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"The Big Bang Theory" seems like an innocent show about lovable nerds, but it's actually pretty provocative at times. For example, one raunchy scene got an entire episode banned in the United Kingdom, and the CBS sitcom was also temporarily outlawed in China for violating a broadcast rules. Chuck Lorre, Billy Prady, Steven Molaro, and Steve Holland's comedy is no stranger to controversy, in other words, so upon learning that some scenes had to be cut, you'd be forgiven for assuming they were too saucy. However, the show's tribute to Stephen Hawking following his passing was removed for practical reasons, and no offense was caused.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, season 11's "The Bow Tie Asymmetry" episode originally included a scene where Sheldon Cooper (Jim Parsons) receives a pocket watch with an engraving that reads, "Sheldon, I'm so glad you finally married Amy. It's about time." Unfortunately, the scene...

Crying onscreen isn’t an easy feat, just ask Tom Holland. While Holland has cemented himself as one of the leading stars in modern Hollywood, the actor confessed to struggling when it came to shedding tears in front of the camera. But thanks to his fellow Marvel star Benedict Cumberbatch’s advice, who is notable for pulling off dramatic moments, the No Way Home star finally excelled in that department.

Spider-Man: No Way Home | Credit: Sony Releasing

But there’s more to Cumberbatch’s method than just the technique he shared with Holland, which boils down to the former’s life experiences.

Benedict Cumberbatch’s life experience contributed to his dramatic chops Benedict Cumberbatch in Hawking | Credit: BBC

Per Tom Holland, Cumberbatch’s secret to crying was breathing through his diaphragm while simulating laughing. Although this revelation did wonders for the Uncharted star, who “love crying scenes now“, this wasn...

Benedict Cumberbatch (Doctor Strange, The Imitation Game, Sherlock, Eric) on Tuesday recalled interacting, as Doctor Strange, with Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony “Iron Man” Stark on the set of Avengers: Infinity War and adding a “douchebag” to one of his lines, making it memorable.

The moment came about when Iron Man asked what Strange was doing in the fight they were in.

Annoyed, Cumberbatch recalled, he ended up replying: “Protecting your reality, douchebag,” with people on- and off-set reacting with “ooooohs.”

Cumberbatch shared the anecdote as part of the fourth edition of the Red Sea International Film Festival (Rsiff) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. He also said that with his Doctor Strange character, “there is a lot more to play with,” while sharing that he had to work really “hard” not to get arrogant about his Marvel success.

What’s the star’s feeling about big film franchises, such as Marvel movies and Star Trek?...

Benedict Cumberbatch is an immensely talented actor who excels in a variety of roles, and as a result, he has plenty of upcoming movies currently in the works. Cumberbatch has been acting in films and TV since 2002, when he appeared in the TV movie, Fields of Gold. However, he had already been appearing in theatrical productions around the UK for several years prior. While his success on TV and film did not take long, with his first major role that elevated his career being in the TV movie Hawking, where he played the late and great scientist, Stephen Hawking, Cumberbatch continued to pursue roles on stage and on the screen.

From 2005 onward, he began appearing in leading roles in West End theater productions, and his career began to really excel from this point onwards. In 2010, he became Sherlock Holmes for the hit BBC series alongside Martin Freeman, and this made Cumberbatch into a household name.

Benedict Cumberbatch has crafted for himself a stellar career with captivating performances across different genres, mediums, and franchises. Currently known best for his Marvel Cinematic Universe role of the mysterious Doctor Strange, the British actor is one of the few who have landed their talents in various franchises like The Lord of the Rings prequel film trilogy, The Hobbit.

Benedict Cumberbatch | Credit: Image by Gage Skidmore, licensed under Cc By-sa 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Apart from his movie roles, that dabble with action, adventure, crime, and superheroes to Shakespeare and drama, Cumberbatch is famous for his remarkable portrayal of the brilliant fictitious detective, Sherlock Holmes in Sherlock. His success on both the big and small screen has garnered him widespread acclaim and fame.

But respect and recognition are not the only things The Imitation Game star has earned in his decades-long career, for his high-profile roles and diverse projects have led...

Benedict Cumberbatch burst into the Hollywood scene after a ridiculously successful stint in the BBC series, Sherlock. Soon after, his successive roles as a dragon in The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, one of the Avengers in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and a villainous Khan in J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek reboot turned him into a pop culture icon.

Benedict Cumberbatch in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)

But beyond the popular franchises and iconic IPs, it is his work in dramatic pieces of theater, film, and television that established Cumberbatch as one of the finest actors of this generation. Through projects such as The Imitation Game, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Hawking, The Power of the Dog, Hamlet, Patrick Melrose, and The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar – Cumberbatch has carefully curated a career that is worthy of his 2 Oscar nominations.

Avengers Actor Puts a Journalist in His Place

Benedict...

Alice Eve's role as Carol Marcus in Star Trek into Darkness was a proud moment despite controversy. The actress seamlessly portrayed Typhoid Mary in Iron Fist, enhancing the show's quality. Alice Eve's versatility shines through in various roles, proving her talent across genres.

Carol Marcus in Star Trek into Darkness is just one of many great movie and television roles for British actress Alice Eve. The daughter of A Discovery of Witches' Trevor Eve and actress Sharon Maughan, Alice Eve followed her parents into the acting profession with her debut TV role in Hawking, opposite Star Trek into Darkness' Benedict Cumberbatch. Despite Alice Eve's Star Trek into Darkness controversy, the actress was proud of the role, and didn't see the controversial underwear scene as exploitative.

The Star Trek into Darkness controversy didn't restrict Alice Eve's career aspirations, as she went on to star in a wide range of film and TV projects.

Benedict Cumberbatch's versatility and ability to immerse himself in any role make him one of the best actors in Hollywood. Cumberbatch delivers outstanding performances in a range of genres, from historical dramas to superhero movies. His portrayal of Doctor Stephen Strange in the MCU is particularly exceptional, showcasing his ability to bring depth and complexity to a fictional character.

Benedict Cumberbatch is an outstanding actor who has proven his abilities across a variety of complex and engaging roles. Hailing from London, England, Cumberbatch picked up his first acting credit in 2002 with a made-for-tv movie, called Fields of Gold. Following that, Cumberbatch continued to appear in small roles in several TV shows, before securing a leading role in another TV film, Hawking, in 2004. His talents were recognized and praised, but his first real breakout role was as the titular character in the BBC TV series, Sherlock, playing opposite his co-star,...

The BAFTAs are one of the best predictors of who will win Best Actor category at the Oscars. In the past decade, nine of the 10 BAFTA champs went on to take the Oscar. The current frontrunner in both races is Will Smith (“King Richard”). But he has a strong rival in Benedict Cumberbatch for his layered portrayal of Phil Burbank in Jane Campion’s intoxicating neo-western, “The Power of The Dog.”

The one BAFTA winner that didn’t repeat at the Oscars was the English actor Chiwetel Ejiofor for “12 Years a Slave”; he lost to Matthew McConaughey, who was ineligible at BAFTAs as “Dallas Buyers Club” was not released in time in England. However, there is more than just nationality propelling Cumberbatch’s candidacy to triumph at BAFTA this year.

Ever since “The Power of The Dog” premiered at the Venice Film Festival last September, critics have raved about Cumberbatch’s performance.

Comcast-owned European pay-tv giant Sky is overhauling its UK channel portfolio, retiring its flagship Sky One after nearly 40 years and launching Sky Showcase in its place.

Sky Showcase will replace Sky One at 106 on the TV guide and will be the home of a curated selection of Sky’s content from across its portfolio, including Sky Nature and Sky Arts.

The channel will “hero” episodes of dramas including the upcoming series Wolfe, documentaries like Hawking, and U.S. imports such as NBC’s Young Rock.

Elsewhere, Sky is launching Sky Max, which will house the broadcaster’s general entertainment output. Dramas like A Discovery of Witches and panel shows including A League of Their Own will sit here.

The last major change is beefing up Sky Comedy with original scripted shows that originally sat on Sky One. The channel will feature the likes of Code 404 next to U.S.

Science met science fiction in London, Friday, with “Avengers” and “Star Trek” actor Benedict Cumberbatch among those paying tribute to the late physicist Professor Stephen Hawking. Cumberbatch, who played the scientist in the 2004 BBC TV movie “Hawking,” gave a reading at a memorial service, which was held at Westminster Abbey.

Other names from the entertainment world in attendance included Piers Morgan, David Walliams, Lily Cole, and scientist and TV personality Professor Brian Cox. They joined Hawking’s family and luminaries from the worlds of science and politics, as well as members of the public, who received tickets after entering a public ballot. There were 25,000 applications for 1,000 available tickets.

British astronaut Tim Peake also gave a reading at the service. Hawking’s ashes will be buried alongside the graves of Charles Darwin and Isaac Newton. In a fitting tribute to a scientific great, Hawking’s words have been set to an...

Eddie Redmayne and Benedict Cumberbatch have released statements honoring the late Stephen Hawking. The famed British theoretical physicist died on Wednesday, March 14 at the age of 76. Both Redmayne and Cumberbatch had the chance to meet Hawking during their preparations to play him in different film and television projects.

Cumberbatch starred as Hawking in the BBC television film “Hawking,” which followed the scientist during his early years as a PhD student and Cambridge University and the early onset of his motor neuron disease. “Hawking” was the first time the scientist was ever portrayed on screen and Cumberbatch earned a BAFTA TV Award nomination for Best Actor.

“I feel so lucky to have known such a truly great man who’s profundity was found both in his work and the communication of that work,” Cumberbatch said about Hawking’s passing. “Both in person and in books. My heartfelt love and condolences to all his family and colleagues.

The first trailer for upcoming biopic The Current War is now here, starring Benedict Cumberbatch as the famed inventor Thomas Edison.

The film is based upon the historical “War of the Currents” of the late 19th century, which saw the Westinghouse Electric Company with their alternating-current (AC), and the Edison Electric Light Company with their preferred direct-current (DC) competing for domination of the world’s electricity supply. The Current War is obviously giving things a Hollywood twist though, and is pitching it as a personal battle between two powerful men that could change the face of the future. Edison’s business rival here is George Westinghouse, as played by Michael Shannon (sporting some of the best facial hair you’ll see in a film this year).

Comic book movie lovers might want to check this one out as well due to its quartet of superhero heavyweights. Apart from having Doctor Strange himself in the lead,...

How important is resemblance, really?

As we mentioned in our newsletter yesterday, Christian Bale is reportedly in talks to star as former vice president Dick Cheney in an Adam McKay helmed biopic, alongside Amy Adams as Lynne Cheney and Steve Carrell as Donald Rumsfeld. The news, broken by Variety, has lead to a host of reactions across the internet, including a number of Dark Knight and American Psycho related jokes because, you know, duh. Front and center in many of these reactions is speculation (though in some cases, anticipatory salivation might be more accurate) over how Bale will transform for the role.

After all, Christian Bale is known for physical metamorphoses that rank just below those of caterpillars on an impressiveness scale; he famously lost 60 pounds for his role in The Machinist (bringing the 6' actor to a skeletal 120-ish pounds), and afterwards went directly to Batman Begins, eating and weight-lifting his way to 220 pounds, which...

Benedict Cumberbatch is getting used to existing in the bizarre, shape-shifting world of Stephen Strange – aka Marvel superhero Doctor Strange.

Yet even this pales in comparison to his real-life adventure in the company of another genius called Stephen — Professor Stephen Hawking.

“It is the most extraordinary experience,” Cumberbatch — who played the renowned physicist in the 2004 TV movie Hawking — tells host Graham Norton in an upcoming episode of BBC’s The Graham Norton Show.

“We were at the Royal Society for a discussion on the future of science and it was a long night, so we decided to go for a drink,...

Narrowing down the talents and charms of one Benedict Timothy Carlton Cumberbatch to just five is no easy task. Though it may seem like the 38-year-old Brit actor has only recently come on the scene, thanks to his sit-up-and-take-notice, pitch-perfect performance as Sherlock Holmes, dedicated fans know better. Though he's undoubtedly experiencing the kind of golden moment most actors would gladly give their right arm (and possibly a leg) for, the London-born, recently engaged thesp has been a jobbing actor for more than a decade and a critically-acclaimed one for almost as long.

From his BAFTA-nominated performances in "Hawking" (2004) and "Small Island" (2009), to charismatic but smaller turns in Starter For 10 (2006) and Atonement (2007), Cumberbatch was already making a name for himself before he was approached to audition for the titular role in Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss's modern BBC look at Conan Doyle's famous detective. The role marked...

The Forger

If you couldn’t get enough of John Travolta at the Oscars (he’ll never live the Adele Dazeem/Idina Menzel moment down), and have missed him in modern cinema (his last movie being 2013’s Killing Season), then get excited about his newest movie, The Forger.

Set to come out in April, the film follows the story of world class art forger Raymond Cutter, as played by Travolta, who makes a deal with some scrupulous characters in order to duck out of his prison time. Unfortunately for him, he’s now stuck stealing an original Monet out of a museum, making a perfect copy of it, and replacing the original painting with his copy in the hopes no one will be able to spot the differences. With a heist of this size, Cutter must rely on his talent, his street smarts, and both his son and father as...

Out of all of the compliments that came Eddie Redmayne.s way following his win at the Academy Awards, the one that had to feel the best must have come from Stephen Hawking. The genius took to social media after the Oscars to congratulate Redmayne on his win for playing. well, for playing Stephen Hawking in James Marsh.s The Theory of Everything. While Hawking already had given his blessing to Redmayne.s portrayal, the noted theoretical physicist and cosmologist responded to the Oscar success by posting: Congratulations to Eddie Redmayne for winning an #‎Oscar for playing me in The Theory of Everything Movie. Well done Eddie, I'm very proud of you. .Sh In winning his first Oscar, Eddie Redmayne bested fellow Best Actor nominees Steve Carell, Bradley Cooper, Benedict Cumberbatch and Michael Keaton, who almost looked like he had a real shot to win in the category as his...

Stephen Hawking has congratulated Eddie Redmayne on his Oscar win.

Redmayne claimed the Best Actor Academy Award for his portrayal of Hawking in The Theory of Everything.

The actor's performance follows Hawking over three decades, focusing on his diagnosis with motor neurone disease and his marriage to Jane Wilde (Felicity Jones).

Writing on his Facebook page, Hawking said: "Congratulations to Eddie Redmayne for winning an ‪Oscar‬ for playing me in The Theory of Everything Movie.

"Well done Eddie, I'm very proud of you."

Post by Stephen Hawking.

Oscars 2015: Birdman, Eddie Redmayne, Julianne Moore among big winners

Redmayne beat early favourite Michael Keaton (Birdman), Benedict Cumberbatch (The Imitation Game), Bradley Cooper (American Sniper) and Steve Carrell (Foxcatcher) to the Best Actor prize at last night's ceremony.

Oscars 2015: All the winners in pictures...

Eddie Redmayne has won the Best Actor Academy Award for his role as Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything.

The transformative performance follows Hawking over three decades, focusing on his diagnosis with motor neurone disease and his marriage to Jane Wilde (Felicity Jones).

"I don't think I"m capable of articulating quite how I feel right now, but please know this, I am fully aware that I am a lucky, lucky man," Redmayne said, before breaking off with a "Wow".

The actor went on to dedicate his award to "all of those people around the world battling Als," and to the Hawking family.

This is the first Oscar nomination and win for Redmayne, who has already won a BAFTA, Golden Globe and SAG Award for playing Hawking.

He beat early favourite Michael Keaton (Birdman), Benedict Cumberbatch (The Imitation Game), Bradley Cooper (American Sniper) and Steve Carrell (Foxcatcher) to the prize.

It's a wonderful night for Oscar... Oscar Oscar... Who will win? Wrong host. Neil Patrick Harris is MCing Sunday (February 22) night's Academy Awards, which is coming down to a "Birdman"/"Boyhood" showdown for the big prize. Thanks to The Guilds, we're all expecting a "Birdman" victory, but could there be exciting upsets in store? Click through, follow along and join (or start) the conversation below... 8:25 p.m. Et. That's a lot of Red Carpet coverage. My favorite moment was Terrence Howard playing "American Idol" nerd with Ryan Seacrest. 8:28 p.m. Really, ABC? You don't need a critical citation to call "American Crime" "an extraordinary new drama"? Well, if you say so yourself! 8:30 p.m. Let's Go! 8:30 p.m. Neil Patrick Harris rises onto the stage like a fire-free phoenix. "Tonight we honor Hollywood's best and whitest," he says, helping people playing Oscars Bingo at home. 8:31 p.

Good evening and welcome to the 87th Academy Awards, live from the Dolby Theater in Hollywood, Los Angeles.

The biggest movie event of the year is with us once more, and Digital Spy will be bringing you comprehensive live coverage, from the first Manolos on the red carpet to the last teary speech from the stage.

Refresh your memory with this list of all the nominations and compare your prediction cards with our guesses for who will win all the major gongs.

21:15What were your favourite moments from tonight? And what do you think of all the big winners, especially Birdman's victory over Boyhood? Do let us know in the comments box below, and stick around on DS for our full reaction to the ceremony.

21:14Neil Patrick Harris was undoubtedly a bit hit and miss, lacking confidence in the middle more than anything else, but there were...

The Oscars are only days away, and host Neil Patrick Harris is warming up his pipes, dry-cleaning his tux, and getting ready.

But what about you? Are you ready for the 87th Academy Awards? Have you watched all the Best Actor noms: The Theory of Everything, The Imitation Game, Foxcatcher, Birdman, and American Sniper? If you haven’t, we’ve got the lowdown on everything “Oscar” with this handy breakdown of all the nominees – with bonus interviews!

Best Actor Eddie Redmayne, The Theory Of Everything

Eddie Redmayne twists and turns his body to capture Stephen Hawking’s transformation from cavalier university student to the genius ravaged by motor neuron disease. Redmayne’s ability, using just the lift of an eyebrow or a half-smile, to illuminate Hawking’s inner life is remarkable, and Academy voters are renowned for rewarding such physically demanding performances come Oscar night.

Benedict Cumberbatch, The Imitation Game...

Here's our guide to who we think will clean up at this year's Academy Awards, as well as who we think deserves to win...

Go into the Oscars appreciating them for what they are - awards for relatively popular, very good films - and they're a fun circus, whose mere existence ensures some movies get funded in the first place. Take them as an arbiter of what's actually the best of anything, and you're on far shakier ground. But I think most people have long accepted that.

This year alone, something as daring as Nightcrawler - a very uncomfortable, yet brilliant piece of cinema, with plenty to say - barely made it onto the Academy Awards radar. But that's democracy. Ask 5-10,000 people to choose the best thing, and many times, they're not going to choose yours.

This year's Academy Award nominations are no different in that regard, then. But...

The 87th Annual Academy Awards will take place Sunday February 22nd at 7pm Eastern time. Here is our overview of the major awards nominees in case you didn’t get to see them yourself.

There’s always a lot of talk leading up to the big day about who will win what awards. We try to make our predictions based on trends from the past, but we can’t help to be swayed by our own personal opinions. Some movies truly strike a chord with us, while others aren’t interesting at all. Furthermore, Oscar films are usually heavy in the drama department and therefore they aren’t always the easiest or most entertaining movies to watch.

That’s why we’re here. Here is your guide to the nominees of this year’s Academy Awards. We’ve compiled the following brief summaries, interesting facts, and critical reviews for all these films and people.

There may have been a glittering array of Hollywood stars at the BAFTAs on Sunday night, but the man everyone wanted to meet at the after-show dinner was a 73-year-old physics professor from the slightly less glamorous world of Cambridge University. But then he was not your average academic: The professor in question was Stephen Hawking, whose inspiring story is told in the hit movie The Theory of Everything. So while you might expect that Benedict Cumberbatch and Eddie Redmayne never have to wait in line for anything these days, the truth is they - and a host of other...

There may have been a glittering array of Hollywood stars at the BAFTAs on Sunday night, but the man everyone wanted to meet at the after-show dinner was a 73-year-old physics professor from the slightly less glamorous world of Cambridge University. But then he was not your average academic: The professor in question was Stephen Hawking, whose inspiring story is told in the hit movie The Theory of Everything. So while you might expect that Benedict Cumberbatch and Eddie Redmayne never have to wait in line for anything these days, the truth is they - and a host of other...

Professor Stephen Hawking and the surprisingly good British weather were amongst the stars of the show at the 68th BAFTA Awards ceremony.Click here for full list of winners

At London’s Royal Opera House, Host Stephen Fry introduced the 68th Ee BAFTAs by making a reference to the night’s weather, which for the first time in many years, didn’t involve rain.

Making his entrance to “Uptown Funk”, Fry described the BAFTAs as “that most glorious of occasions when the heavens open and the great and the good of the industry rain down upon us,” adding: “It may be dry outside but in here it’s simply pissing down with stars.”

Those stars included David Beckham, Reese Witherspoon, Mark Ruffalo, Ethan Hawke, Julie Walters, Kristin Scott Thomas, Noomi Rapace, Jesse Eisenberg, Ralph Fiennes and surprise guest Tom Cruise, who handed out the Best Film prize.

Absent directors

Despite winning the top prizes for Boyhood, director...

If you're betting on "Boyhood" to win big at the upcoming Academy Awards, think again! Richard Linklater's "Boyhood" was deemed to be the big Oscar frontrunner but a double-dose of guild awards over the weekend tamed those prospects down. First, the Producers Guild of America gave their top honor to Alejandro González Iñárritu's "Birdman," and the Screen Actors Guild followed suit!

"Birdman" took home the Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture award! But, since the movie is about acting, this award is just fitting.

My biggest surprise, and it'a welcome surprise indeed, was "The Theory of Everything's" Eddie Redmayne taking home the Outstanding Male Actor trophy. Sorry Michael Keaton! I think Redmayne truly gave the Performance of the Year award!

The usual suspects took home the movie acting awards with wins for Julianne Moore for Best Actress in "Still Alice," J.K. Simmons for Best Supporting Actor for "Whiplash,...

Beating out some particularly tough competition, Eddie Redmayne took home the Screen Actors Guild Award for outstanding performance by a male actor in a leading role on Sunday for his performance as Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything. "I would like to dedicate this very wonderful, skinny man to people living with Als and to those who have lost their lives to this brutal disease," said Redmayne while accepting his award. Julia Roberts presented the award at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. Redmayne squared off against Steve Carell for Foxcatcher, Benedict Cumberbatch for The Imitation Game, Jake Gyllenhaal...

The Screen Actors Guild handed out the 21st annual SAG Awards Sunday night live from the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. Here is a rundown of all the nominees and winners as they are announced. And be sure to re-live our live blog of the show here! Theatrical Motion Pictures Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role Steve Carell / John du Pont – "Foxcatcher" (Sony Pictures Classics) Benedict Cumberbatch / Alan Turing – "The Imitation Game" (The Weinstein Company) Jake Gyllenhaal / Louis Bloom – "Nightcrawler" (Open Road Films) Michael Keaton / Riggan – "Birdman" (Fox Searchlight Pictures) **Eddie Redmayne / Stephen Hawking – "The Theory Of Everything" (Focus Features)** - Winner Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role Jennifer Aniston / Claire Bennett – "Cake" (Cinelou Films) Felicity Jones / Jane Hawking – "The Theory Of Everything" (Focus Features) **Julianne Moore / Alice Howland-Jones – "Still Alice" (Sony Pictures Classics)** - Winner Rosamund Pike / Amy Dunne – "Gone Girl...

Eddie Redmayne thanked Stephen Hawking and his family for allowing him to make The Theory of Everything at the Golden Globe Awards last night (January 11).

The 33-year-old was named Best Actor for his portrayal of the theoretical physicist and cosmologist in his early days.

"Oh my god, what an extraordinary thing. It's a great privilege for me to be in this room," he said.

"I've spent most of this evening trying not to letch over actors I admire. Being here is an extraordinary thing. This was a huge privilege. Stephen, Jane and the Hawking family allowed us into their lives and trusted us in their story.

"I would like to thank our producers, the director, Felicity Jones - the most formidable actress who raised my game."

The newlywed also thanked his wife Hannah Bagshawe, after the couple cut short their honeymoon to attend the ceremony.

"[Thank you] Hannah, my wife of a couple of weeks.

Before Benedict Cumberbatch and Eddie Redmayne compete against each other at the Golden Globes, Discovery Channel will show Cumberbatch performing what this year became Redmayne's role: Stephen Hawking. In honor of Hawking's 73rd birthday, Discovery will air Hawking, the 2004 BBC TV movie starring Cumberbatch as the famed theoretical physicist, on Saturday at 10 p.m. Cumberbatch was nominated for a BAFTA TV Award for his portrayal. The next evening at the Globes, Cumberbatch's performance as Alan Turing in The Imitation Game will go up against Redmayne's interpretation of Hawking in The Theory of Everything in the Best Performance by an...

TV Picks: Benedict Cumberbatch in ‘Hawking’ on Discovery, Jan. 10 at 10 Pm.The film also features Michael Brandon as Arno Penziaz, Tom Hodgkins as Bob Wilson, Lisa Dillon as Jane Wilde, Phoebe Nicholls as Isobel Hawking and Adam Godley as Frank Hawking.TCA News: Discovery Channel marks Stephen Hawking’s 73rd birthday (Jan. 8) with the airing of Hawking, starring Benedict Cumberbatch, on Saturday, Jan. 10 at 10 Pm Et/Pt.This explores the life of a young Stephen Hawking who received the worst medical news as a 21-year-old PhD student at Cambridge University, diagnosed with the debilitating motor neuron disease and given two […]...

In one of those incredible coincidences that makes covering TV so rewarding: Thursday is Stephen Hawking’s 73rd birthday. Sunday is the Golden Globe Awards. The Theory Of Everything, the movie about Hawking’s early life, is up for a Globe for Best Motion Picture Drama. Eddie Redmayne, who plays Hawking in the movie, is up for a Globe for his performance. Benedict Cumberbatch is competing against Redmayne for that Globe, for his work in The Imitation Game, also playing a…...

In a brief moment of creative boldness in The Theory of Everything, a young Cambridge student Stephen Hawking, played by Eddie Redmayne, ponders over a theoretical concept while pouring milk into a cup of tea. As the white milk swirls in blackness of the tea, the scene suddenly moves in reverse, the swirling moving backwards until the milk dissolves into nothingness. It’s a scene that not only gives the audience a primer into the advanced scientific concepts the film is working with, but also provides a glimpse into how Hawking perceives the world: a man so enraptured by science that he sees it everywhere, whether it be in a cup of tea or the glowing clothing of dance partners. - It’s a pity that the film doesn’t indulge in these visually creative moments more often, because the rest of The Theory of Everything is as conventional and safe as biopics can be.

Eddie Redmayne's remarkable and physically transformative performance as Stephen Hawking has rapidly gathered buzz since The Theory of Everything debuted at Toronto.

James Marsh's biopic chronicles Hawking's life following his diagnosis with motor neurone disease at 21, focusing on his relationship with first wife Jane Wilde (Felicity Jones).

Watch the video above to hear Redmayne discuss working with a dancer to master the role's physicality, and his decision not to watch "old pal" Benedict Cumberbatch's celebrated performance as Hawking beforehand.

"I decided against it purely because I know myself," Redmayne explained, "and I know I'm a thief, and that if I'd seen Ben do brilliant things I would have tried to steal them!

"We have subsequently talked about it, and our experiences of meeting Stephen, and it's so lovely to be able to share that."

The Theory of Everything is released in the UK tomorrow (Friday, January...

Nominees for the 21st Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards for outstanding performances in 2014 in five film and eight television categories, as well as the SAG Awards honors for outstanding action performances by film and television stunt ensembles were announced this morning in Los Angeles at the Pacific Design Center’s SilverScreen Theater in West Hollywood.

SAG-AFTRA President Ken Howard introduced Ansel Elgort (“The Fault in Our Stars,” “Divergent”) and actress/director/producer and SAG Award recipient Eva Longoria, who announced the nominees for this year’s Actors. SAG Awards Committee Chair JoBeth Williams and Vice Chair Daryl Anderson announced the stunt ensemble nominees.

The 21st Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards will be simulcast live nationally on TNT and TBS on Sunday, Jan. 25, 2015 at 8 p.m. (Et) / 5 p.m. (Pt) from the Los Angeles Shrine Exposition Center. An encore performance will air immediately following on TNT. The SAG Awards can...

The 21st Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards Nominations were revealed Wednesday morning, serving as yet another precursor on the long road to the Oscars.

In the film categories, Birdman was the big winner, scoring four nominations, including for Michael Keaton, Edward Norton and Emma Stone, as well as the collective ensemble cast. Boyhood followed right in its footsteps with three nods for Ethan Hawke, Patricia Arquette and another ensemble nomination.

The big surprises of the morning’s nominations started with Jake Gyllenhaal for Nightcrawler, a bubble contender in a crowded Best Actor race, Jennifer Aniston for Cake, a bubble contender in a disappointingly less crowded Best Actress race, Robert Duvall in the poorly reviewed The Judge and Naomi Watts for St. Vincent (Watts was in Birdman as well, but that must’ve slipped SAG’s minds).

Rounding out the prize for Outstanding Cast, The Grand Budapest Hotel, The Imitation Game,...

Birdman garnered four Screen Actors Guild nominations on December 10 for Michael Keaton, Edward Norton, Emma Stone and ensemble, while Norton and Benedict Cumberbatch earned three apiece. Fox Searchlight led the studios on six nods.

There are career-first nods for Norton — who arrived in style with an individual nomination for Fox Searchlight/New Regency’s Birdman and ensemble recognition for Birdman and Fox Searchlight’s The Grand Budapest Hotel — as well as for Jones, Keira Knightley and TV’s Uzo Aduba, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Tatiana Maslany.

Focus Features’ The Theory of Everything earned three for Redmayne, Jones and ensemble; IFC Films’ Boyhood garnered three for Patricia Arquette, Ethan Hawke and ensemble; and The Weinstein Company/Black Bear’s The Imitation Game earned three for Cumberbatch, Knightley and ensemble.

Cumberbatch is also in contention for his individual work in Sherlock: His Last Vow, broadcast in the Us by PBS.

Spc’s Foxcatcher generated nods for Steve Carell and Marc...

As some of you may know, I'm a bit of a jack(ass) of all trades. I follow the film industry for Lr, and critique films. But I'm also an actor, I front a rock band, I'm a DJ, film editor, and director as well. Basically, when it comes to entertainment, there's nothing I don't do. For some time now, I've been mulling over bringing some of my other interests to Lr, and I'll be starting with the SAG Awards. How? Well, I've been a member of SAG for 6 years now and I also am part of the voting process. That means every year I am sent screeners of all the films being considered for awards.

Here's where a new running feature comes into play:

As I start receiving these screeners, I will write special reviews for each one and publish them here. Then, as we near the voting deadline,...

As is our annual tradition we like to peruse the credits of the SAG Ensemble nods to see who got left out despite their film's nomination. The Film Experience started this kind of analysis ten years ago when The Aviator had some really dumb exclusions and inclusions but lots of other sites now cover the injustice. We never get credit for starting this line of Norma Rae righteous anger but, that said, at least a lot of people have it now.

Did SAG think her face looked like she'd licked a homelessman's ass?

If you aren't familiar SAG uses a system whereby only actors with solitary title cards are official nominees for the Cast category. This means if you are famous in a bit part and have a good agent you are more likely to be an official nominee than the unknown who delivered a better performance in possibly a...

Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's "Birdman (Or the Unexpected Virture of Ignorance" topped the Screen Actors Guild Awards nominations with 4 nods including Outstanding Actor for Michael Keaton, Supporting Actor for Edward Norton, Supporting Actress for Emma Stone, and Outstanding Performance By A Cast.

"Boyhood," "The Imitation Game," and "The Theory of Everything" each received three nominations.

Winners will be announced on January 25, 2015.

Here's the full list of SAG Awards nominations including TV categories:

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role

Steve Carell / John du Pont . .Foxcatcher. (Sony Pictures Classics)

Benedict Cumberbatch / Alan Turing . .The Imitation Game. (The Weinstein Company)

Jake Gyllenhaal / Louis Bloom . .Nightcrawler. (Open Road Films)

Michael Keaton / Riggan . .Birdman. (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Eddie Redmayne / Stephen Hawking . .The Theory Of Everything. (Focus Features)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role

Jennifer Aniston / Claire Bennett . .Cake. (Cinelou Films)

Felicity Jones / Jane Hawking . .The Theory Of...

Here is the full list of nominations for the 21st annual SAG Awards, which were announced this morning at La’s Pacific Design Center.

Fox Searchlight topped the film studios with six nominations, led by Alexander Gonzales Inarritu’s Birdman, which nabbed four total nominations: for Outstanding Cast, which is the closest thing the guild has to a Best Picture category; and for star Michael Keaton and supporting actors Edward Norton and Emma Stone. It was joined in the top cast category by IFC Films’ Boyhood, which also got nods for its co-stars Ethan Hawke and Patricia Arquette; Searchlight’s Wes Anderson pic The Grand Budapest Hotel; the Weinstein Co’s The Imitation Game; and Focus Features’ The Theory Of Everything. The latter two biopics landed lead noms for Benedict Cumberbatch, Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones.

On The TV side, HBO led all networks with 14 noms, thanks to multiple acting...

The Screen Actors Guild announced this year's nominees for the 2014 SAG Awards. The winners will be announced during a live telecast on TNT and TBS on Saturday, Jan. 25. The nominees are as follows... Theatrical Motion Pictures Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role Steve Carell / John du Pont – "Foxcatcher" (Sony Pictures Classics) Benedict Cumberbatch / Alan Turing – "The Imitation Game" (The Weinstein Company) Jake Gyllenhaal / Louis Bloom – "Nightcrawler" (Open Road Films) Michael Keaton / Riggan – "Birdman" (Fox Searchlight Pictures) Eddie Redmayne / Stephen Hawking – "The Theory Of Everything" (Focus Features) Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role Jennifer Aniston / Claire Bennett – "Cake" (Cinelou Films) Felicity Jones / Jane Hawking – "The Theory Of Everything" (Focus Features) Julianne Moore / Alice Howland-Jones – "Still Alice" (Sony Pictures Classics) Rosamund Pike / Amy Dunne – "Gone Girl" (20th Century Fox) Reese Witherspoon / Cheryl Strayed – "Wild" (Fox Searchlight Pictures) Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in...

Michael Keaton ("Birdman") leads our Oscar predictions for Best Actor, but because the Golden Globes split the top acting prizes between dramas and musicals/comedies, this year's top dramatic actors won't have to face off against the comic Keaton. So who will win Best Film Drama Actor? Our predictors are split between two stars of British biopics: Eddie Redmayne ("The Theory of Everything") and Benedict Cumberbatch ("The Imitation Game"). -Break- Why so serious? Golden Globes and Oscars love dramatic men Redmayne has a slight advantage, getting 12/5 odds for his role as famed physicist Stephen Hawking. He plays Hawking over the course of decades as motor neuron disease deteriorates his ability to move and speak. It would be the first Globe nomination and win for the 32-year-old actor. Cumberbatch is close behind with 27/10 odds. He plays another historical genius: Alan Turing, a computer-science pioneer w...

It's that time of the year again. Which is to say that it isn't, yet, but it's close enough for us all to start speculating.

The 2015 Oscar nominations won't be announced until January, and thanks to the peculiarities of transatlantic release schedules, many of these contenders will barely have reached UK shores by then.

But we've now seen enough of the heavy-hitters to have a decent sense of how the next awards season is shaping up, and below we've rounded up our best guesses for the ten films that will dominate this year's Academy Awards.

Scroll all the way to the bottom to see our complete list of predictions for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress.

1. Foxcatcher

Bennett Miller's brooding true crime drama emerged as one of the year's earliest awards season frontrunners when it opened at Cannes, centring on...

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-Megan Meadows

The biopic is alive and well this fall movie season, and luckily the latest offerings are much better than Lifetime’s Aaliyah movie. In The Imitation Game, Benedict Cumberbatch plays Alan Turing, the British mathematician who helped cracked Nazi code during World War II, while fellow English dreamboat Eddie Redmayne tackles the early life of cosmologist Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything. Typically you’ll see one of these attractive actors on the red carpet and think, “Marry me.” But when you see them portraying a brilliant mind on the big screen you’re suddenly like, “Marry me, and have my babies while taking care of my taxes until death do us part!”

These actors aren’t necessarily geniuses in real life, but they play them on the big screen and we’re totally Ok with drooling over that. From biographical portrayals of...

View Photo Gallery

-Megan Meadows

The biopic is alive and well this fall movie season, and luckily the latest offerings are much better than Lifetime’s Aaliyah movie. In The Imitation Game, Benedict Cumberbatch plays Alan Turing, the British mathematician who helped cracked Nazi code during World War II, while fellow English dreamboat Eddie Redmayne tackles the early life of cosmologist Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything. Typically you’ll see one of these attractive actors on the red carpet and think, “Marry me.” But when you see them portraying a brilliant mind on the big screen you’re suddenly like, “Marry me, and have my babies while taking care of my taxes until death do us part!”

These actors aren’t necessarily geniuses in real life, but they play them on the big screen and we’re totally Ok with drooling over that. From biographical portrayals of...

Update Sunday, 8:17 a.m.: Conventional wisdom holds that you don’t release sequels two decades apart, particularly in a lightning-bottle genre like comedy. But wisdom has never held much sway in the Dumb and Dumber franchise, which returned after a two-decade dormancy to engage in a nip-and-tuck battle with Big Hero 6 that underscored the muscle of raunch this year at the box office.

Dumb and Dumber To looked to take the derby this weekend from a BH6 in its sophomore frame, though Hero’s repeat-viewing younger audiences could still propel it to a follow-up victory when actuals are reported Monday. Still, Universal turned its $30M Ddt into a contender with a “deja-view” strategy that worked the last time Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels got together: gross-out audience, out-gross competitors.

And the studio played up the nostalgia, returning the stars to their bowl cuts, gapped teeth and slack-jawed...