Taylor Swift and Eddie Redmayne recount Les Miserables film screen test

Taylor Swift has recounted auditioning alongside actor Eddie Redmayne for the film adaption of Les Miserables adding that she was there for “a good time but not for a long time”.

The singer, 32, and Oscar-winner Redmayne, appeared as guests on The Graham Norton Show where they spoke about the screen test for Tom Hooper’s 2012 version of the famous production.

Swift said: “Basically I was up for two roles – I had the look of Cosette and the range vocally of Eponine, so it was established I was there for a good time but not for a long time, I wasn’t going to get the role.

“But they asked if I would like to go to London to do a screen test with Eddie, who is one of my favourite actors, and I thought ‘This isn’t an experience I am going to get again in my life’, so I said yes.

“When I got there they put me in full 19th century street urchin costume and told me they were going to paint my teeth brown and I was like, ‘You are going to do that after I meet Eddie Redmayne, right?’

“But no, they made me look like death and it became a nightmare. When I met Eddie I didn’t open my mouth to speak!”

Redmayne, who played Marius Pontmercy in Les Miserables, and was named best actor at the Academy Awards for his portrayal of Stephen Hawking in The Theory Of Everything, added: “I thought we would just be singing off each other – I didn’t know we would be in each other’s arms.

“My overriding memory of it is that I had had pizza and garlic dough balls beforehand and all I could think about was my garlic breath while Taylor was dying in my arms and I was trying to show emotion.”

I’d Do Anything star Samantha Barks landed the role of Eponine in the film, with Hollywood star Anne Hathaway playing Fantine and Mamma Mia! actress Amanda Seyfried playing Cosette alongside Hugh Jackman’s Jean Valjean.

Swift released her new album Midnights last week to rave reviews, with it breaking the Spotify record for most-streamed album in a single day.

She told Norton: “It’s all about sleepless nights and the hour of midnight.

“I’ve had sleepless nights all through my life and there is such intensity when you are up all night. It’s a concept album and the main question is ‘What keeps you up at night?’.”

On the response to the album, she said: “I am thrilled,” adding jokingly: “But, I do think it’s a little accusatory when people say I broke Spotify. It was my gorgeous fans that broke Spotify!”

Other guests appearing on the BBC show include U2 star Bono, BBC presenter and former Lioness Alex Scott and singer Lady Blackbird.

The Graham Norton Show airs on BBC One on Friday at 10.40pm.