Eddie Redmayne Pays Tribute to Stephen Hawking

Legendary physicist Stephen Hawking passed away this morning, causing social media to flood with tributes from fans and celebrities alike, noting Hawking's impact and what he meant to them.

Eddie Redmayne, who won an Oscar for his portrayal of young Stephen Hawking in the film The Theory of Everything, also paid his respects in a statement to Mashable.

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

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On stage, Redmayne starred in the productions of Red from 2009 to 2010 and Richard II from 2011 to 2012. The former won him the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play. His film breakthrough came with the roles of Colin Clark in the biographical drama My Week with Marilyn (2011) and Marius Pontmercy in Tom Hooper's musical Les Misérables (2012).

In 2014, Redmayne portrayed English physicist Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything, winning an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award and a BAFTA Award for Best Actor. The following year, he played Lili Elbe, one of the first known recipients of sex reassignment surgery, in Hooper's The Danish Girl, which saw him nominated for Best Actor in the three aforementioned awards. In 2016, he began starring as Newt Scamander in the Fantastic Beasts film series.