Eddie Redmayne is Mr. Congeniality. In the past week, he's had his Les Miserables co-star Hugh Jackman by his side at a premiere for The Theory of Everything …
… and on Monday night? His plus one was Scarlett Johansson, who made her first public appearance after baby at the screening... in a possible move to give her friend Eddie more press. And she hosted the event too.
Leave it to Arianna Huffington, who was also there, to find out why Scarlett stepped out:
"With Scarlett Johansson who hosted the screening of #TheoryofEverything and said nothing would take her away from her little coconut (her 2-month-old baby) except this amazing film and the amazing Eddie Redmayne"
The message? If this movie's worth Scarlett's time, it's worth your time. Which, of course, it is! Scarlett doesn’t take pictures, willingly, with a big smile, unless she wants your attention. She wants you to know she was there. The studio wants you to know she was there. Other than Still Alice and Laggies (I’ll have to see it again, but it’s almost a 2014 “Reality Bites” sans Troy Dyer- but that could also be my twentysomething bias), Theory was my favourite film at TIFF.
But really, for the PEOPLE Magazine moms out there who don’t quite know who Eddie Redmayne is, they’re going to start to recognize his face. He’s been appearing at every awards season event and has been bringing out his bro Andrew Garfield to support him, formally or informally, and now all these other famous friends too.
There's something to be said for a friendly endorsement. Last week, Jay Z and Beyonce walked with Jake G at the Nightcrawler premiere in New York and back in 2011, Julia Roberts helped secure an Oscar nod for her Eat, Pray, Love paramour Javier Bardem’s turn in Biutiful with a private showing and exclusive interview with EW. Others have tried – Reese Witherspoon penned a long essay in support of Naomi Watts’ performance in The Impossible in 2012 (click here to read it) to no avail – but Eddie’s ascent is one to watch… because his friends aren’t letting you turn away.
Attached – Eddie at the Variety screening of The Theory Of Everything in New York last night with co-star Felicity Jones.
