Praise for Oscar actor Redmayne after MND dedication
Briton takes best actor award for his portrayal of leading scientist
CAMPAIGNER Gordon Aikman has praised British actor Eddie Redmayne for dedicating his win at the Oscars to people living with Motor Neurone Disease (MND).
The political researcher, who has the disease, said awareness of MND has never been higher following the star’s success winning the best actor award for his lead role in The Theory of Everything.
In the movie, the star portrays physicist Stephen Hawking in his battle with the disease.
Redmayne told millions of TV viewers in his Oscars acceptance speech that the prize belonged “to all of the people around the world battling ALS,” the American term for MND.
Mr Aikman said: “Eddie Redmayne’s performance was tremendous. He clearly put in the hours researching the condition and observing those dying from it.
“His portrayal of the condition was scarily accurate. At times I felt like I was watching my own life in fast forward.
“But it is important to remember Stephen Hawking is the exception. Half of people with MND die within 14 months of diagnosis. The truth is MND is a death sentence and there is no cure.
“Between the brilliant success of The Theory of Everything and the ice bucket challenge, awareness has never been higher. We need to turn that into action.”
Mr Aikman was honoured at The Herald’s Scottish Politician of the Year Awards for his campaign, Gordon’s Fightback, which has raised more than £100,000 for research into the disease.
The Scottish Government has agreed to double the number of specialist nurses to 14 after Mr Aikman challenged First Minister Nicola Sturgeon on the issue at the awards ceremony last November.
Accepting his Oscar, Redmayne used the term ALS. It stands for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, the most common form of MND, which can rob people of the ability to speak, move and breathe.
Mr Aikman added: “If people are inspired by the film please donate what you can at gordonsfightback.com.
“We need all political parties to commit to double MND research funding. It’ll be too late for me, but we can and we must fund a cure for future generations.”
PROFESSOR Stephen Hawking has told of his pride in Eddie Redmayne after the British star landed the best actor Oscar for his role as the famous physicist.
The 33-year-old won the gong for his performance in The Theory Of Everything after being pitted against another favourite – Michael Keaton – and fellow Briton Benedict Cumberbatch.
Prof Hawking, who has made huge breakthroughs in science while battling motor neurone disease, told of his delight on his Facebook page.
“Congratulations to Eddie Redmayne for winning an Oscar for playing me in The Theory Of Everything movie,” he said.
“Well done Eddie, I’m very proud of you.”
Redmayne won over even more fans with his excited and emotional response to his “extraordinary” big win, breaking off midway through his acceptance speech to exclaim “wow”.
“I don’t think I’m capable of articulating quite how I feel right now. I’m fully aware that I’m a lucky, lucky man,” he said.
He dedicated the award to “all of those people around the world battling” motor neurone disease and said that the Oscar belonged to “Stephen” and his ex-wife Jane (Hawking) and the rest of their “exceptional family”.
Redmayne, who has also won a Golden Globe, Bafta and Screen Actors Guild for the performance, thanked his “staggering partner in crime Felicity Jones” who lost out on the leading actress Oscar to Julianne Moore.
Moore – like Redmayne – was widely tipped to win before the ceremony began.
Accepting her award for her performance as a woman with Alzheimer’s in Still Alice, she said: “I’m so happy. I’m thrilled actually that we were able to hopefully shine a light on Alzheimer’s disease. So many people with this disease feel isolated and marginalised.”
The big hit of the night was Birdman which won best picture, original screenplay and best director for Alejandro G Inarritu.
The tone was set early by Patricia Arquette who brought the house down with a speech demanding “equal rights for women”.
The actress, named best supporting actress for her role in Boyhood, accepted her award from last year’s best supporting actor Jared Leto.
In a highly political speech, she said: “To every woman who gave birth, to every taxpayer and citizen of this nation, we have fought for everybody else’s equal rights. It’s our time to have wage equality once and for all and equal rights for women in the United States of America.”
Whiplash star JK Simmons was the night’s first winner, picking up his award for best supporting actor from Lupita Nyong’o.
The Oscar for best original song went to Glory from the Martin Luther King biopic Selma.
Collecting the award, John Legend said the song was written for a film based on events 50 years ago, but he added: “We say that Selma is now because the struggle for justice is right now. There are more black men under correctional control today than there were under slavery in 1850.”
One of the night’s most powerful speeches was made by Graham Moore who won the Oscar for best adapted screenplay for The Imitation Game which stars Cumberbatch as Alan Turing.
Moore told the audience he tried to commit suicide aged 16 because he “felt weird” and “different” and told the TV audience: “Stay weird, stay different and when it’s your turn and you’re standing on this stage, please pass on this message.”
The award for best documentary feature went to Citizenfour, about whistleblower Edward Snowden, and director Laura Poitras dedicated the win to Snowden and other whistleblowers, and journalists “exposing truth”.
The Grand Budapest Hotel carried off Oscars for costume design, make-up and hair-styling and production design. The Oscar for best foreign language film went to the Polish film Ida, while Londoner Mat Kirkby won the Oscar for best live action short film for The Phonecall.