Gillian Anderson almost turned down the chance to relive Prince Andrew’s “uncomfortable” BBC interview about his alleged sexual misconduct and friendship with Jeffrey Epstein.
Anderson, who also starred in The Crown, said the role of journalist Emily Maitlis seemed “incredibly daunting.” Ms Maitlis interviewed the Duke of York on the BBC just days before Prince Andrew gave up her royal duties.
“I think I put it off for a long time because I knew how disgusting it would be. And then finally, when I started this project, I really dug into it, and yeah, it was amazing.” said Anderson about the interview itself when he appeared on the show. “today.”
The 55-year-old actress, who played Margaret Thatcher in The Crown, explained that she initially said no to the Netflix reenactment after being inspired by a televised interview.
Prince Andrew’s infamous BBC interview about Jeffrey Epstein will be made into a movie: What you need to know
Gillian Anderson initially declined to appear on Scoop. A Netflix film shows how the BBC brought Prince Andrew’s 2019 interview to life. (Getty Images)
“Well, you might not know much about Emily here, but she’s a household name in the UK and now she has a podcast,” Anderson explained. “She worked for the BBC’s ‘Newsnight’ for a very long time and she is an incredibly formidable journalist and a woman who will always be in our midst.”
“The idea of playing a character that was so familiar and so vivid felt incredibly daunting.”
Netflix’s Scoop is based on a book written by Sam McAllister, the BBC producer who secured the TV interview with the Duke of York. The film will premiere on streaming platforms on April 5th.
“this is [McAlister’s] We cover what happened at that time and how she was able to pass the interview and be persuaded. [the palace] I thought it would be a good idea to lay it all out on the table and talk about it. [Prince Andrew’s] “It’s true,” Anderson said. “And there was definitely a chance for that to happen.”
Gillian Anderson plays Emily Maitlis in Scoop. (Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)
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prince andrew He was interviewed on Newsnight in 2019 and spoke about sensitive topics, including sexual assault allegations from Virginia Giuffre and later Virginia Roberts.
Prince Andrew spoke about his friendship with Epstein at the time, saying: “I was with him and it was [something] I blame myself every day. That is not befitting a member of the Royal Family, and we strive to uphold the highest standards and practices, and I have let that party down. It’s simple.”
Elsewhere in the interview, the Queen’s second son said he did not regret his friendship with Epstein because of the people he met and everything he learned, a comment that was also slammed by the media.
Epstein died by suicide in 2019 after being indicted on federal sex trafficking and conspiracy charges.
Melania Trump, Prince Andrew, Gwendolyn Beck and Jeffrey Epstein attend a party at the Mar-a-Lago Club on February 12, 2000. (Davidoff Studios/Getty Images)
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Andrew also denied the sexual assault allegations that have long haunted him, saying they had no sexual relationship with Giuffre when she was 17.
“That never happened. I can absolutely say it never happened. I have no recollection of ever meeting this woman, at all,” the Duke of York said in an interview.
Prince Andrew’s future settled the lawsuit The case was brought against him by Mr. Giuffre in February 2022 for an undisclosed sum.
Prince Andrew puts his arm around the waist of 17-year-old Virginia Giuffre, who later accused the Duke of York of sexual assault. (U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit)
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