Photo: Des Willie/Netflix
It’s no surpriseGillian Andersonmastered Margaret Thatcher’s unusual manner of speaking forThe Crown— herGolden Globe- andSAG-winningperformance started with the U.K. Prime Minister’s mouth… specifically her teeth!
In a chat withElisabeth MossforVariety Studio: Actors on Actors, Anderson explained that getting Thatcher’s unmistakable look right was the first step to accessing the polarizing politician as a character.
“She was notorious for having bad teeth. And because she has such an overbite, I was just wanting to explore that,” said Anderson, 52. “Everything just looked wrong.”
She explained that she and the show’s makeup artists “were thinking about teeth prosthetics, and so we tried three or four different shapes, sizes.”
Not satisfied with the options, Anderson decided to tap into her own physicality: “It became,is that something that I can just do with my mouth, andhow I hold my mouth? I actually found that, yes, that was enough. And that informed how I spoke. It was actually a gift to have made that choice, because that informed everything.”
Mike Marsland/WireImage; Getty
Quite the opposite: Anderson thanked the series' “extraordinary” hair and makeup team in her February SAG Award victory speech for transforming her, “Thatcher helmet [hair] thing” and all.
And beyond its many awards wins, the Netflix hit has also caught the attention of a royal insider:Prince Harryhimself.
“It gives you a rough idea about what that lifestyle, what the pressures of putting duty and service above family and everything else, what can come from that,” hetold James Corden in February.
“I’m way more comfortable withThe Crownthan I am seeingthe stories written about my family, or my wife, or myself. That [show] is obviously fiction — take it how you will. But this is being reported on as fact because you’re supposedly news.”
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The Crownis set to resume production in July, with anew cast stepping into play the royal family during the turbulent early ’90s, including 1992, the year the Queen dubbed an “annus horribilis.”
source: people.com
