How Stephen Hawking became the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

Stephen Hawking, who passed away early this week aged 76, was a seriously cool guy.

Not only was he a scientific genius and one of the smartest people on Earth, he was also capable of offering some pretty sound advice.

His sage words on depression and warning about boasting about one's IQ are pieces of wisdom that everyone should take to heart.

However, let's not forget that Hawking had a playful side and appeared in numerous TV shows such as The Simpsons and The Big Bang Theory.

One of his final cameos in the world of entertainment was a performance in the newest addition to the comedy sci-fi epic Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, which debuted on BBC Radio 4 last week.

In the first episode of the sixth season of the show, based on Douglas Adams famed novel, Hawking literally features as the voice of the guide to the galaxy, identifying himself as Guide Mark II.

We won't go into the exact details of what is happening in this scene, but you have to love that the guide decided to take the form of Hawking and even referenced his fame and the acknowledgement he received through his books.

He says:

Others knew me in different forms.

I have been quite popular in my time. 

Some even read my books. 

Speaking to the Radio Times, the series producer David Morley explained how they managed to get Hawking onboard.

When we were thinking of cameos for the new series I suddenly thought of Professor Stephen Hawking.

It turned out that he was a huge fan of Hitchhiker’s and was keen to see the script.

He very quickly came back with a resounding ‘yes’ and Dirk Maggs (co-producer) and I were jumping up and down with joy.

His part blends perfectly with the actors. The results are fantastic.

In addition to his appearance on the show, the BBC have also released a 45-minute extended version of that particular episode, which is available for download now.

As a man who spent most of his life trying to explain "The Theory of Everything" there seems no more fitting way to remember Hawking as "pan-dimensional bio-hybrid organism" who knew the answer to the meaning of life.

HT Mashable

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