Eddie Redmayne reveals why he kept his ‘distance’ from Taylor Swift during Les Miserables screen test

Eddie Redmayne opened up about an awkward moment during his and Taylor Swift‘s screen test for Les Miserables.

The Golden Globe winner, 42 — who recently looked dashing at the premiere of his upcoming series — admitted he ate something prior to their 2011 audition that made him want to ‘keep a distance’ from the Mirrorball hitmaker.

At the time, he was already cast as Marius and she was auditioning for the role of Eponine and called their joint screen test an ‘amazing experience.’

He recalled: ‘I’ll never forget it because firstly, I hadn’t met [Taylor] and she had been taken into be sort of made to look like Eponine, who is this street urchin. So you’re meeting one of the most glamorous women in the world and she arrives with mud in her teeth and looks like a street urchin

‘The director had us on the floor and we were singing this love duet to each other. I hadn’t realized it was going to be quite so intimate. I had just been to a pizza restaurant and had shoveled quite a bit of garlic bread into my mouth so I remember they were wanting chemistry and I was trying to play chemistry with Taylor while keeping a distance.’

Eddie Redmayne admitted he ate something prior to he and Taylor Swift’s screen test for Les Miserables that made him want to ‘keep a distance’ from her; both seen separately in 2024

However, the role wasn’t meant to be for the starlet — who recently resumed her Eras Tour in Miami — as it ended up going to breakout actress Samantha Barks.

The hit film is set in 19th century France and tells the tale of former prisoner Jean Valjean, who breaks parole and is pursued by his nemesis and former guard Javert before seeking atonement.

In 2022, Swift called her screen test with the Tony award-winning actor a ‘nightmare’ during an interview with The Graham Norton Show.

She explained that she was in the running for the roles of Cozzette — which went to Amanda Seyfried— and Eponine but had a hard time being placed as one set character because of her vocal range and appearance.

The blonde beauty recalled: ‘I’d done a few auditions and gone to New York and whatever and I think it had been established that I had more of the look for Cozzette but I had the range vocally for Eponine. It was established that I was there for a good time not a long time.’

She had been invited by casting directors to London for the screen test with Redmayne but upon her arrival thing went downhill.

Swift confirmed she had her teeth painted brown and dark circles drawn underneath her eyes to evoke the character’s ‘near-death’ look prior to meeting up with the crew. 

‘I was like ‘This has immediately become a nightmare for me,” she admitted. 

Lucky, she said Redmayne was ‘nice’ to her despite meeting for the first time while donning the unappealing makeup. 

‘I had just been to a pizza restaurant and had shoveled quite a bit of garlic bread into my mouth… and I was trying to play chemistry with Taylor while keeping a distance,’ he said; seen with Amanda Seyfried in 2012

The role of Eponine wasn’t meant to be for Taylor— who recently resumed her Eras Tour in Miami — as it ended up going to breakout actress Samantha Barks; Amanda, Eddie and Samantha seen in 2012

Swift called her screen test with the Tony award-winning actor a ‘nightmare’ during an interview with The Graham Norton Show; seen in 2011

Upon its 2012 release, Les Miserables grossed $149.3 million in the United States and Canada and totaled $293,489,539 globally. 

With its $61M budget, the musical film won three academy awards and received various other honors. 

Taylor Swift is currently on the last leg of her Eras Tour with it scheduled to end on December 8, 2024 in Vancouver, British Columbia.