Eddie Redmayne doesn’t think "anything could have prepared" him for fatherhood.
The 34-year-old actor – who has four-month-old daughter Iris with his wife Hannah Bagshawe – says becoming a father to the little girl has opened "different parts of his heart" and gives him something to smile at after a long day at work.
He said: "I don’t think anything can prepare you. The amazing thing is everything that everyone tells you beforehand – which is all cliché – is true. You’ve heard it all before and yet when you’re experiencing it, it feels like the first time and you suddenly start telling everyone these things as if they’re completely new and original thoughts. And they’re like, ‘Yeah that’s the cliché.’
"But all the things like different parts of your heart opening … it’s really extraordinary. There’s this amazing thing with children – whenever you’re having a bit of a tired moment or something, it’s like she’s always just one stop ahead of you, smiling you along. It’s great."
And Eddie is looking forward to Iris being able to watch him in J.K. Rowling’s ‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them’ – in which he plays magizoologist Newt Scamander – when she is older because he grew up watching the ‘Harry Potter’ films.
He added to Entertainment Tonight: "I feel like we grew up watching those films and getting to dive into that world every year or two. I used to find it so cozy.
"It was like getting a hug every year or two from J.K. Rowling and I love the idea of another generation having something similar. Even though ‘Fantastic Beasts’ is a different period, it’s still the ‘Harry Potter’ world. It’s still got that same warmth and kindness."
Eddie Redmayne: Nothing prepares you for fatherhood
