'Scoop' stars say new Netflix film offers fresh 'perspectives' on Prince Andrew's infamous 'Newsnight' interview
"Scoop" dramatizes Prince Andrew's infamous television interview about his ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
Stars Rufus Sewell, Billie Piper, and Gillian Anderson spoke about the film at this week's event.
Piper said the film shines a light on "unsung heroes," such as the producer she portrays.
"Scoop," Netflix's upcoming drama about Prince Andrew's infamous 2019 "Newsnight" interview, offers up new "perspectives" about the royal's links to the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, the actor Rufus Sewell said.
The film, set to be released on April 5, sees the British actor portray the Duke of York, who in 2019 agreed to speak publicly about his association with Epstein.
The interview with Emily Maitlis that followed, which did little to clear his name, was dubbed a "car crash" by many.
Speaking at a Netflix event in London on Thursday attended by Business Insider, Sewell shared that the film is "not the story of Jeffrey Epstein's victims nor Prince Andrew's story," but of the women who made the explosive interview possible, particularly the then-producer of "Newsnight," Sam McAlister.
"There were definitely perspectives that you hadn't had before," Sewell said, including revealing who was in the room with the royal when filming took place at Buckingham Palace.
Billie Piper, who plays McAlister and was also present at the Netflix event, added: "I feel like there are some unsung heroes in this story that need recognition for what they did."
But Sewell said he didn't accept the role until he had "worked on it on my own for a little while."
He said he became "obsessed" with the interview and watching clips of Andrew and that his process of transforming into the character included "dressing up" in clothes similar to those Andrew wore.
"I watched a lot of footage of him when he was younger and at his best because one of the temptations is to avoid anything that seems to show him in a good light," Sewell said. "It's quite a responsibility."
As audiences will see, the film used a few facial prosthetics to help turn Sewell into Andrew, who is almost a decade older.
Sewell said the makeup process took four hours every day.
Meanwhile, Gillian Anderson, who delivered a prerecorded message via video link, said it was a "privilege" but "daunting" to be offered the chance to play Maitlis, the BBC journalist who achieved worldwide acclaim for her interview with Andrew.
And like Sewell, she said she was initially hesitant to take on the role.
"She is a formidable character and journalist, and an incredibly impressive woman. So when first asked to play her, I said, 'Absolutely not, it's too hard, she's too amazing, and everyone knows her too well, and I will undoubtedly fail.'"
Maitlis' hourlong exclusive interview garnered 1.7 million viewers, The Hollywood Reporter said.
More than 8 million people have also watched the interview on YouTube.
In the uncomfortable interview, Andrew said that he had "no recollection" of having met Virginia Giuffre, a woman who claimed that she was paid to have sex with the royal when she was 17.
As the backlash against the royal mounted in the wake of the interview, Queen Elizabeth II gave permission for Andrew to step down from his public royal duties.
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