Stephen Hawking’s Facebook message to Eddie Redmayne is all kinds of wonderful

If you’ve seen The Theory of Everything, you know that Eddie Redmayne’s portrayal of iconic physicist Stephen Hawking was worthy of an Oscar, and last night the Academy came through with a best actor trophy. But, perhaps, the real award came after the Oscar telecast when Hawking left a message on Redmayne’s Facebook page.

It’s not often that people get name-checked and praised on Facebook by Hawking, the all-around remarkable genius whose astonishing career and battle with ALS was chronicled in the critically-acclaimed film. He’s kind of a busy man, to say the least. But Hawking was a fan of the film and Redmayne’s work.

The two actually met briefly (for about three hours) before the movie began filming. For Redmayne, the meeting was unforgettable and shaped his performance.

“Really what I gained from that experience with him was more what he emanates: It was this extraordinary, incisive weight, a formidable sense of humor and most of all, a sense of mischief,” Redmayne said at a press conference for the film. “I described it as a Lord of Misrule quality. Even though it’s difficult for him to communicate, he completely runs the room and you can really feel his power.”

During his acceptance speech last night, Redmayne was effusive in his praise for Hawking. “I’m fully aware that I am a lucky, lucky man,” he said. “This Oscar belongs to all of those people around the world battling ALS. It belongs to one exceptional family: Stephen, Jane and the Hawking children. I will be his custodian. I will be at his beck and call. I wait on him hand and foot.”

Image via.

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