BRITISH actor Eddie Redmayne picked up a Golden Globe at the weekend for his role as Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything.

Award buzz around the film is now growing, with Redmayne hot favourite for the Best Actor Oscar.

But Dorset cinema goers watching The Theory of Everything may not realise they are watching some local actors on the big screen.

Oliver Payne, 10, and Finlay Wright-Stephens, nine, play the parts of Stephen Hawking’s children, Robert and Timothy, in the critically acclaimed movie.

Although they play brothers in the film, Oliver and Finlay, who attend The Priory School in Christchurch, portray their characters at different points in Hawking’s life, meaning they were not in a scene together.

The film follows the story of the renowned astrophysicist and is based on the memoir, Travelling to Infinity: My Life with Stephen, by his former wife, Jane Hawking.

It deals with the relationship between the pair, his diagnosis of motor neurone disease and his success in physics. Initially both boys were pitched against each other for the same part of Robert but while Oliver was given this role, Finlay was then handed the task of playing Robert’s brother Timothy, aged eight.

Both boys attended the star-studded premiere in London, taking the momentous occasion in their stride.

Oliver first trod the boards live on stage in his Poppets Pre School Nativity and appeared in the last three highly successful Christmas Spectaculars at the Regent Centre in Christchurch.

His father Jeremy Payne said: “When we went to the premiere it was huge; but Oliver was concerned about whether we got free popcorn.”

Oliver and Finlay described meeting Stephen Hawking as ‘cool’ and say Eddie Redmayne was ‘good fun’.

Oliver will be bringing some red carpet glitz and glamour to the Regent Centre, Christchurch, when he brings 50 friends and family to see The Theory of Everything on Sunday, February 1 at 7.30pm.

The boys will star in Swish of the Curtain’s Wizard of Oz at Bournemouth Pavilion from February 19 until February 21.

The Theory of Everything is showing at Dorchester Plaza, Dorchester Odeon and Weymouth Cineworld.