Eddie Redmayne has revealed he sprained his ankle on a film set after tripping on a piece of equipment designed to prevent injury.

The actor was pictured earlier this week wearing a leg brace, and he has now shed light on the injury.

Redmayne told The Graham Norton Show: “You know how Tom Cruise did that thing to his ankle when he leapt across a tall building?

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Eddie Redmayne during the filming of The Graham Norton Show (Ian West/PA)

“Well, I was on set of a quite hardcore ‘stunty’ thing about two people in a hot air balloon and they had this crash mat beneath the balloon in case you fell out.

“I walked on to the crash mat, tripped on it and fell and sprained my ankle.”

Redmayne appeared on the chat show – which will air on Friday – with his foot in a leg brace and the aid of a crutch.

He joked: “Now I look like RoboCop – they told me I had to wear it and I am being obedient!”

In 2019, Redmayne will appear in period drama The Aeronauts, which sees him play a scientist who undertakes a hot air balloon expedition to fly higher than anyone in history along with a wealthy young widow, played by his The Theory Of Everything co-star Felicity Jones.

But he will first be seen in Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, the second in the JK Rowling film franchise, in which he reprises his role as wizard Newt Scamander.

Redmayne was joined on Norton’s show by co-star Jude Law, who plays Albus Dumbledore in the film, set for release in November.

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Eddie Redmayne and Jude Law (right) during the filming of the Graham Norton Show (Ian West/PA)

Law said that his children are excited that he is playing a younger version of the beloved Harry Potter character in the new film.

He said: “But of course I can’t tell them anything about what I am doing. It’s all a secret.

“I, like so many other parents, had read the books to the children as they grew up using lots of accents – scary and funny voices – and I actually had a voice for Dumbledore.

“I’d had years of preparation for the role.”

Redmayne and Law were joined on Norton’s programme by Emma Stone, Melissa McCarthy and Rick Astley.

The Graham Norton Show airs on Friday at 10.35pm on BBC One.