Eddie Redmayne recalls awkward 'intimate' screen test with Taylor Swift

Eddie Redmayne didn’t quite think things through when he ate copious amounts of garlic bread before his “intimate” screen test with Taylor Swift for Les Misérables in 2011.

“I hadn’t realised it was going to be quite so intimate,” Redmayne, 42, admitted during his appearance on The View on Friday, October 18.

At the time of the screen test, the Fantastic Beasts alum was already cast as Marius, while Swift was auditioning for the role of Eponine, a street urchin

"I'll never forget it," he recalled, explaining that the international pop sensation arrived in full makeup and costume, looking dishevelled with “mud in her teeth.”

The Theory of Everything star joked about trying to create "chemistry" with the pop star during the duet, while also avoiding getting too close because of his breath.

“So I remember they were wanting chemistry and I was trying to play chemistry with Taylor while keeping a distance,” Redmayne admitted.

Although Swift didn't land the part as it ultimately went to Samantha Barks, Redmayne still called his brief time working with the Grammy-winning singer an "amazing experience."

Swift, meanwhile, has her own less-than-glamorous memories of the audition.

In a 2022 interview on The Graham Norton Show, she recalled how her audition in London turned into a “nightmare” when they covered her in unflattering makeup, complete with brown teeth paint and fake dark circles.

Still, she appreciated how “nice” Redmayne was during their awkward first meeting.