Star: Alicia Vikander thinks Eddie Redmayne is a demanding diva

wenn23257491

Of all of this year’s (white!) Oscar nominees, who is the biggest diva? Who is the one most likely to treat “the little people” like crap? Who is the most likely to demand a certain drink in the middle of a desert? I doubt many people would guess Eddie Redmayne. In interviews, Eddie seems to come across as somewhat nerdy, serious and a little bit shy. Even in his dual interview with Jennifer Lawrence on Graham Norton a few weeks ago, he just seemed like a sweet guy, not the most suave, but sort of silly and nice. But Star Magazine would have you believe that Eddie is a terrible diva. Not only that, but Alicia Vikander can’t stand him because he’s always demanding special treatment. Um, really?

Eddie Redmayne may be Hollywood’s new It Boy, but his costar Alicia Vikander isn’t so smitten.

“Alicia is actually dreading the rest of the awards season, because Eddie makes it all about him,” dishes a tipster, citing a recent photoshoot in the California desert for their buzzed-about flick. Apparently Alicia and the rest of the cast were left cringing when Eddie insisted someone fetch him a “proper cup of English tea.”

“Everyone was scrambling around trying to please him, and Alicia was just fuming,” recounts the insider. “She would have been happy with a bottle of water so they could get on with work – but once again, Eddie was making demands.”

[From Star Magazine, print edition]

What is this photoshoot in the desert? And why would he want a proper cup of tea in the desert? Anyway, I’m not saying I believe this or disbelieve it, but I do think it COULD have happened. Maybe Eddie had a bad day, maybe he was homesick, or maybe he’s just an undercover douchebag. If he is a d-bag, then he’s also a much better actor than I ever knew, because he really does come across like the sweetest, almost blandest guy.

Meanwhile, it’s looking more and more like Alicia is the leading contender for the Best Supporting Actress Oscar. How does that make you feel?

wenn23257702

Photos courtesy of WENN.

You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

246 Responses to “Star: Alicia Vikander thinks Eddie Redmayne is a demanding diva”

Comments are Closed

We close comments on older posts to fight comment spam.

  1. fashionista says:

    Makes me feel irritated because I did not enjoy the Danish Girl. At all.

    • Terarium says:

      Win an Oscar with her engineered emphatic performance? Hopefully not, even though we’ve seen mistakes like this in the past at the Oscars. She is talented but pretty limited in her chosen range, hitting the same notes all over again. Rooney is wonderful, both on screen and in person. Just watch her in interviews. Very well-spoken and eloquent, modest, intelligent and genuine overall.

      • holly hobby says:

        Well sometimes actresses win and go on to bigger careers and sometimes you never hear from them again. I remember reading something a few years ago about the supporting actress award curse – that their careers go into oblivion after they win. I don’t know if it’s true or if I can remember who won and we never heard from again (Catherine Zeta Jones comes to mind but she had health issues plus age against her).

        Anyway if Alicia is as bad as some people say, she can win and her career goes into the crapper.

      • juls says:

        Limited range? In Testament of Youth and Ex Machina she gives two terrific and completely different performances.

      • Eggland's worst says:

        I say, give her the Oscar and see if she sinks or swims.

      • ladysussex says:

        @terarium Really? I don’t think her range is limited at all and I think that the general consensus of people who’ve seen several of her movies is that she has an outstanding range. And who cares about how eloquent or intelligent an actress is off screen when it comes to award noms? The nomination is for the acting skill, not for how good someone is in interviews.

      • jammypants says:

        She is anything BUT limited.

      • Jko says:

        I think Terarium means that she is the same in all dramas, someone’s mistress, wife or whatever and she plays it the same: that long lost gaze and annoying accent to say the least.

    • robynsing says:

      I didn’t enjoy HIM in The Danish Girl. He was just like nails on a chalkboard. He really just bugged the hell out of me in this film. Maybe it was the script. The rumor was that he bought his Oscar also. I think somewhere that leaves me prejudiced toward him. Him asking for tea is normal. When I lived in UK I was shocked at what a ritual tea is and how they ALL drink it as often as they can. I don’t care for tea at all so it was funny to me how excited they all are by it. Like it was crack and they are addicts. Now, Vikander STOLE THAT MOVIE. Her performance was fantastic and I can just not say enough good things about her acting ability. Definitely an Oscar worthy performance.

      • JenniferJustice says:

        Asking for tea is normal depending where you’re at. Asking for “a proper cup of English tea’ during a shoot in the desert is ridiculous. If he didn’t like any “improper” tea given him in the desert, it’s time to settle for some cold water. Who knows if it’s true though.

      • ladysussex says:

        He “bought” his Oscar? How exactly did he do that? Seems like Leo DiCaprio would do that, too, if you could just buy them.

      • jammypants says:

        His performance stood out like a sore thumb next to Vikander’s excellent turn.

      • justagirl says:

        @robynsing
        I haven’t yet seen the Danish Girl because I was afraid his performance would have the same effect on me! I also was not keen on his portrayal of Stephen Hawking, there was something about it. At some points I just felt too much of the “Acting”, other times it seemed like over-acting and almost hamming it up. …but what do you mean, the rumor that he bought his Oscar?

      • Andrea says:

        I saw the Danish girl and they both were kind-of blah performancewise. He did a far better job last year IMO with the Theory of Everything.

      • NelsonNorgard says:

        I am so with you on that. Instead of acting Eddie notoriously put on a coy smile to fake somthing supposed to be femininity or nuance – he overdid it and was all wooden otherwise. Why he got nominated I don´t know, must be the “gut to play transgender”. The whole film was a bore and stiff. There was just no depth to it. Plus they didn´t get the facts right. Alicia Vikander was the only good thing in it.

    • sensible says:

      Well I must give too much benefit of the doubt to actors. I really enjoyed The Danish Girl, but mainly because of the relationship between Gerda and Einer/Lili, I thought it as quite nuanced. I did however, make the assumption that the tight smiles and overtly feminine gestures etc by Eddie as Lili were because he did not know himself, he was experimenting with who he was and how he wanted to present. I did not think it was bad acting, I actually thought it was Eddie acting someone acting. Lol.

    • sophia petrillo says:

      Same, I didn’t like Danish Girl at all. Alicia was the weakest/most annoying part of it too because she was constantly fidgeting and twitching to the point that it took me out of the story.

      ETA: ANd holy COW talk about category fraud! I knew that the title of the movie refers to her character, but I think she seriously got more camera time than Eddie Redmayne did.

  2. lilacflowers says:

    It tells me Eddie was tired of people handing him a cup of lukewarm, microwaved water and a tea bag or dispensing hot water out of a former coffee container (it will ALWAYS taste of stale coffee) into a cup with a tea bag and calling that tea. There’s a running theme about this in The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. When I saw Robert Plant in concert a few years ago, on Boston Harbor, no less, he began the show with an angry expletive laden rant about how nobody in the United States knew how to make a cup of tea., and then gave a great performance.

    I drink tea but I’ve learned that very few people in this country know how to make it so I won’t order it in certain places .

    • Jellybean says:

      I know exactly how he feels. My love for Sam Rockwell only grew when he was interviewed on London and said he loved coming here, if only so he could stock up on Yorkshire Tea; a cup of which I am drinking right now.

      • Betti says:

        Yorkshire tea is good, am more of a Twinnings girl myself.

      • Jellybean says:

        I get through a lot of tea, Twinnings is more of a bone china cup and saucer tea, I have mine in a big old builder’s mug, with plenty of time to brew.

      • Betti says:

        Oh yes brewing time is key to a good cuppa. I’m a bit odd in the way i make my tea – I add the water first, let it stew and then add the milk in to the colour that i want. Don’t take sugar.

      • ncboudicca says:

        Yorkshire Gold is my fave. Much easier to find than it used to be, but even then I can usually only get it in bags, not loose.

        The best gift my husband has ever given me was an electric kettle with temp control. Makes a huge difference.

      • Sixer says:

        I am a Yorkshire gal, too. Nice and strong. Twining’s on a posh day.

      • lilacflowers says:

        Oh good! We have a lovely tea discussion going. As soon as I hit the office on this cold morning, (with weather looming tomorrow), I’ll make myself a nice pot to warm me up. Nice and strong.

      • AntiSocialButterfly says:

        @ncboudicca-
        if/when your kettle fails you, get one of these:
        http://www.brevilleusa.com/the-tea-maker-onetouch.html

        Purchased one for hubby a few years ago, and he says it is the *best* gift he’s ever received.

      • frisbee says:

        Barry’s Breakfast tea is lovely, Irish, got hooked on it on holiday and I’ve never looked back. It really depends on what the waters like in your area, hard water area’s can react badly with the leaves and bring out the bitter flavour. Best use a filter jug. And we’ve had this discussion before but it really does taste better in ceramic cups or mugs.

      • Miss Jupitero says:

        I love Assam best, followed by Yorkshire Gold, especially in the morning. Splash of milk, no sugar.

        Mark T. Wendell puts out a blend of Assam, Ceylon, and Darjeeling called “Indar” which is to die for. Expensive, but well worth it. I also love smoky teas, such as Hu Kwa.

      • ncboudicca says:

        @ASButterfly – Wowza. That looks purely magical!

        Has anyone tried http://www.teabox.com? I got my sister a chai sample box for Christmas and she said it was great. Going to try it out for myself…

      • paranormalgirl says:

        I’m a Barry’s girl.

      • T.Fanty says:

        Apparently today is a tea-themed day. I am SO enamored with @ASButterfly’s fancy tea kettle.

        My grandad used to steep the tea, then rebrew the kettle, so it was basically a tea stew.

      • SusanneToo says:

        @lilac. Hope Boston’s weather is not like last year.

      • Embee says:

        My partner is Persian and he makes the BEST tea. Sometimes I get it right but it’s never so good as when he makes it (and brings it to me in bed)! It’s restorative, truly, and I am a coffee person since high school. Mother drinks Earl Grey with milk, and I adore the smell and the association I have with her but Persian tea in a clear, fluted glass FTW!

        I love the Breville but the now-discontinued Russell Hobbs is amazing! I cannot fathom why they aren’t made anymore!

      • NUTBALLS says:

        I’m coveting that Breville tea kettle.

        I’m an Assam & Earl Grey gal myself. And I never order tea from an establishment unless it’s a proper tea room or I’m enjoying full afternoon tea at a swanky hotel. Most other places give me cheap Lipton and lukewarm water.

        My absolute favorite tea experience tho’ was the mint tea I had at a Moroccan restaurant here. I could have drank that by the buckets.

      • Reece says:

        *mind slightly blown* Twinings is considered posh in Britain? You find it everywhere here including Tar-Ghet.
        Yet PGTips I can only find at one store but I have yet to bring my self to buy some because I have a feeling it will be like drinking Lipton.

      • Holmes says:

        @Reece: PGTips tastes nothing like Lipton. It tastes like actual tea, rather than muddy water 😀

      • Reece says:

        @Holmes Alright then I’ll go for it. They way people talk about it on here always gave me the impression it is Lipton-esque. haha

      • Sixer says:

        Reece:

        I don’t know enough about American brands of anything to give you an analogy!

        But um… tea hierarchy goes: supermarket own brand > standard branded blends > special blends > very posh blends. Twining’s would be a special blend but most people just buy a standard branded blend for everyday. Does that make sense? So Twining’s isn’t posh like afternoon tea at Claridge’s posh but it is a premium brand.

        Liptons does not meet a British definition of tea! 😉

    • Zapp Brannigan says:

      After reading this I am now going to have to put the kettle on. Gasping for a brew.

    • Anne tommy says:

      Continental Europeans make bloody awful tea as well. UK and Ireland for a decent cup of Rosie Lee! If Redmayne and Vikander were tea they’d be a bit lukewarm, weak and milky, IMO.

    • Sixer says:

      I bet Eddie doesn’t drink PG Tips like whatsherface with her squatting!

      I agree: it’s shocking, the state of tea in America. We have American cafe chains that defile tea in this way these days. Right on our own high streets! Russnfussn.

      • Pansy says:

        I’m American and thought I loved hot tea! Have I been loving a lie?! What should I be doing differently??

      • Sixer says:

        Aww. I’m just messing about Pansy. We are lunatics about our tea here in Britland. But we probably all agree it must be made with boiling water, not off the boil water, as Lilac describes above.

      • Miss Jupitero says:

        If you hang out in China, people will have stern words with you about the boiling water. Use boiling only for black tea. If you are making green tea, the proper temperature is short of boiling. So I have been told anyway.

      • Chaucer says:

        205f is the temp for most herbal teas. 🙂 any hotter and your tea will burn. Once you’ve tasted a well made cup, you can tell if your tea is burned, much like burned coffee.

      • frisbee says:

        @ Miss Jupitero, that’s right about the Green Tea. I love green tea, it tastes like black but without having to add milk or sugar. I leave my kettle to stand for three minutes, pour the water on and then steep for two minutes, I pretty much use a timer. A bit of a faff but it’s a lovely cuppa at the end of it. Sencha green tea is the nicest, it actually comes up bright yellow.

      • Pansy says:

        Ah. Ok, I’m going hotter then! (Stronger is what I’m after, right?)

      • Kath says:

        Don’t forget us Aussies (and Kiwis)! Also obsessed with ‘proper’ tea. And yes, in America, it is balls. Ordered a cuppa in Starbucks once and never got over the horror.

      • Prim&proper says:

        Favourite Teas: Rose Pouchong, gorgeous soft flavour, but so refreshing, perfect
        for the 4pm tea break.
        White Peony with Rosebuds and Blue Sky, both these also have health benefits.
        Have a look at TeaPalace.com – fabulous teas from the Morning Builder’s Brew
        to the exotic.

    • M.A.F. says:

      Why would we Americans know how to make tea? We threw the tea into the harbor as protest to taxation without representation then never looked back. 😉

      The only thing I know about tea is not to leave the tea bag my cup. And that rum goes quite nicely in tea.

    • Miss Jupitero says:

      I have mixed feelings. When I lived in Turkey, I got very tired of British tourists expecting proper British this and proper British that all the time. Sorry guys, but you have a certain reputation abroad when it comes to this. In Turkey you will get Turkish tea in a little tulip shaped glass, which will be made by diluting tea from a little pot that has been steeping forever. In the US, just don;t expect good tea. Americans are not tea drinkers.

      On the other I hand, I do get it. I truly cannot stand crappy tea. The worst is the restaurant that brings you the cup of tepid water with a tea bag on the side. Hot water! Put the tea in immediately so it can steep!

      If he made certain requests such as “I need a plugin tea kettle, a ceramic teapot, and a supply of good assam, I have no issue. But if he is stopping traffic with the words “proper” and “English,” maybe he needs to learn how to communicate.

      • Sixer says:

        British Asians would agree with you and ask, “Where is the mention of our massala tea? Ignored. That’s where.”

      • Betti says:

        I quite like Turkish tea – nice and strong. My dad is one of those people that has a little tea pot where he steeps he tea for a good 5 or so mins before drinking, its all tea stained in the inside. Best tea ever from that tea pot.

    • Duchess of Corolla says:

      Yorkshire Gold is wonderful!

    • SarahUK says:

      I’m really enjoying how on two posts today the comments have turned into indepth discussions about tea! (the other one being Julianne Hough’s)

    • Boston Green Eyes says:

      lilac, have you ever had tea at the BPL? They have a wonderful tea, complete with scones and clotted cream! It’s called the Courtyard restaurant. I believe in the summer you can enjoy your tea out in the courtyard.

      Yes, I am a big tea lover and am sort of snobby about tea, myself. I really love dark teas like Assam that can take milk.

      • NUTBALLS says:

        Boston Green Eyes, Lilac, Kitten, Miss Jupitero and other Boston CB-ers,

        Did you see the Seth Meyer’s faux trailer for “Boston Accent” on Boston.com today?

        http://www.boston.com/entertainment/tv/2016/01/22/this-faux-trailer-for-seth-meyers-boston-accent-movie-literally-the-most-boston-thing-ever-literally-ever/IAEKA7QDczuO5rMwzLdPRK/story.html?p1=Must_Reads

        You’re welcome. Enjoy your impending storm.

      • Edie says:

        Boston Green Eyes: I’m going to have to take my MIL there for Mother’s Day, this would be her idea of heaven. Thank you for the tip!!! Now we clean out the grocery store because even though we’re all seasoned New Englanders, you can never have enough stuff you would never normally eat on hand for what may or may not be a snowstorm. Either way, we can all be secure in knowing that it will take 3 hours to get three stops to work on Monday when the MBTA implodes from the first flake. At least we’ll have tea to see us through.

      • Lilacflowers says:

        Yes, I have! I worked at the BPL whilst in college and it such a lovely setting. The courtyard is one of my favorite Boston locations. And the statue in the fountain is one of my favorite Boston stories. She was banned!

      • Boston Green Eyes says:

        @Edie, Wait, I thought we were only getting 1-3 inches. Did something happen while I wasn’t paying attention???

        @lilac, back in the 80s I had a button that said, “Banned in Boston.” Wore it with pride!

      • Boston Green Eyes says:

        @Edie, forgot to add:

        She’ll love the Courtyard! It’s a bit posh, but not too much. And their menus come in recycled books from the Library! I really enjoyed going there last week when I took a day off.

      • Edie says:

        @Boston Green Eyes: It’s 1″-3″ but I didn’t see that update until after I commented. I just assume the MBTA will implode, that I will still eat my weight in Mini Eggs, and I will still get the shakes thinking about snow after last winter. We should be fine… should be, until they unleash the Kraken in February.

        The Courtyard sounds delightful! I am so on this, she is constantly seeking out “Girl Time” after having two sons and another DIL who breaks out in hives over anything remotely feminine. So excited!!! Thank you!!!

      • Lilacflowers says:

        @Edie, the Courtyard does a lovely tea in a beautiful location and you can combine it with an Art & Architecture tour of that beautiful building.

        I’m expecting no more than 3 inches of snow, although I stocked up on fancy provisions from the Public Market. We’ll have nice things to eat while watching The GAME. I even got tea from Solana Garden.

      • Moneypenny says:

        I got married in the courtyard at BPL (reception upstairs). It is such a wonderful setting! Must go for tea one day.

      • SusanneToo says:

        Boston Accent was killer, even for those of us not lucky enough to live there.

      • Edie says:

        SusanneToo: I’ve watched it twice today. It’s a classic.

    • raptor says:

      I love that there’s one pretty minor example, and it’s characterized as “once again, Eddie was making demands.”

      I’m looking forward to the next story.

      Noted diva Eddie Redmayne is at it again. As reported earlier, Oscar winner Redmayne famously held up a desert photoshoot due to a lack of “proper English tea,” much to the annoyance of his Danish Girl costar Alicia Vikander. At a recent luncheon, Redmayne, who is nominated for his second Academy Award for The Danish Girl, refused to eat his vegetables, noting that the peas were not “mushy enough.” Vikander, who is also nominated for an Oscar for the film, once again let her disappointment be known, remarking that she “would have been satisfied with stale bread and water.” Not only does Vikander take issue with Redmayne’s diva behavior, but she also resents the Oscar buzz he has been receiving for his performance. When prompted, Vikander noted that the ideal Oscar winner should be humble and unassuming. “Like me,” she said. “Like Michael Fassbender.”

    • Cee says:

      I was once given lukewarm Earl Grey tea in a plastic cup. It took me a while to process that that’s what passes as tea in NYC (never mind I had ordered a pot of English Breakfast)

    • Hudson Girl says:

      Seriously! What is this judgement again wanting a proper cup of tea. No one would ever serve a warm watered-down budget beer and expect to be thanked for it.
      (I travel with my own tea bags in a small ziplock bag, though!)

    • Lilacflowers says:

      When I arrived at work this morning, my paralegal had a pot of David’s Assam waiting for me

      • antipodean says:

        I have traveled, and lived all over the world, and I love English and Irish tea, but the best tea I ever drank was in Botswana, red bush tea cures all ills! I am with one Ms Ramotswe on that subject !My other most favourite has to be good old Choysa, very comforting on a dreck winter’s day, and great for keeping cool in hot weather too. The proviso for all tea, for me, is that it must be BOILING hot, not tepid.

      • LAK says:

        Antipodean: Red Bush Tea!!

        Sixer: Yorkshire

        Plus PG Tips.

        Now when in America, I must remember to order Earl Grey Tea because whatever the wrongs of the serving, it is the closest approximation they have to proper tea.

        Let’s not talk about what they think tea is… LOL.

        And those ‘teas’ served in american chains on the high street….

        Oh my!!

      • E-clair says:

        Taylors of Harrogate was always the posh tea in my Grannies house. Auntie always like Typhoo brewed so strong you could stand a spoon in it. But both were very particular about the tea preparation! Fond memories of visiting both their homes as a child. I’m a chai tea drinker – Gran and Auntie would not be thrilled!

    • Holmes says:

      I can’t understand where this idea comes from, that Americans microwave water for tea. Have you people ever actually met an American? I’ve literally never met a single person who does this. Yes, in restaurants they will often give you warm water and a teabag, but I have never met someone who makes tea this way in their own home. I own and use an electric kettle, as do most people I know. In fact, I’m looking at one in my office right now.

      • Lilacflowers says:

        I am an American and a tea drinker and I am constantly subjected to being handed a tea bag and shown the microwave.

    • Jisabird says:

      @Reece I’ve with you, I thought Twinnings was “basic bitch” tea. I like PGTips, I believe it’s the British version of Lipton (ie everyday tea, not posh tea), but I find it stronger so I prefer it to Lipton. My husband went to London and brought me some Fortnum & Mason loose leaf tea that I loved. Right now I’m drinking Ty-Phoo tea which I found at the gift shop of The O’l Kings Head in Santa Monica.

      • antipodean says:

        The King’s Head in Santa Monica is my go-to place when I fancy a good sausage roll, or some bangers and mash. The shop next door is a great source of things British what you can’t get in this manor, Squire. There is also an Indian grocery store called Nina’s who have quite a good selection of British groceries. They are down here in Orange County, and their prices are slightly better than other places I think.

      • Reece says:

        I’ve passed by that place many times. I’ve always wondered if it was any good or a jumped up pretentious tourist trap because it’s right at the beach. Usually when I pass by I’m trying to get the heck outta that area asap. Now I have to specifically go there since I have two recommendations here.

        ETA: In fact I think there’s one in Studio City too.

      • LAK says:

        Antipodean: I practically live at the King’s Head in Santa Monica every time I venture to Los Angeles. And the store next door.

        it’s ridiculously silly that I don’t go anywhere else, afterall i’ve made the trip all the way from blighty and should therefore enjoy the different culture, but……can’t do it. I’m as bad as the Brits in Spain.

      • antipodean says:

        @Reece, it is a bit of a tourist trap, but needs must when one wants a spot of good tuck, and its food is pretty good, and reminds me of what I am missing. I don’t go too often, or the pounds pile on, but I do enjoy it from time to time. The shop tends to have high prices, but I do love to browse from time to time, and can never walk past an Aero bar, or two. There is also quite a good Irish pub up in Fullerton we have been to from time to time, its name escapes me for the mo.
        Ha, ha, @ LAK you made me laugh remembering the POMS on the Costa del Sol, or Torremolinos, and how they could never get a good cup of tea, and the baked beans and chips were never like they were in Blighty. We thought it was hilarious that they came all the way to Spain, the home of delicious nosh, and all they could do was want what they got in Britain. I could tell some tales, to be sure!

    • Mrs. Odie says:

      I’ve never liked tea. Then I took college courses at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland, and we had breakfast as part of our room and board. In the cafeteria, the servers would come around with either coffee or tea. At first, they automatically poured tea, but when they found out we were American, they started asking first. The first morning, they poured tea and I tried it. What I tasted was not what I had ever known as “tea” in my experience. It was the most amazing hot beverage I’ve ever tasted in my life. I’ve never been able to duplicate that experience, but if tea always tasted like that tea, I’d be drinking it 4 times a day and looking forward to it as well!

    • Lilac, spot on. It’s a Brit thing…the whole damn workday stops at 10am for a cuppa…which is a bit scary since I work in a hospital! My Scottish husband says to me every once in a while what a great cup of tea I’ve made…which leaves me scratching my head as to what the hell I did to make it that way. Personally I’ve been an American transplant for so long now that I’ve come full circle and stopped pretending that I like tea. Give me espresso or give me death.

      • Sixer says:

        I do that to Mr Sixer! Compliment him on a particular cup of tea.

        Oh deary me. How embarrassing.

    • EM says:

      If people don’t like it, they can bloody well make the tea themselves. There are bigger problems in the world than cups of tea.

  3. vauvert says:

    Assuming that he asked for a cup of tea, how exactly is that making him a diva? Seriously. Big news. British actor demands cup of tea. The scandal. (Yes, I am biased. I like Eddie.)

    • Ally8 says:

      I was all ready to find him a demanding diva, and then read this story and was, like, nope. Tea is a thing. When you expect a decent cup of tea, nothing else will do. It’s refreshing when you’re tired; it’s soothing when you want to relax. That said, I hope he provided instructions, otherwise I don’t see how they would do any better the second time.

  4. Annie says:

    i think the description for a diva is NOT an English man wanting a proper cup of English tea. Rolling eyes.

  5. Betti says:

    This is Star so is likely BS and i have never heard anything negative about him. I have met and interviewed him in a previous career, he was so nice and sweet. If anyone is the diva my money’s on Alicia.

  6. MP says:

    Wanting a cup of tea is hardly the same as expecting only certain colors of M&Ms in your room or demanding your very own toilet bowl to be carried everywhere with you.
    Tea does not a diva make.

  7. Mia4s says:

    I love this story, it’s so random.

    Weird to target him because he’s generally so bland and unremarkable (although usually a decent actor, *cough* Jupiter Ascending *cough*).

  8. Jellybean says:

    There is absolutely no location and no situation that cannot be improved by “a proper cup of English tea”. Tea in America is rubbish, if I was a successful actor that would be my one demand. I would be happy with a tent and a portaloo, but the tea would be non-negotiable.

    • Betti says:

      Me too – when i’ve been in the US i’ve drunk coffee. Those Lipton tea bags offend me, it tastes like dishwater. You can’t even taste the tea.

    • Farhi says:

      I kid you not my family travels with their own samovar ( Russian tea making machine) and tea leaves. I think Eddie needs to take his destiny into his own hands and make his own tea. Nobody else can do it for him. He can ask for tea 50 different ways and it still will not be right if he isn’t in a tea worshipping country.

  9. SusanneToo says:

    As I said on the Naomi/Liev thread, it’s the Star being the Star. And I would feel good if Alicia wins, though why she wasn’t nominated for Ex Machina I don’t know.

    • Don't kill me I'm French says:

      Because there are not enough of Oscar members who watched Ex Machina and voted for the movie or her

      • stinky says:

        They shouldn’t get to vote if they don’t watch EVERYTHING.
        im not joking.
        but I know that’s a ridiculous expectation….

  10. Talie says:

    Alicia is a hustler. She’s got no time for tea!

  11. als says:

    Out of the two of them, Eddie is the one whose life partner has dedicated her life to supporting him and constantly attending to his needs and if he didn’t like the arrangement he wouldn’t have agreed to it.
    For all her flaws and Fassy games, Alicia can still show up at events by herself, without being cared for by a self-sacrificing partner.
    I am sure there is some fake in the story, but there’s some truth too.

    • Zapp Brannigan says:

      Alicia kinda has to show up by herself because Fassbender ain’t putting anyone else first, my impression of him is that he will not inconvenience himself for anyone.

    • Mandy says:

      Interesting point. One that men maybe need to be called out for a little more IMO.

    • qwerty says:

      He went to the same school as Prince Willnot. It’s not a stretch to imagine he might be a bit fussy.

      • Edie says:

        It’s definitely not a stretch and someday it will cease to be charming. His ex was totally erased from the “before I was famous” narrative because she was an accomplished woman who, I’m reasonably sure, in the end, didn’t want to be a prop. I wouldn’t give up my career for my husband (and he didn’t ask, he’s not stupid), we live in an area where it’s not necessary, and my training is interdisciplinary so I have options. That’s her prerogative to make that change to accommodate his career and although I bristle a bit at the thought, do what makes you happy, you only live once.

        I like Alicia, too, because her threshold is low for nonsense and she’s not a charmer. She’s confident, which I’m sure people find abrasive.

      • ell says:

        @Edie who was his ex?

      • Edie says:

        @ell, her name was Tara. There’s a whole long article somewhere from when he was filming “The Good Shepherd.” He talks about (like the how he met Hannah story) he had known Tara since they were teenagers, etc. and having dinner with Brad Pitt and discussing China because she worked for an NGO.

        I can’t believe I even remember any of this, I guess I was just surprised at the similarities in the narrative and thought she sounded like a really interesting person.

    • vauvert says:

      Not sure how Hannah being supportive has anything to do with this story. Also not sure what his school has got to with it. See above comments from non-famous British people regarding tea. regardless of background, wealth, education, etc. the Brits generally like a decent cup of tea. Big whoop.

    • Timbuktu says:

      How is Eddie’s wife “constantly attending to his needs”? I admit I’m not his fan, so I don’t know much about her, but from what I know, she has a successful career. Showing up with him at award ceremonies is hardly “constantly attending to his needs”, is it? Especially since it won’t always be a yearly thing, he just happens to have 2 nomination-worthy years in a row, it’s not that common.
      And I seem to recall a couple of occasions where he did go alone.

      I think you’re reading neediness into the status of the relationship. Hannah is Eddie’s wife. Fassbender is barely Alicia’s boyfriend, based on how he talks about it. Boyfriends and girlfriends generally do a lot more things apart than husbands and wives. Especially picture-worthy events.

      • Farhi says:

        As I understand Hannah had a career, as an investment bank PR, a cushy job for which she didn’t have qualifications on a surface (she didn’t go to Oxbridge, can’t remember where I got that from so maybe I am wrong). That made me go, hmm – I think we are seeing family connections at play here.
        I think now she is running an antiquities shop or something like that, again using family connections it seems.
        For this reason I don’t think the original poster is far from the truth. She completely changed her careers after getting involved with Eddie.
        Eddie seems nice but I don’t think he has real life skills. He probably has been catered to all his life and he needs someone to do things for him.

      • ell says:

        “Fassbender is barely Alicia’s boyfriend, based on how he talks about it. Boyfriends and girlfriends generally do a lot more things apart than husbands and wives. Especially picture-worthy events.”

        why are people so obsessed with them either being a pr relationship or being barely together? if you google it, they’re all over the internet clearly being a couple, just not in paparazzi pics or events, and it’s their prerogative. many celeb couples keep their relationship private, even when they’re married. for instance, both david tennant and his wife are actors, but never attend events together and rarely talk about one another. james mcavoy and anne marie duff are more relaxed about each other nowadays, but for years they refused to talk about each other even after they were married. rachel weisz and daniel craig have only recently started discussing each other, but they’re usually quite reluctant. i really don’t understand why fassbender and alicia being together is such a bfd for some. not all celeb couples need to be corny like channing tatum and his wife, you know?

    • ell says:

      agreed.

    • Lou says:

      Eddie shows up to events by himself too … what a strange comment. Maybe Eddie’s wife WANTS to attend with him, and you don’t know what movies Eddie is turning down for her, especially now that she’s pregnant and maybe only taking movies filmed in UK. It’s insulting to say that she is like a doormat changing her life for him when most of us have to make adjustments when we find a life partner – it’s called life and committing to somebody, and considering Eddie makes the higher salary it makes sense that they might work around his career a little more for the time being. It doesn’t mean it will always be the case, and yeah, comparing a married couple to a pretty recent couple who don’t spend a lot of time together due to bust schedules is pretty dumb. Michael and Alicia also try to keep their relationship on the downlow due to tabloids etc. It’s not the same thing.

      • ell says:

        “it’s insulting to say that she is like a doormat changing her life for him when most of us have to make adjustments when we find a life partner”

        it’s not insulting, and most people don’t change their job when they find a life partner. obviously it’s her life and she can do what she wants, however it’s also fine for people to notice.

      • Lou says:

        Well explain what she is supposed to do then? Be tied to London while her husband is overseas filming for months? Who is to say that she wasn’t looking for a change and this gave her an opportunity? Who is to say that Eddie doesn’t support her new career and travel with her for business, or offer financial support while she establishes herself? You assume that she’s just following her man around the place are giving up everything for him. It’s a big leap to take. You don’t know their circumstances but all we do know is that they seem very happy together, his career is going great, she’s setting up her own business, they are about to become parents and they are hella cute!

      • ell says:

        “Be tied to London while her husband is overseas filming for months?”

        that’s what many wives/gf of people who have to travel for work do. lmao, are you saying that every single woman needs to be living in her husband’s pockets all the time? like i said, it’s her choice, but please don’t imply every person would do what she does, some women do care about their career enough not to give it up to follow their man around the globe (and i speak as one of them, my partner is a musician so he tours. for months sometimes. and i join him when i can, but i also have my job i want to do so not all the time).

      • Jenna says:

        I love the comment “Fassbender and Vikander are private”. They were never private!! They just happen to be unfamous so nobody cared about them until now. But why am I surprised to read this by a stan who’s everywhere on the internet? Oh la la

      • ell says:

        boring. calling someone a stan when they disagree with you is so predictable. you can probably do better.

      • Lou says:

        @ell Where did i say every woman would do what she does? I never did so stop projecting your own insecurities on to me or Hannah by suggesting she is a doormat for wanting to be with her husband and switching careers to accommodate having more free time to travel.

        NB: She is NOT giving up her career. You don’t even have the basic facts correct. Go home!

      • ell says:

        hahahaha, my insecurities. ok. if anyone is taking this very personally, is you. by going ad hominem you lose any credibility, so you go home.

      • m says:

        Its highly possible that her former employer didn’t want her appearing on red carpets or mentioned in interviews hence contributing to her leaving. A lot of big companies do that because the celebrity aspect of a persons life might make their coworkers and clients uncomfortable.

      • Clairej says:

        I am with you. I don’t see what the big deal is with Hannah following Eddie around and maybe not overly working. She may not be ambitious, but they also have the money and means to be a family unit and stick together while he has to fly here and there, sometimes for months at a time. Who cares!!!!! Maybe all she wants in life is to be a Wife/Mother. Each to their own.

      • als says:

        @Lou: actually, you are the one that brought the ‘doormat’ expression into discussion here and I am glad you did. I simply stated the obvious – which is that Hannah and Eddie have a relationship dynamic that requires her to be present next to him a lot, which in my mind means sacrificing a lot of her time for his needs, which, in my mind, means that he has a lot of Needs (contrary to his modest and humble public image).
        Of course, some think that dedicating a lot of your time to your partner and his career is not a sacrifice – meaning that they probably don’t value themselves much in the first place. If I dedicate my time to my partner I expect for him to acknowledge and value it accordingly.
        To be clear, not all people need and pick relationships in which their partner is glued to them. Some enjoy having a little freedom in their relationship, because that is their NEED.
        To be clear (again), you don’t need to defend this woman Hannah or her relationship, because society favors women like her, 90% of people out there will praise women that stand by their men (sometimes, cheating, lying and egoistic men), change jobs and lifestyles for their men – your support here is extra. I don’t blame the women that do this because they WANT TO. But I am not sure that women have a lot of choice in wanting this when everybody already expects them to do it and everybody is ready to accuse them of selfish behavior if they don’t.
        To be clear (again!), until I don’t see supportive and self-sacrificing men standing next to women like JLaw, Charlize Theron (I chose them because they make a lot of money, are beautiful and are known for being ‘bitchy’ which is code for having needs of their own) and the like I will consider women like Hannah doormats. Because if women do for men what men won’t do for them, they are DOORMATS!

    • Betti says:

      Erm where does it say his wife gave up her life to support him – she’s a marketing/brand manager i believe. She has a career of her own and isn’t in the film industry.

      • Edie says:

        She left a corporate PR job to be an antiques dealer, which theoretically gives her greater flexibility and is probably more interesting!

      • Betti says:

        ^ Corporate PR is boring as fk so can’t blame her for changing careers. The ONLY upside as it would have paid reasonably well. Now she there is a baby on the way she can still work while being a SAHM.

      • Edie says:

        Betti: Right? My husband works in some snooze-tastic regulatory corporate lunacy and I work with a bunch of intellectual, artsy loons who go from talking about their hormones to Anthropologie sales to poetry slams in the same breath. I’d suffocate and die in corporate. Wouldn’t trade places with him for the WORLD, but I’d like some of that corporate moola.

    • icerose says:

      i thought Eddie’s wife had a job-it was mentioned in last years Oscar promotions although she may have given up once the baby arrived.I am an Eddie fan but theis sounds like a touch of the green eyed monster or a complete fabrication

  12. SM says:

    Can someone explain to me why is she a thing? Besause from what I saw it’s more exciting to watch the paint dry. And yes, I’ve seen Ex-machina. I think the credit goes to the casting director who cast her because she is naturally blant and sort of robotic. Good casting. Much like casting of January Jones as Betty Draper in Mad Men was a genius choice by casting director. So how do I feel about her winning? Great. Because she and a statue will make the perfect match

    • Don't kill me I'm French says:

      She Will win an Oscar,She is Fassbender’s girlfriend,she is ambitious,she wants to be famous …

      • FF says:

        Plot twist: Fassy wins. Alicia loses. Ex-Machina wins.

        More AV sniping. She wins next year.

        Thirstmayne has to go home and make his own damned tea.

    • Timbuktu says:

      So, I learned in Brie Larsen’s thread that I can now come and tell you that you’re just plain wrong and that it is a “fact” that Alicia is a great actress and that if you’re denying it, it is because you’re a hater.

      (Personally, I liked her in 3 movies I saw her in: Anna Karenina, The Royal affair, and The Danish girl, and I’m actually a little annoyed she’s a “supporting actress” in the Danish girl, I felt she was more of a co-lead, and at times, I felt like it was even her story).

    • Farhi says:

      Lol, about sums up how I feel about Brie Larson. It is subjective. I like watching Alicia on screen, she does a good job, to me that means she is a good actress. And I don’t find her bland either.

    • Minxx says:

      You’re right, she is bland and moderately talented but she’s been propelled into A-list basically overnight (in the last year or two). Even with a huge talent and a lot of work it doesn’t just happen by itself. Alicia clearly had a lot of support and backing from top HW players, agents and an excellent PR team. All of this came together to make her the top Oscar contender. A few months ago Rooney Mara was on the top of all the lists and where is she now? I don’t begrudge her the success, just notice how those things are done. Same applies to Brie Larson this year though I don’t see such obvious PR play with Brie or maybe it’s just less obvious.

      • juls says:

        @Minxx Is Vikander an A-lister? No. A Royal Affair was nominated THREE years ago,her career has not happened overnight. There are many actors who are lucky to have the right movie at the right moment. Chastain anyone? Like Vikander,Chastain had several movies released in the same year,at least thee critically acclaimed performances like Vikander. The irony is that Vikander had a better profile than Chastain in her breakthrough year. Chastain’s rise was more sudden. Rooney Mara has the best movie among the contenders,but her performance is not the type of showy performance that the Academy reward. Winslet and Vikander have that type of performances.

    • Bethie says:

      I’ve only ever seen her in “Testament of Youth.” I’d never heard of her before. I thought it was a compelling performance.

  13. littlemissnaughty says:

    Well, that came out of left field. I have no opinion on Eddie but it would make him a much better actor than even his Oscar suggests.

    Alicia winning an Oscar, I’m torn. I watched The Man from U.N.C.L.E. on the weekend and while the plot is offensively boring, I massively enjoyed her and Armie Hammer’s performances. Haven’t watched The Danish Girl but I feel like an award should be given to her agent rather than her.

  14. Lou says:

    Rubbish!

    Eddie is the least diva-ish actor around. I can see Alicia being up her own ass just based on the comment that she was totally gonna win an oscar this year… who says that even if its true?

    I want to watch Eddie on Graham Norton but Jlaw is working on my last nerve these days so i will leave it until after Oscar season and she hopefully disappears for a little while. I wish he had been on with somebody like his good friend Jamie Dornan (who is quite meh to me but i’m sure they would be cute together)

    • Leah says:

      Neither of them have a reputation for being divas.
      eddie acts like he is surprised anyone likes him. “Who me?” was his stock response to winning a bunch of awards. Hes self deprecating and modest, very english.
      Alicia is straight to the point, independent career woman who doesnt make excuses for herself. Typical Scandinavian
      People who don’t understand those cultures think Eddie is shy or lacks confidence or she is up her own ass. I don’t think he lacks confidence or she is up herself, i just see them as very typical for their respective cultures.
      He was fine on Graham Norton but it wasn’t his best interview. I like him more at the hollywood reporters roundtable.

      • Lou says:

        i don’t think he lacks confidence. I think you have to have a lot of confidence to be successful at his level (and the praise he gets…) and no matter what culture you are from, saying that kind of thing is more than just confidence. Why did everyone rag on Lindsey Lohan when she talked about winning an oscar – and don’t say it’s because it’s her lack of talent because 99% of people didn’t know Alicia from Adam when she said it. It’s just an obnoxious thing to say, and it’s not about a woman being confident or assertive.

      • Leah says:

        Alicia didn’t say she was going to win an oscar. You haven’t read what she said properly. She said she in a few movies that were contenders. All actors involved in the danish girl will be able to attend the oscars as the movie is nominated same goes for any cast involved in a nominated movie.

      • icerose says:

        I like him more at the hollywood reporters roundtable.”.Timothy Small were the stars of the round table and it also made me a fan of Ethan Hawke who spoke with more intelligence and knowledge than i had expected

    • qwerty says:

      She said no such thing.

    • Evie says:

      She didn’t say that she was “totally gonna win an Oscar” though. She said that a couple of the *films* she was in could be Oscar contenders. Quite a difference.

      • X says:

        You don’t say such a thing. Not even big reputable actors say that. That comes across as terribly entitled and arrogant.

  15. CornyBlue says:

    Will be very happy if any of the Best Supporting Actress nominees won without McAdams and Winslet. Would be thrilled for Alicia.
    I doubt Eddie is a diva but if he is i hope he is like his character in Jupiter Ascending.

  16. Pepper says:

    So basically he was asked what he wanted to drink, he said tea, and someone had to scramble behind the scenes because they hadn’t anticipated the request. Big deal.

    I regularly get sent to 5 or more coffee shops on a coffee run because all the managers have to have their favourite. I’d be delighted if I got a request as simple as proper tea.

  17. Don't kill me I'm French says:

    If to ask a proper cup of tea,it is a diva demand now ?!

  18. Evie says:

    This sounds completely fabricated. Really, “a tipster”!?
    And why would anyone promote a European period drama with pictures in a dersert?

  19. Crumpet says:

    I am so fascinated to read about how we Americans can’t make tea! Can a Brit educate me on how to make a proper cup of English tea please? I was in London years ago, and had tea there, but I don’t remember much about it. If I knew how to make a proper cup, I might be persuaded to drink tea now and again instead of coffee.

    • lilacflowers says:

      Microwaves are not involved. Repeat. Microwaves are NOT involved!

      • cr says:

        Way back in college a dormmate had a couple of British friends over, and they were so offended that those who drank tea microwaved the water they went out and found us a kettle.

      • Edie says:

        WHO MICROWAVES TEA??? I’m actually shocked at this, I’m sitting at my desk like a meerkat right now, looking very alarmed.

        I second all of the electric kettles, mine is ceramic and like a proper teapot but I just plug it in. Everyone loves it. No one should be microwaving tea, EVER. If you ever see someone putting a tea cup into a microwave, use one hand to grab the tea cup and the other to slap their hand.

      • Dara says:

        Hang on a minute, I microwave the WATER in a glass container until it’s boiling vigorously and then pour it immediately into a cup or kettle to steep with my tea of choice. As long as the tea is of good quality, I’ve not noticed a difference in taste (but maybe I have a tragically undeveloped palate). Scientifically speaking, boiling water is boiling water, no matter how it gets that way.

      • Edie says:

        Dara: I think it’s something like when someone makes a sandwich for you, it just tastes better, even if it’s just someone plunking some ham on a bun. Boiling the water in a kettle just makes the tea better… whether that’s true or not, it’s one of those things we just don’t question.

      • spidey says:

        Dara – by kettle did you mean teapot?

    • Wilma says:

      I’m not a Brit, but my tea improved so much after reading this essay from George Orwell on tea: http://orwell.ru/library/articles/tea/english/e_tea

    • Bluebird says:

      Fill kettle with fresh water.
      Once it reaches boiling point pour straight onto teabag (in mug or in pot).
      Let it infuse for a minute or three, depending on how strong to like your tea.
      In a mug, discard teabag and add milk and sugar as required.
      If serving from a pot (which I only do if serving with teacups and saucers – fancy!) add cold milk first (this is traditionally to stop the tea staining fine china)

      What you definitely don’t want to do is use water that’s been boiled over and over as it gets stale. Or fill mug with water and then add the teabag. Boiling water MUST go onto the teabag. This is for black tea only of course. Green tea and other herbal teas are better with water that’s about 80C as boiling water at 100C makes them bitter.

      I love tea!

      Crumpet, let us know how you get on. Nothing better than tea and crumpets!

      • Timbuktu says:

        Ok, so then what’s the fuss about?
        I’m from Central Asia, so we know our tea as well, and I believe I earned the right to be a tea snob, having made a lot of tea with fresh herbs from the garden, etc. I’ve also been to London and had tea there, and it was good, but I exactly thing “OMG, THIS is the real tea, I was doing it all wrong all these years!!!”.
        So I find all this angst over a good cup of tea in the US a bit laughable.
        Yes, I’m with you, getting a cup of microwaved hot water and a tea bag on the side is not real tea. But at the same time, boiling a pot of water and pouring it over a bag of tea is hardly rocket science, is it? Surely a lot of fancier restaurants, where these celebs dine, can manage to boil water? I just can’t fathom that it can possibly be that hard to find a “good” cup of tea in the US.

      • Lilacflowers says:

        @timbucktoo,

        My sense is that Eddie’s tea misadventure did not occur at a fancy restaurant but at some press junket conference thing at which there were probably coffee urns and either no acknowledgement that someone might want another warm beverage (happens quite a lot) or a coffee urn was filled with water that will taste like stale coffee and a basket put out with assorted tea bags, such as “Apple Orchard” and “Plantation Mint” for dunking in the stale coffee-flavored, lukewarm water.

      • Timbuktu says:

        Oh, I wasn’t necessarily discussing Eddie here, just your general Englishman complaining about not being able to find a cup of tea in the US because Americans don’t know and don’t appreciate good tea.
        In the desert – ok. While driving on the road and stopping a random rest stop? Maybe. But IN THE US? Not buying it.

      • LAK says:

        Timbuktu: Granted, I haven’t been all over the USA, BUT I have never had a proper cup of tea there.

        In the end I had to remember that if I ask for Earl Grey, then at least I will come to an approximation of tea.

        Any thing else, and we aren’t talking about herbel tea, just isn’t tea.

        And they definitely don’t know how to make it, even when you request Earl Grey.

        All that said, Tea is a peculiarly British and Irish obsession.

        The Americans have their own obsessions as do other countries.

        Recently, the American ambassador to Britain had a good whinge about all the lamb he was being served in Britain. He said he really missed steak.

        That’s understandable since USA is a beef country, not a sheep one (see the sheep wars that caused this anomaly).

      • Tina says:

        @timbuktu, 99% of US restaurants will have a machine that keeps water constantly hot (or a microwave). When people want tea, they just pour the water over a tea bag, so it’s not boiling water. This is important, but most restaurants don’t have the staff time to devote to it (and many Americans don’t care).

    • Sixer says:

      Crumpet: buy an electric kettle. Boil it. Pour boiling water into teapot. Swill round. Pour out water. Put teabags or loose tea into teapot. Pour boiling water into teapot. Leave to brew for 4-5 minutes. Pour into cups or mugs. Add milk and sugar to taste.

      Mind you, every single Brit will tell you slightly different. And every single Brit will tell you their way is the only right way!

      ETA: haha. Bluebird beat me to it. Obviously any differences in method are correct in MY way, teehee. Got to warm the pot first.

    • CornyBlue says:

      My favourite is British people claiming tea as theirs when it has been around India and China for ages and the best tea is from there.

      • Lex says:

        Umm… they don’t claim to have invented tea mate.
        The way they drink it does differ significantly to those in India and China though!

        My favourite thing when in London is do go and do a lush high tea. The one at the Ritz has been the best so far but the one at Fortnum and Mason was a very close second. I love selecting from their delicious exotic blends. When teamed with those sandwiches and scones it’s like a dream come true!

      • antipodean says:

        @Lex, the arfo teas at the Ritz are fab, but the Savoy does one that is pretty jolly good too. Cucumber sarnies anyone?

      • Lex says:

        @ antipodean – @ the Ritz you get little cards to request songs by the pianist (noone else was doing this so I got every song I wanted on!!!).

        I requested Angels by Robbie Williams and the waiter came over and told me that a month earlier, Robbie’s wife Ayda was there and the pianist started playing a big medley of his songs. She rang him to tell him and he loved it and hired the pianist to go with him on tour! How amazing.

      • spidey says:

        @ antipodean At those prices I would want caviar thanks very much.

      • antipodean says:

        @Lex, thanks for sharing that sweet story, I love Robbie’s music, he did very well for himself after leaving Take That. I remember the lovely pianist, but you couldn’t make requests when I was there. They also used to have a pianist playing on the second floor of the Peter Jones on Oxford Street. It gave a lovely posh atmosphere to the shopping experience, very olde worlde!
        @spidey, arfo tea at the Ritz, Fortnum’s, and the Savoy, are a little pricey, but it is a whole other experience that simply cannot be missed! Sometimes a girl just needs a bit of a treat, worth every penny.

  20. Edie says:

    I’m not a fan, he grates on my nerves, but this sounds like a wonderful fairy tale: “Eddie and the Cup of Tea.” And he comes across as modest and kind of a dingbat because that’s the signature Eton modesty shining through and it’s very disarming. He’s managed, much like many a talented politician and actor before him, to make that into a bankable career.

  21. Lucy says:

    Yeah, I call BS on both ends. As in, I don’t think Alicia hates Eddie (why does everyone here dislike her so much? Is it because she’s datting Fassy? I’m seriously asking, I know pretty much nothing about her) nor that he’s a Diva.

    • Eggland's worst says:

      There are probably just as many people who wonder why all the love for her. There are just as many who are obsessed with defending her at every turn. Some people probably do dislike her because of Fassstd, but some just don’t like her. Not everyone will like her, not everyone will dislike her. I personally like a small group of actors that almost confines itself to the cast of This Is The End. They seem like a bunch it would be fun to hang out with. And Aaron Eckhart. I love me some Aaron Eckhart. Different strokes.

  22. InvaderTak says:

    This has got to be one of the lamest “tips” of the year. He could have easily said it in jest as well. Teasing us Americans about our bad tea making and then laughed it off.

  23. Minxx says:

    I see that Alicia’s PR team decided it wasn’t enough to put down Fassbender as a difficult to handle, violent drunk only Alicia can calm down (previous stories published by Star magazine) but they also needed to put down poor Eddie for being a “diva” and wanting some tea. LMAO.

    • Farhi says:

      Well, in the mainstream media Alicia is praising Eddie as a “great friend”. As for tabloids, we don’t know if any of it actually happened.

      • Edie says:

        I mean, what is she going to say? “He’s a complete tool of Satan and I get hives every time I have to be in the same room as his freckly face?” I couldn’t be “on” that much, my soul would slowly die if I had to be that effusive on a daily basis.

      • Farhi says:

        Do you think Eddie is extrovert or introvert? I actually think he is an introvert but if so, as you said, being constantly “on” is exhausting. That is probably my “fake” radar is pinging so much with him. He is not natural at this.
        At home or in the off time he probably just wants to be left alone with a good cup of tea. Here I can understand him )).

      • ell says:

        @farhi, he’s just so awkward it’s so hard to tell.

      • Edie says:

        My “fake” radar pings a lot on him, too, because it’s a fairly common presentation and I recognize it in other people from similar educational and class backgrounds. I just don’t think it’s authentic. He’s kind of like Hugh Laurie but not as brilliant or as likable. Given the choice, I’d rather hang-out with Hugh Laurie.

      • juls says:

        @Farhi Vikander is ALWAYS the diabolical woman for his fans. It’s ALWAYS her fault. 😁

  24. Moon says:

    What’s wrong with wanting a cup of tea? Alicia sounds like the diva here. Impatient and unable to work well with others. If he’d insisited on having a PA fan him and held up shooting for hours until they got the tea right that’s something else but this sounds so minor. AV sounds impatient as always. Personally I think both don’t deserve nominations because TDG was an awful cringeworthy movie.

    • Minxx says:

      In one of her interviews (in NYT, I think), Alicia said that she was annoyed by Guy Ritchie creating a playful atmosphere on the set of U.N.C.L.E. He wanted actors to have fun (it was a light movie, after all) and she would have none of that. It made her uncomfortable, she said something about preferring to film for 14-16 hours and sitting in the trailer between takes. “Time is money” and it was silly of him to waste it.
      I can see her objecting to Eddie taking his tea instead of just getting down to work. 🙂

      • Kiki says:

        Now this is why I don’t like her. She is so stuck up so far to her backside, that she takes herself so serious. And people attacking me.

  25. bread says:

    Eddie Redmayne is Taylor Swift anno 2012-2013. That sort of fake humility can be grating to a plain-spoken Scandinavian like Alicia Vikander.

    • Edie says:

      +100 Here it is, in a nutshell, yes!

      • Armenthrowup says:

        Spot on! I did love The Danish Girl but for me, Alicia was the star. I have a massive girl crush. Actually not even a girl crush, just a full on crush. Love her – him, not so much.

  26. spidey says:

    Right, my two penn-orth cups of tea should always be made with boiling water. Personally I don’t like it too strong or too milky, with the milk in last so you can see how much you need from the colour. If the tea is too strong, then more water NOT more milk. And no sugar.

    Re this story, methinks someone is trying to make a mountain out of a grain of sand. If all Eddie said what “can I have a decent cup of tea” then that is hardly being a diva.

    • spidey says:

      Just to really turn your stomach – a true story. My great grandfather used to make a cup of tea by brewing it in the mug – loose tea leaves in the pot, add boiling water then drop a raw egg in it. Leave to brew/cook and drink/eat the lot!!! Yuuuuuuuuukkkkkkkkkkk.

  27. spidey says:

    Slightly off topic, when I watch US films they often have a coffee machine with the glass jug of coffee apparently being kept hot – wouldn’t that just ruin the coffee/

    • Eggland's worst says:

      No, it just keeps it the pot hot. If you let the coffee sit for hours on end, it probably does affect the taste. However, most of the time if there is a pot that big full of coffee, it gets drunk up quickly (e.g. an office setting). If the last pot is too old, you just refill the maker and have fresh coffee. But it is usually good for a couple of hours.

  28. kri says:

    A cup of tea in the desert?! Why, he is the very model of a modern major general! This is such a ridiculous story.

    • spidey says:

      What is wrong with a cup of tea in the desert.

      • Dara says:

        @spidey – to this American, your question is probably the most British-sounding comment on this entire thread. Congratulations!

      • spidey says:

        Thank you Dara! 🙂 I will treasure that along with jammypant’s “spidey’s commonsense” remarks.

        I have to say that whenever I come home, whatever time of day, the first thing I do is put the kettle on for a cup of tea.

    • Edie says:

      @kri: So glad someone finally broke out some Gilbert & Sullivan. It’s about time!

  29. Danula says:

    Win an Oscar with her engineered emphatic performance? Hopefully not, even though we’ve seen mistakes like this in the past at the Oscars. She is talented but pretty limited in her chosen range, hitting the same notes all over again. Rooney is wonderful, both on screen and in person. Just watch her in interviews. Very well-spoken and eloquent, modest, intelligent and genuine overall.

    • SusanneToo says:

      That last sentence sounds just like AV. That’s how she is in interviews.

    • juls says:

      You’ve just posted this comment with another username. 😊
      @Susanne Too I agree. She comes across as a well-spoken and intelligent woman.

  30. ickythump says:

    A Brit looking for a decent cup of tea is not a demand, its their default position….

  31. Saks says:

    “or maybe he’s just an undercover douchebag”
    I actually think this is it. I dont know why but he has always giving me the impression of being a huge hypocrite and gives me creepy vibes.

    • Edie says:

      That’s my feeling. My body and my mind were battling this out, but past experience with his type says, “Run screaming into the night, don’t worry if you run straight into a tree on the way out.” My mind is currently winning the struggle.

      Does he ever praise her in interviews? I haven’t been following too closely, but I feel like I’ve seen more with her saying nice things about him rather than him giving her a boost. Maybe he paid her rent, I don’t know.

    • Minxx says:

      I agree. Eddie gives me fake-humble vibes but Alicia is just as phoney except she hides it better behind a “sweet girl” persona. I hated the fact that Eddie won last year over Michael Keaton. It was a gimmicky performance in an obviously Oscar-baity movie.

      • spidey says:

        Never having seen Eddie in anything before I thought that performance was brilliant I almost forgot he wasn’t Hawking at times.

      • icerose says:

        I have seen him in films and tv shows and has a long CV.He has a long list of theatre awards and nominations including OlivIers, Bafta’s,Tony and Oscars and I usually enjoy his performances even if I do not get effusive about them.So a possible miss is easily forgiven.

  32. Lex says:

    There would be a whole team of people just there to give the stars what they want.
    How is asking for a cup of tea a diva demand? The people may grouch about it but if that’s what they are paid for, suck it up!

    To many people, tea is like air!!!

  33. Irma says:

    I don’t understand people saying that they can’t get any good team in the USA. Even chains like cost plus market, whole foods etc carry British brands. And with so many non chain cafes popping up doing artisan baking and organic, there are definitely some options for a solid tea. True, water temp and delivery are harder to find but in large cities and smaller college towns there are more choices.

    That said, most Americans still willingly go to Starbucks for coffee,and their coffee is hardly quality. Glad to have them at airports but when American consumers decide that mediocre bland and image based is not the thing, then we’ll see fewer sterile chains. It’s not just bad tea lol

    • KTE says:

      Really, you can sometimes get a decent cuppa in Anerica, but it’s awfully hit-and-miss. Sometimes it’s because the tea they’re using is just too weak for British tastes (Lipton, Earl Grey, even Twinings is weak compared to what most Brits drink at home ) sometimes it’s because they just don’t make it correctly. The microwaved water and tea bag on the side is common, but I’ve also been handed tea with frothed milk in it (yuk!) and been given iced tea instead of hot tea.

      I have been known to microwave hot water to make tea when travelling and staying in hostels in my youth, and really desperate for a cup – even if you get it hot enough it still doesn’t taste right. Microwaved water tends to form an odd film that tastes funny. You really do have to boil the water!

  34. CK says:

    I’m, to my immense surprise, rooting for Rooney Mara. Sorry, Alicia. It’s not you. It’s me.

  35. FF says:

    Neither are divas but both are internet-reviled in some parts.

    The probably got on like a house on fire but won’t have any wins this year from the Academy.

  36. JenniferJustice says:

    Americans don’t drink tea – at least not very many and not the way it’s done in England. We are coffee drinkers and unfortunately – soda pop drinkers. We need our caffeine! Sorry, but I think it’s kind of silly for anybody to get frustrated with the lack of proper tea here if we don’t even drink it here. That’s like expecting a great steak while in Jamaica. Or expecting a good schwarma in Alaska. Is it possible? maybe. Is It realistic? No.

    • Sillyme says:

      You don’t have very good coffee in the US either, as I’ve recently discovered.

      • xflare says:

        Or Chocolate

      • Sarah says:

        Yes the coffee and chocolate is USA is just heinous. People are painfully addicted to bloody Starbucks!!! I heard people defend it saying they know it’s always the same and they can always get what they want… oh gee how inspiring, dependable coffee. The funniest part is here in Canada when I’ve heard people say there is a big “coffee culture”… um… no. Go to Sydney or Melbourne for some coffee culture.

    • lilacflowers says:

      I’m American. I drink it here.

  37. zoem says:

    Disagreed, I think Rooney Mara is the leading contender for the Best Supporting Actress nod, especially given that it should have been a Best Actress category nod as she was the film’s main star.

    • ell says:

      rooney mara was just wonderful in carol, it would be well deserved. i like alicia, but the danish girl was really meh.

  38. Mexirish says:

    Lyon’s tea all the way.

  39. OhDear says:

    The story is probably fabricated. However, I don’t buy that his “nicest, classiest man ever” image (though I don’t think he’s a complete arse either).

  40. Muahaha says:

    I believe this story wholeheartedly. My friend and i saw Edie in the Ritz london last year, when he just won the oscar. My friend, sorta freaking out, called out his name and asked for a picture to which he replied with a glare “no im not!” and left. No longer a fan.
    ,

    • icerose says:

      it is his right to say when he wants his picture taken -being a fan does not give you entitlement to call out to him across the Ritz and interrupt his tea .It can be considered very rude.Not being a fan is your loss not his from the sounds of it

  41. Junior says:

    I’m having a very difficult time digesting how people have raved about his performance in The Danish Girl – he was awful and completely miscast. I simply don’t get it. Alicia Vikander, on the other hand, made the movie. The only reason I continued watching the film was because of her – Eddie was just not convincing – at all. Alicia is a great actress. She was fantastic in Ex-Machina, The Royal Affair, and in the Danish Girl. I really hope she wins an award, Eddie Redmayne – not so much, and completely overrated. Ugh.

  42. mkyarwood says:

    Was it the very end of a hot, demanding disastrous day? ‘Cos the English will, in fact, go to war for a good cup of proper English tea.