Actor Eddie Redmayne still talks to his school drama teacher when he needs tips ahead of a movie role.

The 33-year-old star has taken Hollywood by storm, winning this year’s (15) best actor Oscar for his portrayal of Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything. He’s tipped to get a nod at next year’s (16) ceremony too thanks to his portrayal of transgender artist Lili Elbe in The Danish Girl, which received rave reviews at the Venice and Toronto Film Festivals.

Now Eddie has revealed one of the secrets of his success.

“I had the greatest drama teacher I could ever have wished for in Simon Dormandy,” he told Britain’s Hello! magazine. “He inspired me to continue acting and I wore him so much. We will stay in touch. Over the years I’ve continued to seek out his advice and work with him if I think I could use some feedback when I’m preparing for a role.”

While many stars dream of seeing their name in lights from a young age, that wasn’t the case for Eddie. He didn’t even consider a career in movie making when he was growing up, even though he liked pretending to be different characters. It was when he appeared in a production of Cabaret at the Edinburgh Festival when he was in his late teens that things clicked into place.

“The odd thing about this profession is that you still feel like a kid play-acting. There’s this sense of make-believe and wonder to it that stays with you,” he said. “Making movies is a bit like being on a summer holiday where you meet people, become friends and then perhaps go away and never meet again.”

One of the things the star loves most about his job is working with other talent, with Eddie singling out his The Danish Girl co-star Alicia Vikander for praise. During her audition she made director Tom Hooper weep because he was so moved, something which floored Eddie.

(Source)