Eddie Redmayne jokes that his Razzie-winning performance in Jupiter Ascending "lives on in meme history"

There are plenty of pieces to the Wachowskis’ 2015 sci-fi film Jupiter Ascending that stand out in its first viewing, like dog-human hybrid Channing Tatum or Mila Kunis’ character being of interstellar bee royalty. Yet, none of those things can beat the absolutely unhinged performance of Eddie Redmayne as Balem Abrasax, the film’s over-the-top baddie whose obsession over a youth serum rivals that of TikTok’s skincare sector.

While critics at the time weren’t the film’s biggest fans, the cheesy space opera has grown into a sort-of cult classic online, specifically for the level of camp provided by Redmayne’s caped villain (i.e. every time he seemingly screeches out-of-nowhere). In a recent interview with IndieWire, the Fantastic Beasts star reflected on his croaky tyrant and the performance that would make him a Razzie Award winner.

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“It lives on in meme history,” joked the Oscar winner. “That world was so beyond my level of imagination. I just wanted to go and swim in [the Wachowskis’] imaginations. I had sort of no idea what I was doing, I didn’t know anything about the budget, but I had a really enjoyable time making it.”

He added: “But I also wasn’t in it that much, and I just remember that the character I was playing was incredibly vain and was squishing up humans in order to make them into serum to live longer, so the thing what was most important was that I had a six-pack and a spray tan. So there was a lot of sit-ups involved and me clenching my attempt at abs whilst speaking in a strange voice.”

Though the hammy role might not be everyone’s favorite, Redmayne revealed in a 2018 GQ interview that it had become some people’s preferred acting endeavor of his. “People seem to enjoy what I do, or loathe what I do...and [for] those people that loathe what I do, Jupiter Ascending tends to be their favorite of my performances,” said the actor through a fit of laughter.