Eddie Redmayne’s Angelina Jolie story: ‘I have my big lips to thank for getting cast’

Six months ago, it never would have occurred to me that I could fall for Eddie Redmayne. I had seen him in a handful of films – Glorious 39, My Week With Marilyn, The Good Shepherd – and while I remembered him, I didn’t really care for him that much. He seemed creepy to me, although in retrospect, I think that just proves how good of an actor he is. Anyway, time passed and Eddie brought the man-fashion throughout the Les Miserables promotion and the awards season, and he ended up being, without a doubt, the best dressed person of the season. For this newfound Fashion Boy status, Eddie earned himself a W Magazine cover, joint with Brit Marling, an up-and-coming actress (I’ve never seen any of her films). So, can I ignore Brit and just focus on Eddie? Because his interview is absolutely charming! He’s color blind! And he loves to sing. He seems quite romantic, sweet and lovely and I have such a crush on him these days.

An interesting story about Yves Klein Blue: Eddie was staring at an abstract landscape by Gustav Klimt at the Neue Galerie in Manhattan on a freezing afternoon in early February. “Look at that,” he said, pointing to a small bright blue patch in the upper left corner of the canvas. Redmayne, who is 31 but has the boyish exuberance of the perpetually curious, majored in art history at Cambridge and wrote his dissertation on the artist Yves Klein and his signature color: a pure electric blue that nearly matches the shade in the Klimt. “I’m color-blind, but I can pick out that blue anywhere,” Redmayne said and walked toward the painting in a sort of trance. “I wrote 30,000 words on this color, and I never grew tired of it. The pigment is staggering. It’s amazing that a color can be so emotional. One can only hope to achieve that intensity in acting.”

Seven years ago, he came to NYC to audition for The Good Shepherd, in which he played Angelina Jolie’s son: “I doubt it was my acting—I have my big lips to thank for getting cast.”

His career path: “My trajectory has always been a little bipolar—I’m caught between the Elizabethans and the crazies… I heard about the auditions for Les Mis while I was in a field in North Carolina shooting a movie called Hick, in which I play a pedophile meth addict from Texas with a limp. I was in my Winne­bago dressed in a cowboy costume, and I took my iPhone and filmed myself singing my character Marius’s big song.”

His character in Les Mis: “Three people die because of Marius,” he said as he ordered Wiener schnitzel and a glass of white wine. “He has to bear that weight.” Redmayne smiled. “When I was a boy, I was so jealous of Gavroche, the youngest revolutionary. I wanted to be him. Gavroche and Les Mis may be why I became an actor.”

His first stage role was in a production of Oliver when he was 11: “I had one line,” he said, still sounding proud. “Here it is: ‘Books you ordered from the bookseller, sir.’ I was elated and terrified. That musical was like a rite of passage. Half the cast of Les Mis were in some production of Oliver! That experience sticks with you: I can still do my audition dance.”

Corset pain: During his second year at Cambridge, Redmayne was cast as Viola in an all-male Shakespeare’s Globe production of Twelfth Night. “I was a boy playing a girl playing a boy,” he recalled. “I had to wear a whalebone corset. To this day, when actresses on set start whining to me about the pain of their corsets, I say, ‘I’ve been there. It’s not that bad.’ ”

He was saved by the play Red: In 2009, he was sent the script for Red, John Logan’s play about the artist Mark Rothko and his assistant. A meditation on mentors, genius, and the creative process, Red reminded Redmayne of his school thesis on Klein’s blue. “And Klein worked in red too,” Redmayne said, as if it were a sign. Night after night, Redmayne’s character, the assistant, would engage Rothko on ­existential subjects while mixing paint, hoping to come up with Rothko’s perfect hue. “During the production, I became a parody of myself,” Redmayne joked. “I lived on St. Mark’s Place in the East Village and started painting. Red restored my faith in acting.”

[From W Magazine]

I feel like Eddie Redmayne is who James Franco wishes he could be. Like, an unabashed artist who will talk about Yves Klein Blue for half an interview and it will actually be a clever and interesting story. Eddie works consistently on the stage, and I think that’s given him a perspective on acting and the industry which most American actors lack – Eddie is all about the ART, and it’s not pretentious, or at least it doesn’t feel like that. Eddie’s not sitting around, pontificating on his “Art” and crying about how people don’t understand him. He’s just doing his work, exploring his interests (colors!) and being cool.

How interesting is it that Eddie is able to pull together his looks so well while being color blind? That’s amazing!

Photos courtesy of W Magazine.

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89 Responses to “Eddie Redmayne’s Angelina Jolie story: ‘I have my big lips to thank for getting cast’”

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  1. Hannah says:

    He won a Tony for Red!

    • Miss Jupitero says:

      Oh I wish I had see that! This man is smart in the way I like smart– spot on: he is who James Franco wishes he could be.

      He’d be my new crush, but he just doesn’t say “hot” for me though

  2. GoodCapon says:

    The interview snippet was very interesting! I didn’t know he’s color-blind.

    I’d like to see him as a redhead though. He was gorgeous in TPOTE.

    • T.Fanty says:

      Ha! I was just thinking that I needed to see him in something more than POTE to really get it.

      Didn’t he also play a young monk-type thing in that Sean Bean movie about the plague, or am I just imagining that?

      • GoodCapon says:

        I actually thought he was a natural redhead because his freckles went so well together with the hair! 😉 Then I realized he was only wearing a wig or perhaps he dyed his hair.

        And yes he did, the film was Black Death.

      • T.Fanty says:

        Oh, that’s right. Black Death was a good movie. I still can’t believe that Redmaye is over 30.

  3. marie says:

    never really found a guy with freckles all that attractive, Redmayne converted me, so HOT..

    didn’t Marling write The East? I know she’s in it, but I thought I read somewhere that she wrote it.

    • Liv says:

      I like him too, he seems so nice…and is pretty hot 😉

      Plus I think his girlfriend seems super nice and down to earth – that says something about him too!

    • V4Real says:

      I’ve had a thing for him since seeing him in “My Week With Marilyn. His lips are what does it for me; you don’t see many White men with pouty lips like that. I just want to suck on them for real.

      • TheOriginalKitten says:

        Sorry ladies but my Tom Hardy has this guy beat for pouty lips 😉

        So weird because I always knew this guy looked familiar but didn’t realize he was the same dude from My Week With Marilyn until this post by Kaiser.
        He does nothing for me physically but he was excellent in that movie. He has a very natural, unaffected acting style that is quite rare in Hollywood.

      • V4Real says:

        I had to go and google Tom Hardy to take a closer look at his lips without all that facial hair he has been wearing as of late. He has nice lips but I perfer Eddie’s trout mouth so your Hardy boy is safe from me. Plus only a few blonde haired men do it for me and Eddie is one of them.

      • TheOriginalKitten says:

        Well then it works out perfectly for both of us, no slut shank required 😉

        Is he a natural redhead or a natural blonde?

      • V4Real says:

        Only one way to find out for sure if you know what I mean.

      • TheOriginalKitten says:

        Time to see if the carpet matches the ceiling.

  4. jinni says:

    Maybe the reason American actors don’t care too much to do stage work is because theater isn’t as big in America like it once was.

    Sometimes I think we’re really hard on American actors. I’m sure if any American actor had said that whole first paragraph they would have been called pretentious. Or if an American went on and on about Shakespeare in the way that Tom Hiddleston goes on about him, they’d be considered to be trying too hard to seem smart. Or the fact that ill manners and bad attitudes get brushed aside as personality quirks in British actors that would get an American actor ripped apart for several posts and always brought up. Is a British accent all it takes for something to sound more truthful and authentic?

    I’m not saying Franco isn’t pretentious, just that we can’t wish for American actors to have more seemingly intelligent things to say in interviews and than when they do, call them try-hards, pompous, and wish that they would shut up.

    • T.C. says:

      +1

      I find Redmayne’s interview just as pretentious as any Franco interview. Redmayne will get slack from other people because he is British. He looks like a pouting fish too which is a total turn off.

      • jinni says:

        The fact that his lips look to be the exact color as the rest of the skin on his face plus the duck-like shape of them, makes him not as attractive as he could be to me.

      • T.Fanty says:

        People whose lips match their skin freak me out. Just like grown up people who still look like they have their baby teeth (see: Gwen Stefani).

      • bigt says:

        Think he’s a good actor. But his lips and face give me a transgender sort of vibe. Not manly to me.

      • princesslizabeth says:

        Jinni and T. Fanti, I agree about the lips/skin thing. It’s kind of disturbing.

    • Esmom says:

      He comes off as really pretentious here to me (the art stuff, not the acting stuff as much). I think he probably IS pretentious. And I like him as an actor, have always found him hot. I didn’t see Les Mis but I was blown away by his singing at the Oscars.

      As for us being hard on American actors, I’ve always thought Brad Pitt sounds a bit pretentious when talking about architecture. But he doesn’t seem to get flack for it.

      Maybe I’m just turned off by actors talking about anything other than acting…and there’s no reason why they can’t have numerous interests and pursuits. I guess I like hot celebs to generally keep their mouths shut, there’s less chance of destroying the mystique!

      • jinni says:

        The thing is even when American actors only want to talk about their craft, they get thrown under the bus and get accused of being precious, people say it’s just acting and why are these actors making a big deal about it. But let some British actor talk about their method acting and people eat it up and complain that American actors don’t take acting as seriously and that’s why British actors are so much better than American ones. American actors just can’t win.

      • TheOriginalKitten says:

        Yeah I agree with the overall sentiment expressed by you ladies.

        Let’s face it-actors aren’t that different than a lot of regular folk in the sense that people generally love to talk about their job, no matter how unbearably boring it may seem to others.

        I’ve never heard Pitt talk about architecture…but in American culture, it’s almost impossible to talk about art and its various incarnations without sounding pretentious. The reason being that art is not an easily-accessible or relatable subject to the average American, while passion for art is so ingrained in the historical and cultural foundation of most European countries, that art-based discussions are perceived as natural and rather common. It’s not that one is better than the other-it’s just a cultural difference.

        “I guess I like hot celebs to generally keep their mouths shut, there’s less chance of destroying the mystique!”

        I think that sums it up for me too, Esmom. To me, acting is a craft and it is very interesting to see how some actors approach their acting but that’s what “Inside The Actor’s Studio” is for. Otherwise, I think it’s beneficial for actors to say LESS rather than more.

      • jinni says:

        @TheOriginalKitten:

        “but in American culture, it’s almost impossible to talk about art and its various incarnations without sounding pretentious. The reason being that art is not an easily-accessible or relatable subject to the average American, while passion for art is so ingrained in the historical and cultural foundation of most European countries, that art-based discussions are perceived as natural and rather common. It’s not that one is better than the other-it’s just a cultural difference.”

        I was just think about this part of your comment. After reading it I began to think that maybe the reason behind art being considered pretentious has something to do with America creating an identity separate from England and it’s old world ways. The appreciation and discussion of art has long been connected to the upper classes of European society. America, to me at least, always seem to be represented as a country without classes or for the lower class/underdog people of society. So, maybe the uncomfortable feeling that people get with Americans talking about art comes from a feeling that they’re trying to be upper class (un-American) or seem more important than they should be (putting on airs).

        I don’t know if I articulated that coherently, but I hope you get the gist of my meaning.

      • TheOriginalKitten says:

        Jinni-Yes yes yes…exactly. You articulated it very well.

        Art is generally considered “elitist” in American culture because of the historical reasons you cited. It sucks for people like me who went to art school because I could talk about art for hours but I don’t want people to start rolling their eyes at me. 😉

      • Esmom says:

        @ms Jupitero: “Pretentiousness” implies that it is all a put on.

        Good point. I think Franco is pretentious. Eddie is clearly knowledgeable about art. I guess what I really meant is that I thought his comments came off as a bit affected — or whatever the opposite of unassuming is! — rather than truly pretentious.

      • jinni says:

        @TheOriginalKitten:
        “Art is generally considered “elitist” in American culture because of the historical reasons you cited. It sucks for people like me who went to art school because I could talk about art for hours but I don’t want people to start rolling their eyes at me.”

        I wonder than if this is why many American actors have remarked that they like living in Europe.

        I guess it’s partially because they feel more comfortable expressing that side of themselves in a society that won’t automatically ripe them to shreds/roll their eyes at there passion for art. Unfortunately, when an American actor seems to prefer to live in Europe they are accused of hating America/ be un-American and might as well give up their US citizenship.

        Hopefully this question isn’t too personal, but do you feel more comfortable talking to non-Americans about art?

      • TheOriginalKitten says:

        “Hopefully this question isn’t too personal, but do you feel more comfortable talking to non-Americans about art?”

        YES, Jinni, a thousand times yes. My mom is from France so half my family lives in EU and out there, art is a regular everyday topic. Going to art museums is a normal thing to do on a Saturday. There is just an appreciation there that is not present in American society in general.
        I don’t want anyone to think I’m disparaging American culture-I just sometimes find myself longing for that reverence that EUers have for art and that’s definitely ONE of many reasons that I feel at home in Europe.

        Also, I have to add that I live in Boston, an extremely conservative city when it comes to public art, interesting architecture and a general appreciation for art. Other cities in the US, like NYC for instance, have a much more thriving art scene.

        Here is an example-the latest piece of public art (one of VERY few public pieces) in Boston was created by Os Gemeos and pretty much as soon as the final paintbrush stroke had dried, Bostonians were already crying out in outrage, declaring that it depicted a Muslim terrorist :/

        http://www.boston.com/names/2012/08/06/gemeos-mural-dewey-square-subject-controversy/kRGdpQ95UW0xYpEK5AmZKJ/story.html

        Do you see what I’m working with here? 😉

      • jinni says:

        @TheOriginalKitten;

        That mural is pretty interesting looking. Honestly,I don’t “get” a lot about contemporary art, but at least I don’t write it off as something a kindergartner could do and actually try to understand it to the best of my abilities. Plus, it must suck to live in a town were people can talk about the Red Sox and other sports ad nauseum, but you’re side eyed for wanting to discuss art. Not that one can’t like art and sports at once, just that sports is a subject that people can be passionate about without being shamed for it.

        “I just sometimes find myself longing for that reverence that EUers have for art and that’s definitely ONE of many reasons that I feel at home in Europe.”

        Unfortunately, considering how most public schools are losing or already lost there art/music programs, I don’t think the situations going to get any better in the future.

      • TheOriginalKitten says:

        Contemporary art isn’t my favorite either but I support ANY type of public art.

        I saw these two artists’ exhibit at the Boston ICA and one painting in particular was REALLY wonderful. They have playful and unique style that is pretty appealing to me.

        Definitely! Boston is a sports town, particularly baseball and while, I enjoy sports, I like to think of myself as having pretty diverse interests that extend BEYOND dudes throwing balls 😉

        They call it “art on a cart” out here and the cuts to art programs in the public school system are SO disheartening. I majored in art ed and I’m certified to teach but I work in the corporate world. I became disillusioned pretty quickly after seeing how undervalued art is in today’s society :/

    • Miss Jupitero says:

      I don’t consider people to be “pretentious” just because they have intellectual interests and like to talk about them. I think the key for me is if they have really earned it, if they really have something to say, and if the conversation allows other people in. I don’t know why Americans find that so threatening. Nobody wants to admit lack of knowledge or something.

      Hiddles sometimes strikes me as trying too hard and coming across way too much as trying to be “inspirational,” but he is sincere and gracious, so I will cut him a lot of slack. Red maybe strikes me as the real thing– someone who truly is an artist and whose work just happens to be acting.

      • jinni says:

        Can you explain what you mean by “earn it”? Do you mean if they have a college education? If so, I personally don’t think being educated always means a person is necessarily intelligent. There are plenty of very smart people who have never finish or been to college.

      • T.Fanty says:

        I’m with you. I think that the one thing he does NOT convey here is pretentiousness. In fact, he’s fairly self-deprecating here, and there is no attempt to *prove* his education (side-eye to Cumby here) with over-elaborate displays of knowledge. I think he comes across as very sincere and down-to-earth.

      • Emma - the JP Lover says:

        @Miss Jupitero, who wrote: “I don’t consider people to be “pretentious” just because they have intellectual interests and like to talk about them. I think the key for me is if they have really earned it, if they really have something to say, and if the conversation allows other people in. I don’t know why Americans find that so threatening. Nobody wants to admit lack of knowledge or something.”

        Welcome to the ‘dumbing down’ of America.

      • Miss Jupitero says:

        Jinni, by “earn it,” I mean does the guy really have something to say or know what he is talking about. You don’t have to be in a degree program to do the work (though I would say there is a limit to how much you can accomplish without interacting with others and hearing their ideas– there is more than one way to do this though).

        “Pretentiousness” implies that it is all a put on. I don’t think Redmayne is putting anything on; I think he actually has extensive knowledge, which he has worked for, in the areas where he is passionate, offers more than just enthusiasm, and has earned his stripes.

      • jinni says:

        @Miss Jupitero: Okay, I get what you mean now.

      • Miss Jupitero says:

        And Jinni, yeas I so feel more at home, more welcome in Europe. I wish I could live there. +1 for all of your comments– a to g is an art, and it saddens me when people are so resistant to hearing actors talk about craft as such.

    • daisieb says:

      British actors, like Eddie, are head and shoulders above their American counterparts. They are educated and classically trained. They are to language what the Americans are to physique. Eddie was at Eton College(prep school) with Prince William and then went on to the highly selective Cambridge University. His range is phenomenal and he sings like an angel. He manages to be convincing in every genre.

    • Bijlee says:

      I think we’re hard on them because there is this perception that they make a ton of money doing what they do and that doing what they do simply isn’t that hard. Yes, there is next to no education in the arts in America, but it doesn’t help when you have James Franco waxing poetically about art while getting million dollar paychecks. There’s a feeling that they think they are doing Gods work (making a lot of money doing it), while the rest of us are down in the muck contributing nothing to the cultural fabric of our nation. It makes you wonder how much exactly these people “suffer” for their art.

      Everyone in America has a different connection with art and what is considered art. I think that America cares just as much about art, but has a more diverse outlook about it. Some people hate it some people love it and study it. Some people make creations that they don’t think is art because it has a practical quality. Like there’s this guy who makes these beautiful walking canes from things he finds in nature, but he sells them on the corner of a street in the middle of the city. He’s doing what he enjoys and has a natural talent for, he doesn’t consider it art. One woman I know made quilts, bags, purses, baby blankets, you name it and sold it to people. People buy what they like but if they don’t like it they don’t buy it. whereas a mural everyone has to look at and if they don’t necessarily like it….it’s not like they can not walk past it everyday.

      Plus @originalkitten i think the mural served it’s purpose. Isn’t art supposed to initiate a dialogue and challenge our perceptions. Especially this phobia we have of anyone in a “headscarf”. Also I believe that such a mural in the middle of France would have initiated as much controversy considering their view on outward religious symbols. I’m sure this is what the artists intended especially when they asked people “what does it look like to you?”

      And America is as much a diverse place as Europe. Who knows maybe in Britain actors are called pretentious all the time by the rednecks over there. There is as much a class distinction between who can become an actor and who can’t. Most of these British actors seem to have gone to Cambridge or Oxford. Only a few go to other colleges. They are stuck in a world of connections and being upheld as the standard to achieve when their social standing got them as far as it did. Look at Rebecca Hall the woman gets jobs because of who her daddy is. Connections and nepotism are SO important over there. Which is why Winslet is such a big deal because she had NO formal education.

      I typically think most British actors are pretentious. Because they have really horrible views of America, which granted aren’t always unfounded but seriously annoy me. But I always feel like they are being condescending towards us lowly Americans. Plus, very few of them can do a southern accent credibly. YEAH I SAID IT!!! They can do the “standard” American english accent very well, but beyond that blegh. We put these Europeans on such a huge pedestal. We really should stop. They do some things right and other things are just as wtf as over here.

      And for the record I do agree we need better arts education. BUT we ALSO need better maths education. Our standards in this country for maths are ABYSMAL. Which pushes me to ask what the hell is going on here with public education? Why are arts programs being cut along with our maths and reading scores dropping??? Our kids certainly aren’t dumber than the rest of the world! Science budgets are being cutback. There’s always this fear that NSF will lose money or it’s budget will be cut. We’re afraid of losing NASA??? We need to desperately fix public education both in the arts and the sciences. We need well rounded individuals who can add/subtract/be competent in math and appreciate art. Maybe we’ll have less bigoted children that way.

      • jinni says:

        I don’t think it’s entirely or really about money because well known British actors get paid a nice chunk of money too, and still don’t have to deal with the same level of attacks compared to their American counterparts on this site.

        My thing was that I wanted to know why American actors were so much more harshly treated talking about certain topics compared to British actors. I think OGKitten and I have come to the conclusion that has to do with the general perception of art as elitist in the States. I think you are also right the we tend to put the British on a pedestal and automatically think they are sophisticated, classy, and smart based solely on the strength of their accents and that might add to the reason why they can get away with saying things that with an American accent would be considered pompous.

        Plus, saying that the general attitude towards artistic individuals is negative doesn’t mean anyone thinks America is an artistic wasteland.

    • VanillaDeeLite says:

      Agreed!! Finally someone said it.

      This guy sounds insufferable btw.

      • VanillaDeeLite says:

        And also, I have been to France, England, Spain etc and fact is, not everyone there is some sort of intelectual supirior to the average American. It’s such a myth! I mean, come on, we are a young country and we have produced SO MUCH art, literature, music etc.

      • silver says:

        agree, he does sound insufferable. I love how he looks but this interview actually turned me off to his personality. next.

    • andrea says:

      I think we give British act-ors more leeway to talk out of their asses because they’re, generally, better educated. If Franco had graduated from Cambridge, I think we’d look at him very differently.

      Redmayne droning on and on about his dissertation is boring as all hell, but I can’t really take it against him. While guys like Franco were dropping out of school and chasing fame Hollywood-style, guys like Eddie were getting an education. That’s what he knows. It doesn’t make the best dinner conversation, but I wouldn’t really expect him to have great stories about kicking back with Nicholson after a Lakers game or partying it up with Leo and the Pussy Posse.

  5. MisJes says:

    I ADORE Eddie. He is a perfect gentleman in every way, and his intelligence and humility is so incredibly sexy.

  6. Nanz says:

    He’s great. I’m so glad his career is going well. You have to see Pillars of the Earth, if you haven’t. Redmayne plays one of the young protagonists. I think it aired on…Showtime? Anyway, it’s a great book and an ok mini-series adaptation, but Redmayne is wonderful in it!

  7. Karley says:

    I remember seeing him in a movie called Hick with Chloe Grace Moretz and Blake Lively. He was pretty good. I recommend watching the movie on Netflix.

  8. El Kiddo says:

    i don’t know, he sounds like a poseur.

  9. minime says:

    Never saw him in a movie (not that I remember), but he comes across as a likeble person…
    I love that he talks about Yves Klein, I saw so much stuff from him in the last two weeks and he really is an interesting artist. Now Redmayne earns points with me and I want to check his work too 🙂

  10. Rosalee says:

    holy crumb cake, intelligent, attractive, and witty..and can dress himself, what more do you need.

  11. Miss Kiki says:

    Oh RedCarp, it was inevitable. You have officially charmed me to my very core.

    • j.eyre says:

      Seriously. That opening paragraph of his is so sexy I had to reread it. This kid just hits all the right marks.

      And – he credits his girlfriend with putting together his outfits b/c of his color-blindness. I’ve missed RedCarp. Glad to see him back.

      • T.Fanty says:

        To be fair, if I had my own little RedCarp, I would be quite happy dressing him up in fancy clothes all day. He’s like a little doll.

  12. RuddyZooKeeper says:

    Wasn’t he in the Birdsong (??) miniseries on PBS Masterpiece a couple of months ago? It was a war period piece judging by the previews, so I skipped it (couldn’t take the heavy emotion of it just then). I know his face but haven’t seen his work yet. If it was him, my God — his huge, deep voice was a total shock coming from that body.

    • jinni says:

      Yes, he was the male lead character in that series.

      • Tig says:

        Sorry – saw him in “Birdsong” and a sexy lead he ain’t. Re the southern accent-surprised no poster has mentioned “The Yellow Handkerchief” the movie he was in with- KStew!! Not his best effort either!

        That being said- he can certainly sing and he is good in POE.

    • j.eyre says:

      And there is a scene in Birdsong you really shouldn’t skip. Someone on CB turned me on to it – You Tube it, you won’t be sorry *fans self*

  13. koala says:

    I think he would be tiring to be around. Very full of himself, but plays it as a passion for art… It’s very transparent and one of the most exhausting types.

  14. Kath says:

    He sounds pretentious as hell. All these “posh” British actors do. I hated everything about Les Mis so I don’t care about him. Brit Marling is way more interesting considering she writes, produces and acts in her own movies.

  15. Original A says:

    Eddie is charming and has great range (check out Hick, he can even pass for a Southerner). I’m kind of pissed that Emaytzy didn’t make the front cover (the African-American actress in the photo)…She has more critical “cred” than Eddie & Brit and it is supposedly on the hot new faces of Hollywood.

    • I Choose Me says:

      Thanks for the id Original A. I was wondering who she is. She is stunning and caught my eye right away. Off to find Google and find out more about Emaytzy.

  16. gabriella says:

    it seems like when any actor (or person, really) wants to discuss something considered high brow and they do so passionately, they are labeled pretentious. at what are they pretending? this is W magazine, after all, not US or even Esquire, y’know?

    • jinni says:

      That’s very true and my above comment wasn’t to call out Eddie for being pretentious because I don’t think he is. Just to call out the double standard between the way American actors are perceived compared to British actors.

  17. Lipsy says:

    I don’t find him attractive but this was a pretty interesting read! He sounds smart and witty, yet humble.

  18. mercy says:

    Love Eddie. He’s not my type physically, but he’s a talented guy who knows how to dress and I’ve never found him anything other than genuine, smart, and kind in his interviews. A little humour, modesty, and charm go a long way towards undermining claims of pretentiousness.

  19. DreamyK says:

    Those photos of him don’t do him justice. He’s really quite attractive and I love that he’s a snappy dresser. He definitely got my vote for best dressed male during the awards season.

  20. valleymiss says:

    I can’t believe that no one pointed out, the girl on the cover could be Lana Del Rey’s TWIN!

  21. Gemini08 says:

    Sorry Kaiser but there’s nothing that proves that Eddie Redmayne is an “artist” other than his acting. With Franco – you may not like his artistic worka but the fact that he attempts makes him an artist. Art is subjective so what speaks to one person may come off as complete crap to someone else. I still can’t get with Redmayne- he still creeps me out. And his singing in Les Mis was annoying.

  22. I Choose Me says:

    Love it or hate it, the man has style. I like him, like his acting (he has a certain presence on screen) and I found this interview charming. He doesn’t do it for me, no biscuit tingles but damned if I don’t find his face arresting. But then I happen to like distinctive, not perfect features.

  23. lylaooo says:

    i love him!!! he is an amazing actor and so hot !! and those lips!! ohh myy !!!

  24. maitri says:

    Actually, art in the schools, is absolutely coming back as we speak, not dying out! Fortunately, between grants for inner city programs, wealthy districts who fundraise through PTA’s and host both a teacher and plenty of materials, and Charter schools that organize themselves around the arts as a means to teach curriculum, there’s plenty of access today. It was a couple of decades ago, that programs were sorely lacking, and it seems like it’s now the common buzz word in american media ‘no art or music in our schools’-people get used to hearing something and it becomes a cliche or set belief….That scenario has changed, but of course we don’t yet see the fruits of the change….

    • jinni says:

      That’s really good to hear. Thanks for the update.

    • Esmom says:

      Agreed that the vision is there but unfortunately we are a long way from effectively implementing arts integration into even a fraction of our public schools.

      In large urban centers, like where I live, the bigger concerns include simply getting the kids to school safely, feeding them and making sure they’re ready to learn. This is where arts integration really can be so effective in engaging kids. I’ve seen it work and it is amazing. But sadly the resources just aren’t there to make it happen with any consistency.

      In more affluent areas, angry taxpayers are demanding that “frivolous” things like art and music be cut to help balance budgets, while vilifying teachers as greedy “takers.” People like this just don’t get the fact that education is so much more than the “three Rs” and that teaching is not a cushy job that you can just phone in.

      At times I think it’s a miracle that anybody learns anything anymore. *ends rant*

  25. Carolyn says:

    He was good in Pillars of the Earth. Eddie was also adorable in a remake of Tess of the D’Hurbevilles (the one with Gemma Arteron). He’s had some quite good roles to date.

    And he was a Burberry model. Not a bad resume, hey?

    PS – wouldn’t want to meet him, kiss him. I just like looking at him and like him onscreen.

  26. Karley says:

    He’s not that creepy

  27. teekay says:

    I graduated with Brittany. So jealous of this photo shoot, that boy is a beautiful specimen

  28. Tiffany :) says:

    Just for the record…
    Corsets are MUCH more uncomfortable when you actually have breasts and curves! A man in a corset is not the same thing as a female in a corset.

  29. anna says:

    Just got my copy of W. The Eddie piece is great. i didn’t even know who he was. He sounds like an interesting talented artist.

  30. Meh says:

    Looks like Denis Leary to me. Not that that’s a bad thing, BTW.

  31. Julia says:

    Yummy!

  32. Ginger says:

    I was surprised that he’s 31. I thought for sure that he was younger than that. Well, he’s an interesting cat! I’d love the chance to hang out with him.

  33. Nan209 says:

    He’s an interesting person. He seems rather enthusiastic about life.

  34. Lucrezia says:

    Anyone else read David Eddings’ Tamuli series? Eddie sounds like he’s on the verge of breaking out into “An Ode to Blue”.

    But seriously, being pretentious = faking sophistication to impress others. Geeking out = showing an eccentric fascination with something. Franco gives out pretentious vibes, but Eddie just sounds like an art-geek.

  35. silver says:

    Um, some colorblind can see blue and green. Contrary to popular belief, only a small percentage of colorblind people can only see in black and white. I dated a “colorblind” guy who wouldn’t see red, so the whole colorblind thing isn’t all that quaint and unique to me.