Eddie Redmayne considered quitting

Actor, Eddie Redmayne. Photo / AP

Oscar winner Eddie Redmayne momentarily thought about retiring after The Theory of Everything.

The British actor was the darling of the awards season earlier this year thanks to his portrayal of Stephen Hawking in the film, picking up the best actor Oscar, Golden Globe, BAFTA and SAG awards.

Receiving the accolades at 33 made him one of the youngest ever winners and when all the hype had died down he did have a split second of doubt.

"I had a moment of, 'Oh f***, I might retire tomorrow," Redmayne told Details.com.

"The thought that it happened too early came in for a second. But then I thought, No, I want this."

Actor Eddie Redmayne as Lili Elbe, in Tom Hooper's The Danish Girl.

His latest film The Danish Girl has already created a lot of Oscars buzz and another golden statue is well within his reach.

In it he plays transgender woman Lili Elbe who undergoes pioneering gender reassignment surgery during the 1930s.

"Quite a few people have said, 'You did Stephen Hawking, a physical transformation, and now you're doing another one,"' Redmayne said.

"But as an actor, you never go, 'Oh, I need to do this.' You ask yourself, 'Is this story worth telling? Does it hit me?"'

Success has come fairly quickly to Redmayne, and he has worked consistently since he started out in 1998.

While his parents have always been supportive, they were cautious when Redmayne revealed his career dreams.

"They had no knowledge of the world but my dad is pretty good with numbers, so he just knew the statistics of unemployment," he said.

- WENN