Stephen Hawking 'Moved To Tears' By Eddie Redmayne Performance In The Theory Of Everything

Stephen Hawking appears to have given his seal of approval to the biopic of his life, the forthcoming ‘The Theory of Everything’.

Eddie Redmayne plays the eminent physicist in the movie, which Hawking has now seen after being given a special screening by producers Working Title.

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According to Variety magazine, as the lights came up, a nurse ‘wiped a tear’ from Hawking’s eye.

Prior to the screening, Redmayne told of his meeting with the 72-year-old professor.

“He took a while to type something, then said, ‘I’ll let you know what I think - good or otherwise’,” said Redmayne.

“I said, ‘Stephen, if it’s otherwise, you don’t need to go into details’.”

Director James Marsh also added that Hawking, who has described the film as being ‘broadly true’, had been in touch with him.

“He emailed us,” Marsh said, “and said there were certain points when he thought he was watching himself.”

The film follows Hawking during his formative years, studying at Cambridge University, where he met his wife, Jane Hawking – who wrote the memoir on which the film is based.

Felicity Jones stars as Jane, with support roles from Charlie Cox, Emily Watson, Simon McBurney, David Thewlis and Maxine Peake.

Already being talked up as an Oscar contender, early reviews have been glowing, calling Redmayne’s performance ‘astonishing’.

Speaking about the movie, director Marsh added: “It’s a very unusual love story in a very strange environment, a very strange sort of landscape, and that is I think the abiding theme of the film.

“It is how these two characters, these two real people transcend all the complications and curveballs that life throws at them.”

It’s due out across the UK on January 2.

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Image credits: The Verge/Working Title