Eddie Redmayne repeats horror Hobbit audition

We've all got them; Those party piece stories you can reel out and know you'll get a guaranteed good laugh.

But if you thought it was cringey watching Uncle Gerald tell the same story every Christmas, spare a thought for poor Eddie Redmayne.

The Golden Globe nominee, who married just days before Christmas, has been caught out telling the same story - with the exact same build up and mannerisms - on a major international chat show.

The Theory of Everything actor appeared on The Graham Norton Show, where he was coaxed into telling the tale of his unsuccessful Hobbit audition.

So far, so good. The crowd loved it - as did fellow couch guests Anna Kendrick and Liam Neeson - as Redmayne re-enacted the humiliation of putting on a silly, squeaky voice and introducing himself as Bilbo Baggins.

Watch our video comparing the two stories here.

But a quick Google search reveals Redmayne gave a near identical performance, telling the story to an audience during a promo tour for Les Miserables two years ago.

Of course, there's no crime against retelling a good yarn. But it does make you wonder just how much of the seemingly spontaneous chat show is actually pre-planned and rehearsed?

Certainly in this case, it was a word perfect performance.

- nzherald.co.nz