Hawking (2004 film)
Hawking is a 2004 biographical drama television film directed by Philip Martin and written by Peter Moffat. Starring Benedict Cumberbatch, it chronicles Stephen Hawking's early years as a PhD student at the University of Cambridge, following his search for the beginning of time, and his struggle against motor neuron disease. It stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Hawking and premiered in the UK in April 2004.
| Hawking | |
|---|---|
DVD Cover | |
| Screenplay by | Peter Moffat |
| Directed by | Philip Martin |
| Starring | Benedict Cumberbatch Michael Brandon Tom Hodgkins Lisa Dillon Phoebe Nicholls Adam Godley Peter Firth Tom Ward John Sessions Rohan Siva Matthew Marsh Anastasia Hille Bertie Carvel Christian Rubeck |
| Music by | Murray Gold |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Production | |
| Producer | Jessica Pope |
| Running time | 90 minutes |
| Original release | |
| Network | BBC Two |
| Release | 13 April 2004 |
The film received positive reviews, with critics particularly lauding Cumberbatch's performance as Hawking. It received two British Academy Television Awards nominations: Best Single Drama and Best Actor (Cumberbatch). Cumberbatch won the Golden Nymph for Best Performance by an Actor in a TV Film or Miniseries.
Cumberbatch's portrayal of Hawking was the first portrayal of the physicist on screen not by himself.