Ruth Wilson has spoken about transforming into Emily Maitlis for the upcoming drama A Very Royal Scandal, which retreads the BBC’s explosive Newsnight interview with Prince Andrew, who's played by Michael Sheen.
The Woman in the Wall star spent time with Maitlis, who is an executive producer on the Prime Video show, to prepare for what is her first role playing a public figure.
Wilson told Digital Spy during an exclusive interview ahead of the show’s release that in order to become Maitlis she donned a "lovely" blonde wig, brown contact lenses and perpetual blue nail polish.
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She said: "It was great fun to do and working on her voice, trying to get some version of that voice, which is quite particular and interesting.
"I had never done a real public figure before. Michael [Sheen]'s done many, but I hadn't so much. So that was a real part of the reason I took on the challenge and the job.
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"It's quite technical, a lot of that stuff, and I'd never worked in that way before. I really enjoyed it because it gives you very strict boundaries. And a character you create is never quite as interesting as real people on the street, a real version of it – like, wow, the nuance of individuals.
"I could never really come up with that myself. So having Emily there as a blueprint for that was really exciting to do."
Related: Emily Maitlis responds to Ruth Wilson playing her in new drama
While preparing for the new three-part miniseries, Wilson spent time with Maitlis at the studio of her podcast and had the opportunity to interview her, which she described as "the most terrifying thing".
"I had my list of questions," Wilson laughed. "I thought I would throw her off straight away, so I asked her what's in her handbag, which is a great question. Then she had to get out all her bits and bobs, but it was great.
"She's a wonderfully generous woman who wanted to be part of it and wanted to share her experiences. It takes an enormous amount on her side to trust me with taking the essence of her and finding parts that I can bring into this character.
"Essentially, I've created a version of Emily. It's not her. It's a sort of combination of what Jeremy [Brock]'s written, what Julian [Jarrold]'s directed, what I've brought to it and what Emily's given us, but she was very generous with her time and energy. It was invaluable, what I got from her."
A Very Royal Scandal premieres on September 19 on Prime Video.
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Previously Deputy TV Editor at Digital Spy and, before that, a TV Reporter at The Mirror, Rebecca can now be found crafting expert analysis of the TV landscape, when she's not talking on the BBC or Times Radio about everything from the latest season of Bridgerton or The White Lotus to whatever chaos is unfolding in the various Love Island villas. When she's not bingeing a boxset, in-the-wild sightings of Rebecca have included stints on the National TV Awards and BAFTAs red carpets, and post-match video explainers of the reality TV we're all watching.
