The Guardian has put together a list of Stephen Hawking’s appearances or portrayals in films, television series and shows, demonstrating that the scientist was appreciated around the world.
Perhaps the most notable is Eddie Redmayne’s portrayal of Hawkings in the film “The Theory of Everything”, which got him a Best Actor Oscar win.
However, the scientist also appeared on screen himself – in fact, he had recurring cameos on The Big Bang Theory, a very popular show featuring physicists and engineers who are in awe of Hawking’s work and who meet him and develop a friendly relationship with him.
Hawking also appeared in The Simpsons in 1999. He said about the show that it treated his disability responsibly, and made three more visits to the fictional town of Springfield, later describing it as “the best thing on American television”.
Another animated hit of Matt Groening, Futurama, also featured Stephen Hawking. The scientist also showed up as his own hologram in a 1993 episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, playing poker with Einstein and Newton.
Hawking even appeared in a series of adverts for insurance comparison website Go Compare and in British Telecom ads.