:1 Honours in 2003. He wrote his theses on
Brâncuși and
Yves Klein; although
colour blind, he wrote the
final thesis on
International Klein Blue (IKB), which he has described as being highly emotional, and which he can always distinguish from others. While at Cambridge, Redmayne was a member of the
University Pitt Club.
Acting career
Stage
Redmayne made his professional stage debut as
Viola
The viola ( , () ) is a string instrument of the violin family, and is usually bowed when played. Violas are slightly larger than violins, and have a lower and deeper sound. Since the 18th century, it has been the middle or alto voice of the ...
in ''
Twelfth Night'', for
Shakespeare's Globe 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
Edward Franklin Albee III ( ; March 12, 1928 – September 16, 2016) was an American playwright known for works such as ''The Zoo Story'' (1958), ''The Sandbox (play), The Sandbox'' (1959), ''Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?'' (1962), ''A Delicat ...
's ''
The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia?'', and the award for Best Newcomer at the
Critics' Circle Theatre Awards in 2005.
Reviewing a revival of the play in 2017, critic Heather Neill described the "gut-wrenching intensity of Eddie Redmayne’s award-winning performance at the Almeida in 2004".
Redmayne starred in ''Now or Later'' by
Christopher Shinn at the
Royal Court Theatre. The show ran from 3 September to 1 November 2008.
His performance received glowing reviews,
with critic and playwright
Nicholas de Jongh describing the performance as "riveting, suffused with the lineaments of neurosis and sadness".
In 2009, Redmayne appeared in
John Logan's new play ''
Red'' at the
Donmar Warehouse in London, for which he won the 2010
Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. Reviewing the show during this London run, longstanding
''New York Times'' critic
Ben Brantley described Redmayne as "a star in the making". 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, and won the 2010
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...
for
Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play.
He portrayed
King Richard II in ''
Richard II'' directed by
Michael Grandage, at the Donmar Warehouse from 6 December 2011 to 4 February 2012. He received the
Trewin Award for Best Shakespearean Performance at the
Critics Circle Theatre Awards. Matt Wolf, London theatre critic for ''
The New York Times International Edition
''The New York Times International Edition'' is an English-language Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper distributed internationally by the New York Times Company. It has been published in two separate periods, one from 1943 to 1967 and one from ...
'', described Redmayne as "tearing into the title role with an open-faced splendor that redefines the very discussion of soul that assumes such prominence in Shakespeare’s luxuriantly beautiful text"
In November 2021, he returned to the stage as Emcee in a West End revival of
''Cabaret'' at the
Playhouse Theatre, remodelled as the 'Kit Kat Club'. He previously played the role in a production at
Eton when he was 17 years-old, and then again in a production at the
Edinburgh Fringe.
Redmayne successfully approached
Jessie Buckley to star alongside him as
Sally Bowles, as well as
Rebecca Frecknall
Rebecca Frecknall is a British theatre director best known for directing the 2021 West End revival of ''Cabaret (musical)#2021 West End revival, Cabaret'' starring Eddie Redmayne and Jessie Buckley. The show received the 2022 Olivier Award for ...
about directing the production.
The revival drew rave reviews, with critic
John Lahr stating that the 'scintillating show' also offered the 'rousing spectacle of the next generation's theatrical talent on the ascendant.'
Lahr described Redmayne's interpretation of the Emcee as "thrilling", "a puckish portrait of violent innocence, a cross between Peter Lorre and Peter Pan", with a "chilling metamorphosis".
John Nathan remarked, "Redmayne is a marvel. His Emcee — a slightly different species from the rest of the humans — is quite the most mercurial animal I have seen on stage". The revival led with seven wins at the
2022 Olivier Awards, including
Best Musical Revival and Redmayne's own for
Best Actor in a Musical, setting a record for being the most award-winning revival in Olivier history, as well for being the first production to obtain awards in all four eligible acting categories. In April 2024, the production transferred to the
August Wilson Theatre on
Broadway, where he reprised the role of the Emcee opposite
Gayle Rankin as Sally Bowles.
For his performance, Redmayne received a nomination for the
Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical at the
77th Tony Awards.
Screen
Redmayne made his screen debut in 1998 in an episode of ''
Animal Ark''. His television credits include the BBC miniseries ''
Tess of the d'Urbervilles
''Tess of the d'Urbervilles: A Pure Woman'' is the twelfth published novel by English author Thomas Hardy. It initially appeared in a Book censorship, censored and Serialized novel, serialised version, published by the British illustrated newsp ...
'', the miniseries ''
The Pillars of the Earth'', and the two-part miniseries ''
Birdsong
Bird vocalization includes both bird calls and bird songs. In non-technical use, bird songs (often simply ''birdsong'') are the bird sounds that are melodious to the human ear. In ornithology and birding, songs (relatively complex vocalization ...
''.
David Chater, who served as a correspondent in many conflict-ridden areas, described his performance as a WWI soldier in Birdsong as "mesmerising", "astonishing", "so little is visible on the surface and yet a whole universe of emotions is simmering away behind those limpid eyes."
Redmayne was cast in his first feature film ''
Like Minds'' (2006) after being spotted by casting director Lucy Bevan performing in a play called ''Goats''. Redmayne has appeared in films such as ''
The Good Shepherd'' (2006), ''
Savage Grace'' (2007), ''
Powder Blue'' (2008), ''
The Other Boleyn Girl'' (2008), ''
Glorious 39'' (2009), and ''
Hick'' (2011). He starred as Osmund in
Christopher Smith's supernatural gothic chiller film ''
Black Death
The Black Death was a bubonic plague pandemic that occurred in Europe from 1346 to 1353. It was one of the list of epidemics, most fatal pandemics in human history; as many as people perished, perhaps 50% of Europe's 14th century population. ...
'' (2010). His 2008 Sundance drama film ''
The Yellow Handkerchief'' was released on 26 February 2010 by
Samuel Goldwyn Films.
In 2011, Redmayne 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
Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the Character (arts), characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, but in some cases, they serv ...
''
Les Misérables''.
In 2014, Redmayne starred as
Stephen Hawking
Stephen William Hawking (8January 194214March 2018) was an English theoretical physics, theoretical physicist, cosmologist, and author who was director of research at the Centre for Theoretical Cosmology at the University of Cambridge. Between ...
in ''
The Theory of Everything'', a role for which he won the
Academy Award
The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...
,
BAFTA
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA, ) is an independent trade association and charity that supports, develops, and promotes the arts of film, television and video games in the United Kingdom. In addition to its annual awa ...
,
Golden Globe, and
Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actor, depicting the debilitating challenges of
ALS. Hawking was very pleased by the portrayal, stating "I thought Eddie Redmayne portrayed me very well. At times I thought he was me. I think Eddie’s commitment will have a big emotional impact." Dr Katie Sidle, a consultant neurologist specialising in the field of
motor neurone disease (MND), stated in an interview in the
British Medical Journal
''The BMJ'' is a fortnightly peer-reviewed medical journal, published by BMJ Publishing Group Ltd, which in turn is wholly-owned by the British Medical Association (BMA). ''The BMJ'' has editorial freedom from the BMA. It is one of the world ...
, "Eddie’s performance in the film was utterly remarkable . . . The patients and carers loved the film. They thought it was very relevant to them."
In early 2015, Redmayne appeared in
the Wachowski's film, ''
Jupiter Ascending'' as Balem Abrasax. The film was widely panned, including his performance, and won him the
Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Supporting Actor.
In recent years, the film and the performance have been re-evaluated, with Keith Phipps writing that the "film has shown every sign of turning into a full-fledged cult hit." Writing in
''Vanity Fair'' in 2018, Laura Bradley remarked that "the idea that this film would have been improved by Redmayne playing his part in a more conventional (read: boring) manner is absurd." In 2022, Joe Hoeffner echoing her thoughts, felt that with a more "normal villain", "the rest of the film would be flatter, less colorful, less deliriously camp...no matter what happens you can’t take your eyes off of the spacefaring Oedipus with the voice of a chainsmoker."
Redmayne also presented the 2015 documentary
War Art with Eddie Redmayne, made as part of the
ITV's
Perspectives programme. In 2015, Redmayne guest starred as Ryan the Tank Engine in the ''
Thomas & Friends
''Thomas & Friends'' is a British children's television series which aired from 9 October 1984 to 20 January 2021. Based on ''The Railway Series'' books by Wilbert Awdry and his son Christopher Awdry, Christopher, the series was developed for ...
'' movie ''
Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure''.
That same year, Redmayne starred in the biographical drama ''
The Danish Girl'', directed by
Academy Award
The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...
-winning director
Tom Hooper. In the film, released in the United Kingdom on 1 January 2016, Redmayne portrayed
transgender
A transgender (often shortened to trans) person has a gender identity different from that typically associated with the sex they were sex assignment, assigned at birth.
The opposite of ''transgender'' is ''cisgender'', which describes perso ...
pioneer
Lili Elbe, a casting choice that was met with backlash from the transgender community. Nonetheless, Redmayne's performance garnered critical acclaim; in January 2016, he earned his second nomination for the
Academy Award for Best Actor
The Academy Award for Best Actor is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It has been awarded since the 1st Academy Awards to an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading ...
in consecutive years. Redmayne later acknowledged the controversy surrounding his casting by stressing the importance of casting transgender people to play transgender characters.
In 2016, Redmayne starred as
Newt Scamander in the
film adaptation
A film adaptation transfers the details or story of an existing source text, such as a novel, into a feature film. This transfer can involve adapting most details of the source text closely, including characters or plot points, or the original sou ...
of ''
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them'', the first of a series within the Wizarding World of the
''Harry Potter'' film series, with a screenplay by
J. K. Rowling.
''
Fantastic Beasts
''Fantastic Beasts'' is a film series directed by David Yates and a spin-off prequel to the ''Harry Potter'' novel and film series. The series is distributed by Warner Bros and consists of three fantasy films, beginning with '' Fantastic Bea ...
'' was a critical and commercial success. In 2018, Redmayne starred in the
stop-motion
Stop-motion (also known as stop frame animation) is an animation, animated filmmaking and special effects technique in which objects are physically manipulated in small increments between individually photographed frames so that they will appe ...
animated film ''
Early Man'', and reprised his role as Newt Scamander in ''
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald'' as well as its third sequel, ''
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore,'' which was released in April 2022 .
Both ''
The Crimes of Grindelwald'' and ''
The Secrets of Dumbledore'' received mixed critical reception but emerged as financial successes. All of J. K. Rowling's ''
Fantastic Beasts
''Fantastic Beasts'' is a film series directed by David Yates and a spin-off prequel to the ''Harry Potter'' novel and film series. The series is distributed by Warner Bros and consists of three fantasy films, beginning with '' Fantastic Bea ...
'' films rank among Redmayne's highest-grossing films to date.
In 2020, Redmayne starred as
Tom Hayden in ''
The Trial of the Chicago 7''. The film earned six nominations at the
93rd Academy Awards. Redmayne received a
Screen Actors Guild Award as a member of the cast awarded the
Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture honour.
In 2022, Redmayne starred in the
biographical crime thriller film, ''
The Good Nurse'', playing notorious serial killer
Charles Cullen, and was nominated for a
Golden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally held every Janua ...
, a
British Academy Film Award, and a
Screen Actors Guild Award. Leah Greenblatt at ''
Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...
'' wrote, "an eerie, pitch-perfect Redmayne, wearing Charlie's nice-guy drag like a battering ram, lets his mask slip so incrementally that the final scenes feel like a true terrifying rupture." Aurora Amidon at
''Paste'' remarked, "Redmayne plays Charles with such a sense of naturalism and magnetic intensity that it’s easy to forget he’s not in the room right there with you."
In 2024, he starred in and produced the television series ''
The Day of the Jackal'', playing an elusive British assassin code-named the "Jackal". The performance was acclaimed, and he received nominations for a
Screen Actor's Guild Award, a
Critics Choice Award and a
Golden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally held every Janua ...
. Joel Golby, writing for
the ''Guardian'' commended Redmayne for playing his "chameleonic and ice-cold" character, and for conveying a lot while having little dialogue; adding that "it’s as if he’s secretly uncovered a new way of acting". Verne Gay at ''
Newsday
''Newsday'' is a daily newspaper in the United States primarily serving Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island, although it is also sold throughout the New York metropolitan area. The slogan of the newspaper is "Newsday, Your Eye on LI" ...
'' remarked, "To the broadest of screen stereotypes - brutal assassin on the run - he adds layer upon layer, nuance upon nuance".
Public image
Redmayne modelled for
Burberry in 2008 with
Alex Pettyfer, and in 2012 with
Cara Delevingne. In 2016, he starred in the
Prada Fall/Winter '16 Menswear Advertising Campaign.
Redmayne has been widely admired for his style, with
''Vogue'' describing him as having "seemingly preternatural panache on the red carpet, his deft ability to make even the nattiest and most colorful suits seem like second skin." In the September 2012 issue of ''
Vanity Fair'', he was featured on its annual International Best Dressed List. In 2015, he was named number one in ''
British GQ''s 50 best dressed British men, and then again in 2016.
Sir Elton John and
David Furnish described him as "the stylish intersection where Cary Grant's style meets Fred Astaire's lithe elegance."
''
GQ'' also named him as one of "the Most Stylish Men Alive" in 2015 and one of "the 13 Most Stylish Men In The World Right Now" in 2016.
Personal life
Redmayne married Hannah Bagshawe on 15 December 2014.
They have two children, a daughter and a son.
[Per Redmayne's representative in Source additionally cites parents' announcement in '']The Times
''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...
'' (London).
Redmayne was appointed
Officer of the Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...
(OBE) in the
2015 Birthday Honours for services to drama.
In August 2014, he was appointed ambassador of film education charity
Into Film. He has been a patron of the
Motor Neurone Disease Association since 2015, having become associated with the charity following his portrayal of Stephen Hawking. He is an ambassador of the
Teenage Cancer Trust. He is a patron of Go Live Theatre Projects (earlier known as Mousetrap Theatre Projects), a charity dedicated to enriching the lives of children and young people through theatre, especially those who are disadvantaged or have additional needs.
Acting credits
Film
Television
Theatre
Video games
Discography
; Music
; Audiobooks
Accolades
See also
*
List of British actors
*
List of British Academy Award nominees and winners
*
List of actors with Academy Award nominations
*
List of actors with two or more Academy Award nominations in acting categories
*
List of Old Etonians born in the 20th century
*
List of University of Cambridge members
References
External links
*
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Redmayne, Eddie
1982 births
Living people
20th-century English male actors
21st-century English male actors
Actors from the City of Westminster
Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge
Audiobook narrators
Best Actor Academy Award winners
Best Actor BAFTA Award winners
Best Drama Actor Golden Globe (film) winners
Critics' Circle Theatre Award winners
English male film actors
English male Shakespearean actors
English male stage actors
English male television actors
English male video game actors
English male voice actors
English people of Irish descent
English people of Welsh descent
Laurence Olivier Award winners
Male actors from London
Models from the City of Westminster
Officers of the Order of the British Empire
Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Screen Actors Guild Award winners
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role Screen Actors Guild Award winners
People educated at Colet Court
People educated at Eton College
Eddie
Singers from the City of Westminster
Theatre World Award winners
Tony Award winners