Michael Sheen reveals moment that ‘hooked’ him into playing A Very Royal Scandal’s Prince Andrew

Michael Sheen reveals moment that ‘hooked’ him into playing A Very Royal Scandal’s Prince Andrew

As a seasoned film critic with decades of experience under my belt, I must say that A Very Royal Scandal is a captivating three-part series that delves into the intriguing events surrounding the 2019 Newsnight interview between Emily Maitlis and Prince Andrew. The performances by Ruth Wilson and Michael Sheen are nothing short of exceptional, with Sheen particularly impressing as he brings the enigmatic Prince to life.


You can now stream the three-part series titled “A Very Royal Scandal,” where viewers delve into a fresh dramatic portrayal of the happenings preceding the 2019 interview between Emily Maitlis and Prince Andrew, as depicted on Newsnight.

In this production, the main characters are portrayed by Ruth Wilson and Michael Sheen. Notably, Sheen – recognized for his past roles as historical figures across various productions – shares his reasons for choosing to play Andrew.

During a question-and-answer session related to the show, Sheen was queried about his approach to portraying Andrew, as he didn’t have the opportunity to interact with the real person like Wilson could with Maitlis.

He mentioned that since you have the scripts, Jeremy has already put in a lot of effort. After that, his approach was to watch and read as much as possible, aiming to discover some common ground or connection.

Michael Sheen reveals moment that ‘hooked’ him into playing A Very Royal Scandal’s Prince Andrew

Sheen explained, “When I take on a role modeled after a real individual, my primary focus is finding ‘the common ground’ or ‘the aspect that draws me in.’

Additionally, there he was – Andrew, returning from the Falklands, standing on the dockside with a rose in his mouth. In that moment, it struck him: ‘This is likely one of the best moments life has to offer.’

Upon your triumphant return, you’ve maintained an impressive physical and mental prowess that captivates all. Your accomplishments are widely admired, making it difficult for anyone to not think highly of you. It seems the path forward has been smooth ever since.

That experience served as my entry point, sparking my curiosity to explore further. I wanted to understand the feeling, whether it was something I was striving for or battling against. So, in both a literal and emotional sense, that connection became crucial.

In a Q&A session, executive producer Karen Thrussell disclosed that certain lines from the scripts were removed following legal counsel, because the show was depicting actual people.

She said: “We approached it with a lot of legal advice. Every single script got sent. I mean, Jeremy [Brock, writer] was pulling his hair out sometimes, because there’d be things that we thought were just really funny and you would not be allowed to have them. We got there, every script was checked.”

When inquired about the meaning behind certain phrases, Thrussell responded: “Frankly, I wouldn’t dare put it in legal terms! However, there were a few humorous remarks that we definitely couldn’t use.

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2024-09-19 17:03