Eddie Redmayne biography, wife, net worth, height, Oscar, age, family 2025

Eddie Redmayne Biography

British actor Eddie Redmayne earned widespread recognition and critical acclaim for his portrayal of theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking in the biopic "The Theory of Everything." In 2016, he took on the role of magizoologist Newt Scamander in the "Harry Potter" spin-off "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them." He's won an Oscar, BAFTA, Tony Award, and numerous other prestigious honors.

British theater and film star Eddie Redmayne

Childhood, Family, and Early Roles

Eddie was born into a proper British family with considerable wealth and a long lineage. His father, Esquire Richard, ran a bank, while his mother, Patricia Redmayne, owned a transport company. Eddie was the middle child—he grew up with his older brother Jim and younger brother Tom.

Eddie Redmayne spent his childhood in a villa on the Côte d'Azur

Eddie's parents played a huge role in shaping his intellectual and creative development, regularly taking the kids to theater performances that young Eddie absolutely loved. According to the actor, the spark that made him seriously consider a stage career came from seeing Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" when he was young.

The Redmayne parents eventually noticed their son's passion for theater, along with his sensitive and emotional nature. One day, they brought Eddie to a theater club in High Wycombe. At 12, Eddie made his stage debut in Sam Mendes's musical "Oliver!" At 14, he landed a small role in the TV series "Animal Ark" (the episode "Bunnies in the Bathroom").

This didn't quite mesh with the young actor's self-image—he saw himself as a rebel in the James Dean mold! Eddie didn't have the guts to pierce his eyebrow or dye his hair some wild color. He settled for coloring his hair with henna before filming. Because of this, his hair kept changing shades throughout the week-long shoot, and he ended up getting kicked off the set in a blaze of drama.

Education

Eddie and his brothers first attended Colet Court prep school before moving on to Eton College. This institution traditionally educates children from Britain's aristocratic families. For instance, Eddie's classmate was Prince William, his older brother Jim caused mischief during breaks with the future Prime Minister of Britain, and younger brother Tom studied alongside Prince Harry.

The future actor studied at Eton College

At Eton, Eddie didn't forget his childhood passion and started taking drama classes and performing in plays. He made his stage debut in drag, playing Viola in Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night." Eddie also pursued music: he played piano and sang in the college choir. His musical talents even earned him a scholarship, all while serving as house prefect and walking in fashion shows.

In his youth, Eddie Redmayne worked as a model

But Eton wasn't fulfilling Eddie creatively, and he decided to apply to drama school—risking his parents' fury. Richard and Patricia had to work hard to convince their son to get a traditional education at Trinity College, Cambridge University. Eddie chose a subject close to his interests: art history, specifically focusing on 19th and 20th-century art criticism in England and France.

Theater Work

Before even finishing Eton, Eddie was invited to perform at the world-famous Globe Theatre in 2002. There, he won his first professional award from the Critics' Circle Theatre Awards for playing Edward Albee in "The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia?" Eddie's performance grabbed attention not just for his acting but for the provocative nature of the role—he played a son in love with his father.

Eddie Redmayne played on the stage of the best theaters in London

Next came work at the Royal Court Theatre, where Eddie appeared in Christopher Shinn's "Now or Later." In 2009, audiences saw the talented actor in Michael Grandage's production about abstract expressionist Mark Rothko. Eddie played Rothko's assistant Ken and won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Supporting Actor. The drama later transferred to Broadway, where Eddie reprised his role, earning him a Tony Award (theater's equivalent of an Oscar).

The production itself won six Tony Awards in 2010, including Best Play. For Eddie, this role proved particularly challenging—not only did he have to deliver long philosophical dialogues, but he also had to work with paints. The catch? Eddie's colorblind and constantly confused red and green.

After conquering the stage, Eddie turned his attention to film, choosing a subject close to his heart—English history. The miniseries "Elizabeth I" with Jeremy Irons and Helen Mirren marked a successful start to his screen career.

Career Peak

In 2006, Eddie tried his hand at the spy thriller "The Good Shepherd." The film also starred Matt Damon, Robert De Niro, Angelina Jolie, and Oleg Stefanko.

Eddie Redmayne in the movie "The Good Shepherd"

His next role was Alex in the detective drama "Like Minds." The following year, 2007, Eddie appeared in two films – "Savage Grace," where he played a gay man whom his own mother (Julianne Moore) attempts to seduce, and the historical drama "Elizabeth: The Golden Age" with Cate Blanchett and Clive Owen.

Eddie Redmayne photo shoot for Interview Magazine

The English history theme continued the next year: the drama "The Other Boleyn Girl" with Natalie Portman, Scarlett Johansson, and Eric Bana in the lead roles, as well as an adaptation of "Tess of the D'Urbervilles," where Redmayne played the main role. That same year, Edward took on another challenging role in "The Yellow Handkerchief" – he played Gordy, a teenager with Asperger's syndrome who falls in love with Kristen Stewart's character.

A shot from the movie "The Yellow Handkerchief"

In 2009, Eddie participated in filming the historical movie "Glorious 39" and the drama "Powder Blue." Then came roles in the historical series "The Pillars of the Earth" and the thriller "Black Death" in 2010, and in 2011 Eddie appeared in a film about Marilyn Monroe – "My Week with Marilyn."

Eddie Redmayne & Felicity Jones on The Theory of Everything

In 2012, Redmayne was invited to join the adaptation of Victor Hugo's novel "Les Misérables." He shared the screen with a constellation of Hollywood actors: Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried, and Helena Bonham Carter. Eddie landed the role of rebellious student Marius.

Redmayne then took a year off from the screen, but in 2014 he stunned audiences with his performance in "The Theory of Everything." For the lead role in this film, Eddie received a string of prestigious awards that any actor would be honored to claim: BAFTA, Oscar, Golden Globe, and – most importantly for Eddie – Stephen Hawking himself gave the film his seal of approval.

That same year, the actor ventured into unfamiliar territory – the sci-fi action film "Jupiter Ascending" with Mila Kunis and Channing Tatum in the lead roles. In 2015, Eddie proved there's no role beyond his talent – in "The Danish Girl" he transformed into a transgender woman, the husband of a famous artist who agreed to pose for her in women's clothing.

"The Danish Girl": Eddie Redmayne as a transgender woman

That same year, the actor's theatrical achievements were recognized with an Officer of the Order of the British Empire honor.

In 2016, Eddie landed the lead role in the film adaptation of renowned English author J.K. Rowling's book "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them." The cast also included Ezra Miller, Zoë Kravitz, Ron Perlman, Colin Farrell, and Jon Voight (Angelina Jolie's father).

'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them' Full Trailer

Here's the kicker: years earlier, Eddie had tried to snag a role as one of the Weasley family members (his favorite characters from the Potter books) but never even made it to the audition. So when the prequel was announced with a script by Rowling herself, he saw it as a second chance handed down from above.

A shot from the movie "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them"

Before auditioning for the role of Newt Scamander, Eddie rewatched all the Harry Potter films. He was, by his own admission, a modest fan, but his brother was the real expert – and when Eddie got the part, his brother was literally jumping for joy.

A week before filming began on the first "Fantastic Beasts," Redmayne met with J.K. Rowling, who gave him detailed insights into his character. It turned out that Newt didn't just randomly decide to become a magizoologist – he'd been deeply hurt by people, and since then he's been seeking refuge in his world, among magical creatures. But as the story unfolds, he'll need to learn to trust people again.

In 2018, the animated film "Early Man" was released, in which the actor voiced one of the characters – Dug. But he devoted all his remaining time to working on the second part of "Fantastic Beasts." This film introduced characters from the Potterverse – young Dumbledore (Jude Law) and his friend, later rival Grindelwald (Johnny Depp), as well as Transfiguration professor Minerva McGonagall (Fiona Glascott). According to Redmayne, the sequel turned out much darker.

Eddie Redmayne returned to the role of Newt Scamander in the second part of "Fantastic Beasts"

In 2019, Eddie Redmayne could be seen in "The Aeronauts" with Felicity Jones and Himesh Patel. At the same time, he was working on "The Trial of the Chicago 7," in which he starred alongside Sacha Baron Cohen and Frank Langella. The premiere took place in 2020. That same year, Eddie could be seen in the miniseries "Roald Dahl's The Witches" – he worked on the project with Taika Waititi.

In spring 2022, Eddie Redmayne wrapped filming on the third "Fantastic Beasts" franchise film – "The Secrets of Dumbledore," which was released in April of that year. The picture received mixed reviews from critics but was a box office success and closed out the cycle of adventures for magizoologist Newt Scamander, whom the actor had played since 2016.

Triumph awaited Redmayne on the theatrical stage as well. In 2022, he brilliantly embodied the role of the Emcee in the revived production of "Cabaret" in London's West End. At the Olivier Awards ceremony in April 2022, the production collected seven awards, including Eddie Redmayne's award for Best Actor in a Musical. "Cabaret" became the most awarded revival in the history of the prize.

Eddie Redmayne in stage makeup at the theater — Eddie Redmayne in the production of "Cabaret"

Parallel to his theatrical successes, Eddie dove into the world of true crime. In fall 2022, the thriller "The Good Nurse" was released on Netflix, in which Redmayne played Charles Cullen, a real-life serial killer, a nurse who allegedly murdered hundreds of patients.

Eddie Redmayne with a short haircut peeks around the corner — Eddie Redmayne in "The Good Nurse"

The role required the actor to portray an outwardly shy and caring person, beneath whose mask something truly sinister lurked. Critics noted his terrifying naturalism, and the film itself became the most-watched on Netflix on premiere day. For this work, Redmayne received nominations for the Golden Globe, BAFTA, and Screen Actors Guild Award.

Eddie Redmayne's Personal Life

In December 2014, Eddie married Hannah Bagshawe, a well-known publicist. In 2016, they welcomed their daughter Iris Mary, followed by their son Luke in 2018.

The actor first met his wife at Eton College, but their relationship never evolved beyond friendship back then. After Eton, he headed to Cambridge while she moved to Edinburgh. Ten years later, they ran into each other at a charity event and hit it off. Soon enough, the publicist was sporting an engagement ring. The couple tied the knot in a private ceremony away from prying eyes.

In an interview with Crash Magazine (April 2022 issue), Redmayne opened up about the struggle of balancing work and family. The acting profession, with its bizarre schedule—especially in theater—demanded sacrifices: evening performances meant sleeping in, which meant he barely saw his kids.

In October 2022, appearing on Stephen Colbert's show, Eddie shared a funny story: his kids watched him in "The Good Nurse" and were, to put it mildly, horrified. Playing a serial killer turned out to be a terrible way to win over your own children.

In a 2016 interview, Redmayne admitted that being colorblind sometimes leads him to pick rather extravagant outfits, and his wife helps bring him "back to the world of taste."

Since age 26, Eddie has collaborated with luxury brand Burberry, and in 2016, he signed with fashion house Prada as the new face of the brand. The actor has also been repeatedly named one of the best-dressed men by Vanity Fair magazine.

The actor is the face of the Burberry fashion brand

After Eddie won his Oscar, his parents started renting out their villa on the French coast. In the listing, they noted that this was where little Edward spent his childhood years.

Success hasn't made Eddie forget his old friends. He maintains a close friendship with actor Jamie Dornan, with whom he shared an apartment in Los Angeles early in their careers.

Eddie Redmayne and Jamie Dornan have been friends for a long time

Despite his star status, Eddie doesn't think twice about hopping on the subway.

Beyond his passion for theater and film, Eddie loves watching sports. In 2016, he traveled to Rio for the Olympic Games.

Eddie Redmayne Now

In March 2023, news broke signaling the actor's return to spy thrillers: he landed the lead role in "The Day of the Jackal," a thriller about a genius sniper. Filming kicked off in June 2023 and stretched across seven months. Redmayne didn't just star—he also served as executive producer on the project.

The series is based on Frederick Forsyth's novel of the same name, written in the early '70s. But the show doesn't follow the book to the letter—creators transplanted the action to our time and today's political reality. The Jackal isn't hunting France's president but tech visionary Ulle Dag Charles, a character many viewers saw as a nod to Elon Musk.

Eddie Redmayne looking through a sniper rifle scope — Eddie Redmayne in "The Day of the Jackal"

"The Day of the Jackal" dropped in November 2024 and instantly became a hit. Redmayne masterfully played the elusive British assassin-for-hire, a cold-blooded professional who changes appearances and accents like other people change gloves. December brought Golden Globe nominations for Best Actor in a Drama Series and Best Drama Series, plus a Critics Choice Award nod. The series got renewed for a second season before the first even wrapped.

In December 2024, word came that Eddie joined Julia Roberts and Elizabeth Olsen in "Panic Carefully," a thriller from director Sam Esmail for Warner Bros. Details are under wraps, but it's known to be a paranoid thriller about hunting a cyberterrorist with echoes of "The Silence of the Lambs."

Eddie Redmayne: latest news and articles

Donna Watkins

Redmayne in my opinion is very open and nice person and talented actor, quite modest without Hollywood`s pathos.

2021-04-21 13:22:05
Patrick Aiden Stewart

I was surprised by the acting of Redmayne when I watched `Jupiter Ascending`. I think he is playing especially good in fantastic movies.

2021-04-17 14:09:51
Anna Garrett

I think Eddie Redmayne is very talented and charismatic actor. Not every actor can do such a transformation.

2021-04-01 19:24:26
Matthew Justin Roberts

Redmayne`s appearance is typical british maybe that`s why he is playing better british roles.

2021-03-21 12:22:13
Joan Weber

I wouldn`t say that Redmayne is a great actor. Maybe all the roles will come later but for me he is just a model of Prada...

2021-02-17 14:58:41

Eddie Redmayne

Photos: Eddie Redmayne