"We were on the same rugby team at Eton College," Redmayne told Glamour magazine in a new interview. "He’s a wonderful man."
But 33-year-old, who gives an Oscar-worthy performance as physicist Stephen Hawking in the Theory of Everything, admits he "always felt slightly sorry" for William.
"Everyone wanted to tackle the future king of England," explains Redmayne. "He took all the hits."
Now, newlywed Redmayne – who married Hannah Bagshawe just before Christmas – is "just taking it day by day" as he gets ready for awards season.
"When we took on this film, we just felt such a fear in a sense of not wanting to screw it up, and the fact that Steven and Jane [Wilde, Hawking's ex-wife] seem to enjoy it, and the fact that the public is reacting to it – I'm just thrilled," Redmayne told reporters at the Palm Springs Film Festival Awards Gala on Jan. 3.
