Stephen Hawking gave a priceless gift to filmmakers of the Oscar-winning movie about his life
REUTERS/Mike Blake
But playing the part of the famed cosmologist came with a lot of pressure.
Hawking himself, now 73, would be judging the 32-year-old actor's performance.
Focus Features/"The Theory of Everything"
Hawking trekked to London to screen the film ahead of its November 7th release. Before watching the movie, Redmayne told Variety the cosmologist warned: "I'll let you know what I think - good or otherwise.' I said, 'Stephen, if it's otherwise, you don't need to go into details.'"
When the film screening was complete, Hawking was overcome with emotion (via Variety):
AP Photo/Ted S. Warren
After the lights came up, a nurse wiped a tear from Hawking's eye. He called the film 'broadly true,' and even celebrated with the film's director James Marsh and screenwriter Anthony McCarten at a bar where he sipped champagne from a teaspoon. 'He emailed us,' Marsh says, 'and said there were certain points when he thought he was watching himself.'
Hawking was so happy with the movie that he told filmmakers he would allow them to swap the synthetic voice they had been forced to create and replace it with his own, trademarked computerized version. "We spent a lot of time and money trying to reproduce the voice, but we never got it," McCarten told Variety.
Redmayne was thrilled after he heard about Hawking's offer, believing it was a stamp of approval on a performance he still questioned.
"You're just hoping to get there," Redmayne said. "Yet there's this constant frustration - it's always underwhelming, because you never quite make it. But with his specific voice, it's an actor's dream. You're one step closer to the truth."
Hawking's "voice," as he explains on his website, is a computer-based communication system that has been provided by Intel since 1997. To learn more about how it works, click here.
After Redmayne won the Oscar on Sunday, Hawking posted his congratulations to Facebook:
Redmayne acknowledged Hawking and his family during his acceptance speech:
Thank you. I don't think I'm capable of articulating quite how I feel right now. I'm fully aware that I am a lucky, lucky man. 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.
"The Theory of Everything," which was made for $15 million, has raked in over $104 million at the worldwide box office since its November release.
Watch the trailer below:
- I spent $2,000 for 7 nights in a 179-square-foot room on one of the world's largest cruise ships. Take a look inside my cabin.
- Colon cancer rates are rising in young people. If you have two symptoms you should get a colonoscopy, a GI oncologist says.
- Saudi Arabia wants China to help fund its struggling $500 billion Neom megaproject. Investors may not be too excited.
- Catan adds climate change to the latest edition of the world-famous board game
- Tired of blatant misinformation in the media? This video game can help you and your family fight fake news!
- Tired of blatant misinformation in the media? This video game can help you and your family fight fake news!
- JNK India IPO allotment – How to check allotment, GMP, listing date and more
- Indian Army unveils selfie point at Hombotingla Pass ahead of 25th anniversary of Kargil Vijay Diwas
- JNK India IPO allotment date
- JioCinema New Plans
- Realme Narzo 70 Launched
- Apple Let Loose event
- Elon Musk Apology
- RIL cash flows
- Charlie Munger
- Feedbank IPO allotment
- Tata IPO allotment
- Most generous retirement plans
- Broadcom lays off
- Cibil Score vs Cibil Report
- Birla and Bajaj in top Richest
- Nestle Sept 2023 report
- India Equity Market