I interviewed Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones yesterday at the junket for The Theory Of Everything. As already mentioned, the film is SOOOOOOO good. And their performances are …well…everything. The key here is that the story is told from her perspective. So it’s not really a biopic but a film about partnership. But did you know that Stephen Hawking is a player? And I’m not talking about before his illness. Here’s a dude who can’t move and he communicates through a computer…and he’s a PLAYER.
This is what Eddie and I talked about. How Stephen Hawking schooled him about, not physics, but girls. And then Felicity told me that Hawking flirted with her the first time she met him. He straight up asked for her a kiss. And he was smooth about it too. Which is why one of Eddie’s inspirations for getting into the part was a photo of James Dean pinned up in his trailer. Stephen Hawking and James Dean in the same sentence. How’s that for a mind f-ck?
Anyway, both Eddie and Felicity are now part of the award season conversation. Michael Keaton’s momentum didn’t surge as much as people thought it would after Venice but the buzz around Eddie’s performance has been really loud coming out of Toronto. Felicity could also easily contend in the Supporting Actress category. They deserve it. Together, they’re a force in this film. And this film is a force too. There’s no reason why it shouldn’t be included in the list of Best Pictures.
So Eddie spent the day promoting his own film and then in the evening he went out to support his friend Andrew Garfield in 99 Homes. Andrew, after all, was there for him the night before. Click here for a refresher. I saw them together at the Grey Goose after-party at America at the top of the Trump. They seemed relaxed by the back bar, weren’t inclined to lock themselves in a corner or hang out on a couch with a rope around them. I had to ease behind them because they were blocking the cheese table. I never understand how these people can ignore the free food at these parties.
Back to Andrew and Eddie -- easy conversations with people who approached. Seemed happy just to hang out with each other. And then Robert Pattinson arrived in a baseball cap and immediately made his way over. A hug for Andrew, more smiles, more laughing, catching up. Eddie had told me earlier in the day that there was a whole crew of them, including Felicity, that all kinda trained together in London and that they’ve known each other for years. So it was like a reunion.
Oh a quick note on Eddie and fiancée Hannah Bagshawe because I know you want to know – didn’t see her at the 99 Homes after-party though she may have been there, I just wasn’t looking. They were super sweet arriving together on Sunday night at The Theory Of Everything premiere. And they were out together in the city yesterday hand in hand.
