Eddie Redmayne Honors “Beautiful Mind” of Stephen Hawking

Eddie Redmayne (Newt Scamander), who gave an Oscar-winning performance as Stephen Hawking in 2014’s The Theory of Everything, has paid tribute to the renowned scientist, who passed away early Wednesday morning at the age of 76.

Redmayne, who met with Hawking prior to filming, made a statement Wednesday:

We have lost a truly beautiful mind, an astonishing scientist and the funniest man I have ever had the pleasure to meet. My love and thoughts are with his extraordinary family.

Eddie Redmayne and Stephen Hawking at the 2015 BAFTAs

Hawking was a theoretical physicist whose influential work with black holes, relativity, and cosmology made him a household name. His influence was such that he appeared all over pop culture, including a cameo for his bestselling popular-science book A Brief History of Time in the Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban movie!

A wizard reads “A Brief History of Time” in the Leaky Cauldron.

The Theory of Everything charts Hawking’s life from his time as a student at the University of Cambridge, through his diagnosis with ALS at age 22, and his continuing relationship with his wife, Jane Hawking, as his physical condition deteriorated. Redmayne’s performance was highly praised, earning him Best Actor wins at not only the Oscars but also the Golden Globes, Screen Actors Guild Awards, and British Academy Film Awards.

At the time, Hawking posted this heartfelt and reflective analysis of Eddie’s performance and his own life to his Facebook page:

I thought Eddie Redmayne portrayed me very well in ‘The Theory of Everything’ movie. He spent time with ALS sufferers so he could be authentic. At times, I thought he was me. Seeing the film has given me the opportunity to reflect on my life. Although I’m severely disabled, I have been successful in my scientific work. I travel widely and have been to Antarctica and Easter Island, down in a submarine and up on a zero gravity flight. One day I hope to go into space. I’ve been privileged to gain some understanding of the way the universe operates through my work. But it would be an empty universe indeed without the people that I love.

He will be missed!