AS THEIR SENSATIONAL NEW FILM TOPS THE CHARTS
ON THE CHALLENGES OF PLAYING REAL-LIFE WOMEN AND BRINGING THE STORY OF ‘SCOOP’ TO THE SCREEN
When it comes to playing formidable women, Hollywood actress Gillian Anderson seems to have cornered the market.
From Wallis Simpson to Margaret Thatcher and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, her portrayals are uncannily well observed.
However, her latest role – as Newsnight journalist Emily Maitlis opposite Rufus Sewell as the Duke of York in the Netflix drama Scoop – was a whole other challenge.
A highly regarded TV journalist, Emily reached a global audience after holding Prince Andrew to account on the BBC show in November 2019.
“It was the first time I’ve played a real-life character who is still alive – and I have to say, it’s more daunting playing an Emily Maitlis than a Margaret Thatcher,” says Gillian, 55. “People know Emily so well. They listen to her daily, they watch her and have done for years. And also, with this interview that is the subject of our film, it is etched in people’s minds.
“It was a really important moment not just for journalism but these two institutions of the BBC and Buckingham Palace, who were facing off, in a sense.”
Surrounded by all the grandeur of Buckingham Palace, Emily’s interview is a high-water mark for journalism and compelling viewing. Told through the eyes of Newsnight producer Sam McAlister, played by Billie Piper, Scoop explains the events leading up to it.
However, stepping into Emily’s skirt suits and sleek bob, Gillian discovered she had little in common with the award-winning journalist.
“She runs and does cold-water swimming and she is a mum of kids and she’s known in the UK as being able to balance and handle it all – and so those are fun traits to have an opportunity to play. But I’m not a runner or a swimmer.”
US-born Gillian, a mum of three, moved to London more than 20 years ago, effectively reinventing herself after starring in The X Files with roles in hit TV series including The Falll Sex Education.
ACT NATURALLY
In preparing for the role, she was careful not to merely mimic Emily.
“When I played Margaret Thatcher in The Crown,, I was given a piece of advice which I feel was very helpful: that there’s a reason why you – being me – were cast, so it’s important that an element of you still remains.
“If you try and get rid of every last bit of yourself, it can feel too forced and mimicky or unnatural. And the way to balance that out is not to be so obsessive, but to allow a bit of yourself to come through.
“I think that was a really good piece of advice because then it also allowed me to let myself off the hook a bit, if I felt I wasn’t quite getting it, or I wasn’t perfect. I could relax a little bit more and just allow wh
