Gillian Anderson has been hailed as ‘astonishing’ in her upcoming role as Emily Maitlis after transforming into the Newsnight host in the new Prince Andrew film.
Netflix’s upcoming drama Scoop, about the now-infamous interview between The Duke of York and the BBCs Emily strikes an uncanny likeness from both stars.
However, while Rufus Sewell’s Prince Andrew was aided by prosthetics, Gillian had to rely on make-up and a wig to embody the well-regarded presenter.
The upcoming film recreates the cringe-inducing 2019 interview between Emily and the disgraced royal down to the most meticulous detail.
Gillian studied the interview as well as previous episodes of Newsnight to prepare for the role as she became no the no-nonsense reporter, down to even the most minute of her mannerisms.
Gillian Anderson has been hailed as ‘astonishing’ in her upcoming role as Emily Maitlis after transforming into the Newsnight host in the new Prince Andrew film
Netflix ‘s upcoming drama Scoop, about the now-infamous interview between The Duke of York and the BBCs Emily strikes an uncanny likeness from both stars
Sam McAlister – known as the Booker extraordinaire on Newsnight having successfully negotiated the interview which quizzed the Duke about his friendship with the late-convicted sex offender Jeffery Epstein – has seen Gillian in action.
Sam – who will be played by Doctor Who actress Billie Piper – has been on set during the filming and described Gillian’s likeness to Emily as ‘astonishing’.
She said: ‘It was like being there with Emily, everything about her physically and her performance is on the money.
‘They have a similar intellect as well. Emily is very methodical. She worked very hard on every interview she trains, she studies and my impression of Gillian was exactly the same.
‘She was studying the material, she was studying Emily, and she was working on that project in an intellectual way as well as a dramatic way.’
Rufus had the help of prosthetic make-up, but Phillip Martin, the director of Scoop said ‘with Gillian, there are no prosthetics – it’s make-up and a wig and mannerisms.
Martin added: ‘Sometimes people can do a really brilliant impersonation but not capture something.
‘What Gillian and Rufus had done so brilliantly is get the spirit of the people that they’re playing, so that it feels real.’
But as Gillian, who is quite the chameleon, is about to wow as Emily, it won’t be the first time she has nailed a character role… after previously playing both former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt.
Gillian prepared for her role as the late politician by working with two vocal coaches to nail down the perfect tone
MARGARET THATCHER
Gillian prepared for her role as the late politician in series four of The Crown by working with two vocal coaches to nail down the perfect tone.
She previously told how she rehearsed in ‘dark and abandoned rooms’ to channel the late politician, who led the country from 1979 until 1990.
On feeling distant from her distinctive voice, she told The Sun: ‘It’s quite easy to parody her voice, which makes it hard to identify with. It was about trying to find the balance, but at the same time understanding who she was and how she operated.’
In order to fully transform into Margaret, Gillian explained how she would practice her role alone – in a place she refers to as ‘elsewhere’.
She: ‘When we were doing The Crown, I’d get a chair and put it in some dark, dusty corner or an abandoned room.
‘I always referred to it as ”elsewhere”, and if the director wanted me, they’d have to come to my elsewhere. I’m quite fond of an ”elsewhere”.’
The Sex Education star revealed it took months to research the Iron Lady, and sat in the hair and make-up chair for an hour and a half at a time.
Gillian said getting into costume also helped her play the stateswoman as she said: ‘Never in my life would I wear the shoes she wore. But walking in the way I learned to walk as her, and in those shoes, just helped so much.
In November 2020, Gillian shared a series of candid snaps of her transforming into Thatcher, while filming series four of the The Crown.
Gillian was seen beaming a smile at the camera, as she sat in hair and makeup and had one of her impressive blonde wigs fitted.
Gillian appeared to be in great spirits during the all important prep, with the star opting for a casual all-black ensemble as she had her hair done.
In one of the pictures she flashed a huge grin and showed off her natural blonde locks still peaking out of the bouffant style wig.
While another image revealed a side view of the eerily accurate looking hair piece and showed just how well the wig and Gillian’s locks colour matched.
As well as this blonde wig, Gillian also had several more including a slightly darker piece to don during other scenes in the show.
Gillian, who also sported a fat suit and ‘really uncomfortable nylon stockings’ on set, insisted she ‘let go’ of her ‘preconceived ideas of Margaret’ and had picked up on the politician’s mannerisms by watching old videos of her.
Baroness Thatcher passed away in April 2013 after suffering a stroke aged 87.
The Sex Education star revealed it took months to research the Iron Lady, and sat in the hair and make-up chair for an hour and a half at a time (pictured)
Gillian was seen in the hair and makeup chair during the intricate process and still had some of her natural locks poking out the bottom of the hair piece
Other wigs depicting some of the politician’s well known hairstyles were also seen in the room
ELEANOR ROOSEVELT
After earning praise for her portrayal of Margaret Thatcher on the hit Netflix series, Gillian took on the role of another female historical political figure.
In the 2022 series The First Lady, Gillian played Eleanor Roosevelt, the longest-serving First Lady of the United States.
Eleanor, who was the wife of Franklin D Roosevelt, carved out her own path, championing the civil rights movement and the role of women in the workplace.
The costume designer behind the series, Signe Sejlund, previously said that the outfits worn by the former first ladies were ‘so iconic’ they had to be matched.
In an interview with HBO on Instagram, Signe said: ‘This show is so extremely big. This is a historic document, and it’s not a documentary.
‘Each one of them so interesting. There are certain looks of all these first ladies that are so iconic that you have to match it.’
According to the New York Times, each actress made approximately 75 costume changes throughout the series.
The head make-up artist, Carol Rasheed, revealed that each actress had their own personal artist who transformed them into character.
At the time, Gillian gave fans a look at her role as Eleanor as she sat in the make-up chair in her dressing room.
The X-Files actress shared a smiling selfie to her Instagram from Atlanta, Georgia, where she was being fit for a wavy brown wig similar to the style of Eleanor.
She then included a snapshot of the name Eleanor on her trailer door, followed by an insightful quote.
The quote read: ‘A woman is like a teabag; you never know how strong it is until it’s in hot water.’
Gillian appeared in all 10 episodes of the first season of the series, which co-starred Kiefer Sutherland as her husband Franklin.
The show, from creator Aaron Cooley, featured Viola Davis as Michelle Obama, Michelle Pfeiffer as Betty Ford and Ellen Burstyn as Sarah Delano Roosevelt.
Showtime’s anthology series is ‘a revelatory reframing of American leadership, told through the lens of the women at the heart of the White House’.
After earning praise for her portrayal of Margaret Thatcher on the hit Netflix series, Gillian took on the role of another female historical political figure (pictured as Eleanor Roosevelt)
Eleanor, who was the wife of Franklin D Roosevelt, carved out her own path, championing the civil rights movement and the role of women in the workplace
At the time, Gillian gave fans a look at her role as Eleanor as she sat in the make-up chair in her dressing room