About Time: C&TH Meets Eddie Redmayne (excerpts)
‘You have no expectations as to what it might be,’ says Eddie about his OBE.
‘We arrived [at Windsor Castle] and we went up the longest, straightest road in the
world and there was fog across it. It was beautiful. Inside people were dressed in
blue cloaks with scarlet collars, and you got to meet all the soldiers, and the castle
looked amazing with all its Christmas decorations. It was all a bit overwhelming.’
On becoming a father…‘It’s such a cliché, but the only negative is the sleep
deprivation. One night Iris slept all the way through and we were like, “Our lives
have returned!”, only we got sucker punched the next night by being woken at all
hours. But despite that, you can go into her room mildly furious and then there’s
this massive grin waiting for you and all is forgiven.’ Eddie wrapped up filming
for Fantastic Beasts last March so has been very much around for Iris’ first few
months, but whereas many new parents might not dare leave the house for a while,
he and Hannah were happy to fly out to the Rio Olympics with Iris at just eight
weeks old. ‘There was a slightly worrying moment when we were on the plane
with lots of Olympians and there was the fear that Iris would keep them up and
screw up their medal chances, but they seemed to do ok!’
On art & style… Away from the screen, Eddie is a collector of art ‘in the most gentle
way’. ‘I’ve got a couple of prints and drawings but nothing of any value. I’m quite badly
educated on contemporary art, although we do always go to Frieze Masters, which I really
enjoy.’ And where did he get his best-dressed-list style from? ‘I definitely have not always
been – or will always be – a well-dressed person. A lot of it came down to the Burberry
campaign I did. I went for a fitting and the clothes were so tightly tailored that I was like
“whoa!”, but when I saw the photos I realised that the suit looked so much better so that
changed my take on tailoring.’ He’s a fan of Prada, naturally, but also name checks Gucci,
McQueen and Hardy Amies as his go-to designers
Eddie and Hannah live in Borough, south London, and he likes ‘the fact that it’s really
central but can also be very quiet at weekends’. He loves going to the theatre (the
Young Vic being a particular favourite) and museums, but mostly his free time is spent
‘keeping his child alive’. The couple also rent a ‘battered old farmhouse’ in the Midlands,
which they’re slowly bringing back to life.
Would we ever lose him to Hollywood? ‘I didn’t love LA at first because if you’re
used to being someone who walks, you’re screwed. But after going for 12 or 13 years
I have a great affection for it, although, as an actor, your outlook is coloured by
whether you’re having success or not because it’s such a one-industry place.’
Eddie Redmayne is an ambassador for OMEGA watches and
the face of the OMEGA Constellation Globemaster collection.
