Eddie Redmayne thinks Russell Crowe and Hugh Jackman are ''superhuman'' actors.

The 30-year-old star was thrilled to work with the talented action veterans in musical drama 'Les Miserables' and says they were perfect to play the film's rugged male leads because they are the ultimate Hollywood superheroes.

He joked: ''They're both superhuman men in real life. And Jean Valjean, Hugh's character, is massive - he lifts carts! Russell is Javert, a policeman who has a vendetta against Jean Valjean.

''In some ways the thread through the movie is, 'Who would win in a fight?' And I love the idea of, 'Who do you cast against Wolverine? Gladiator!'''

Eddie loved the freedom that Tom Hooper's innovative directorial style afforded the cast, who had to sing live, but he admitted the intense shoot was tough on everyone's vocal chords.

He told InStyle magazine: ''You had no restrictions. You could change the tempo of a song instead of lip-syncing over what you recorded three months earlier. But we shot six days a week from 5 in the morning until 11 at night.

''The fear was you'd turn up one day to do your big number and have no voice. The poor crew constantly had to find humidifiers and make tea with honey and lemon for us. We were ridiculous.''

'Les Miserables' is expected to feature on the Oscars nominations list when it is revealed on January 10, after receiving four Golden Globe nods including Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Anne Hathaway.