Gillian Anderson initially hesitated before accepting the chance to reenact Prince Andrew’s controversial BBC interview, which has been widely criticized for its uncomfortable content regarding allegations of sexual misconduct and his association with Jeffrey Epstein.
Anderson, known for her role in “The Crown,” expressed her apprehension about portraying journalist Emily Maitlis, describing it as a challenging endeavor. Maitlis conducted an interview with the Duke of York for the BBC shortly before Prince Andrew decided to step away from his public royal responsibilities.
“I had been avoiding it for quite some time because I was aware of how embarrassing it was, but I finally delved into it when I began this project, and I must say, it’s absolutely astonishing,” Anderson commented on the interview while appearing on “Today.”
The 55-year-old actress, known for her role as Margaret Thatcher in “The Crown,” revealed that she initially declined the opportunity to be part of the Netflix series based on the televised interview.
“Well, Emily may not be familiar to you here, but she’s incredibly popular in the U.K., and she’s ventured into the world of podcasting,” Anderson explained. “She had a lengthy tenure at ‘Newsnight’ on the BBC.” And she’s an incredibly impressive journalist and woman who is always around us.
“The thought of portraying someone who was deeply recognizable and full of life seemed incredibly intimidating.”
Netflix’s “Scoop” is adapted from the book penned by Sam McAlister, the BBC producer who successfully landed the televised interview with the Duke of York. The film is set to debut on the streaming platform on April 5th.
“This is [McAlister’s] perspective on what occurred at the time, how she successfully secured the interview and persuaded [the palace] that it would be beneficial to openly discuss and share [Prince Andrew’s] side of the story,” Anderson explained. “And there was certainly a chance for that to occur.”
Prince Andrew participated in an interview for “Newsnight” in 2019, during which he addressed sensitive subjects including allegations of sexual assault made by Virginia Giuffre, formerly known as Virginia Roberts.
Prince Andrew discussed his connection with Epstein, expressing regret for staying with him. He acknowledged that his actions were not in line with the expectations of a member of the royal family, and he feels responsible for falling short of the highest standards and practices.
In another part of the interview, the second son of the queen expressed that he had no regrets about his friendship with Epstein, highlighting the valuable connections he made and the knowledge he gained. This statement drew criticism from the media.
Epstein’s death in 2019 was ruled as a suicide, following his charges of federal sex trafficking and conspiracy.
Andrew vehemently denied the sexual assault allegations that had long haunted him, firmly stating that he did not engage in any sexual activity with Giuffre when she was 17 years old.
“It didn’t occur.” I can confidently assure you that it never occurred. The Duke of York firmly denied any memory of ever meeting the lady in question during his interview.
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