Eddie Redmayne: fashion's favourite pin up
Eddie Redmayne, 30, is the face of the Burberry Prorsum advertising campaign, with the model Cara Delevingne. He has recently appeared on film in My Week with Marilyn , on television in Birdsong and on stage in Richard II at the Donmar Warehouse. He is also in rehearsal for Les Misérables, a film of the musical, directed by Tom Hooper, out next January.
Style adviser
I'm quite ignorant about fashion and I'm colourblind, so it's all a tad tricky. My only knowledge of that world comes through Christopher Bailey, whom I first met in 2008 when I did a campaign for Burberry that featured musicians, artists, actors and sportsmen. He has since become a real friend. Having someone who has great taste as my adviser is helpful.
Shopping
I was introduced to an amazing T-shirt brand, Orlebar Brown, by a friend of mine. My jeans are battered Levi's that I buy once every four years.
Shoes
I get the piss taken out of me for always wearing battered shoes. They are my sartorial Achilles' heel. It's like my relationship with jeans; I never want to get rid of them. My current favourites are my Converse by John Varvatos. I've got six pairs. I also like a good brogue.
Favourite outfit
I am most comfortable wearing a suit. I come from a family of people who work in offices and get dressed in a suit to go to work. I wear jeans all the time except for when I'm doing period dramas so I quite like to put a jacket on. I wear suits by Burberry and McQueen, usually.
Favourite gadget
I love my Charge Plug single-speed bicycle. It's a great bike and my favoured way of moving around town.
Fragrance
I spent the night at my parents' house recently and in my old cupboard was some Hugo Boss aftershave. The moment I sprayed, it it took me straight back to being 15 years old and going on a date. I'm astounded any girl came close to me because I must have stunk. Now I wear Tom Ford Black Orchid.
Grooming routine
I get given stuff by the make-up artists on set so I have endless half-empty bottles of Dermalogica products. If I'm filming and being caked in make-up then I use face wash, otherwise I'm just a shower gel man. I use Kiehl's moisturiser and Anthony Logistics' Aftershave Balm, because I get shaving rash.
Freckles
I'm freckly so skin cancer is a worry. When we were shooting Birdsong in 40-degree heat with no shade I had to get up early to apply a super-thick factor because it took an hour for it to seep into my skin.
Exercise regime
It varies depending on the job. If I do a film and have to get naked, that tends to dictate how often I go to the gym. Acting in Richard II on stage was a huge physical workout, so I ended up more toned than I normally am. I play a lot of tennis with my brothers and mates. Tennis is big in LA and it's a good way of passing the time between meetings.
Modelling
I was scouted by someone from Storm during university. It was the most hilariously unsuccessful event ever. I had about two shoots for fashion magazines that were so edgy no one ever read them. Being in the Burberry campaign has been a different experience because I knew everyone involved already, such as Mario Testino, from the previous campaign and shooting for American Vogue, so it didn't feel like work.
Fashion week
I had never been to a fashion show before going to the Burberry show last month. It was an extraordinary spectacle. I was incredibly green and had no idea what an undertaking it is. I also have a new respect for models because they are so close to the front row and must be so self-conscious. There was one dress that Cara wore that was red velvet and it was so classic and sexy. I was completely floored by it.
Fans
I do get stopped a bit now and then, but I can go to the supermarket and on the Tube without being noticed. It's usually me that gets starstruck, especially by TV stars. I'm a bit of a Mad Men fiend and Christina Hendricks, who I find breathtaking, was at the Elle Style Awards recently. I went and told her she was amazing.
Future
I recently played a paedophile in a film called Hick, with Chloë Moretz and Blake Lively, which doesn't have a release date yet. In Les Misérables I play Marius, a revolutionary who falls in love with Cosette. We'll be filming until June; after that I have no plans. As an actor it's feast or famine. I'm lucky to have had a real run of it.
'Birdsong' and 'My Week With Marilyn' are both available on Blu-ray & DVD from Monday
Haters have undefined cheekbones; also, they should watch Pillars of the Earth/the c*nnillingus scene in Birdsong and reconsider.
Sources 1 and 2