'The Theory of Everything' Stars Reunite With Stephen and Jane Hawking

Felicity Jones, Jane Hawking, Stephen Hawking, and Eddie Redmayne

The guests of honor showed up to the London premiere of The Theory of Everything on Tuesday: Stephen Hawking and his former wife Jane were on hand to lend their support to the movie about their lives.

The pair met with their big screen counterparts, Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones, in a reunion that shows off the mutual admiration that the two actors have discussed throughout their promotional campaign.

Related: The Theory of Everything Star Eddie Redmayne Reveals How He Transformed to Play Stephen Hawking

Redmayne plays a young Hawking in the film (in theaters now), which tracks the brilliant scientist’s ascent through the physics world as his body deteriorated from a motor neuron disease. It was a role he took very seriously, working for months to learn the intimate details of physical and speech deterioration that have plagued Hawking since the 1960s.

The real Stephen and Jane Hawking on their wedding day; Redmayne and Jones in the movie

"It’s a story I really care about, I really mean it when I say, it was like a passion project for all of us," he told Yahoo Movies in November. “We were allowed to enter their orbit, Jane and Stephen and Jonathan [Jane’s second husband], and their kids’ orbit for a few months, and that was a phenomenal privilege, but it also raised the stakes.”

Hawking later endorsed the film, in a video tribute, but his physical presence was a big boost. Jane Hawking, whose book provided the basis for Anthony McCarten’s screenplay, was often on set of the film, helping to advise on the finer details from 50 years ago.

"On day one of shooting, I was dressed as young Stephen Hawking, and Jane comes running out and says, ‘No, no, no, no, no, his hair would be much messier!’" he recalled. "And she literally styled my hair."

Watch the trailer for the movie:

Photo credit: @Getty Images