Dr. Stephen Hawking could be called many things. Brilliant. Resilient. Courageous. But according to actor Eddie Redmayne, Hawking was also hilarious.
On Wednesday, following the news of Hawking’s death, the actor who portrayed him in the 2014 film The Theory of Everything fondly recalled Hawking’s sense of humor, as well as his obvious contributions to science.
According to Metro, Redmayne said: “We have lost a truly beautiful mind, an astonishing scientist and the funniest man I have ever had the pleasure to meet.”
Hawking’s children, Lucy, Robert, and Tim echoed this sentiment, saying “His courage and persistence, with his brilliance and humor, inspired people across the world.”
In 2015, Redmayne won an Oscar for playing Hawking in The Theory of Everything; a biopic which was not based on any of Stephen Hawking’s writing, but instead, a memoir from his first wife Jane Hawking titled Traveling to Infinity. Though both Jane and Stephen approved of the film, there are some differences between it and actual events. In the movie, Jane was played by Felicity Jones, now of Star Wars fame. In real life, as in the film, Hawking eventually left his first wife and moved in with his nurse, Elaine Mason.
The film was also notable because Hawking allowed the filmmakers to use his real “voice.” The Iconic computerized voice he speaks with is actually specifically his, and could not be exactly duplicated without his expressed permission.
The Theory of Everything is not currently streaming on Amazon Prime or Netflix, though is available for rental or purchase.
