Rufus Sewell, in preparation for his role as Prince Andrew in the new Netflix movie Scoop, did extensive research to study Andrew’s mannerisms. The film focuses on the behind-the-scenes story of the 2019 BBC interview that discussed Andrew’s relationship with convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, based on Sam McAlister’s book Scoops. Sewell, aged 56, spent up to four hours a day transforming himself into Prince Andrew using makeup and prosthetics. He noted that Andrew has a distinct blokey quality mixed with the Windsor clenched-jaw characteristic, giving him a unique portrayal to embody in the film.
Gillian Anderson plays journalist Emily Maitlis in the movie, who interviews Prince Andrew and questions him about his ties to Epstein. This infamous interview is considered to be a pivotal moment leading to the public scrutiny and downfall of Prince Andrew. Maitlis also addressed allegations of Andrew’s sexual assault of a minor, which he denied. Andrew was involved in a civil lawsuit filed by Virginia Giuffre, which was settled out of court with Andrew paying an estimated $16 million. As a result, Andrew resigned from public roles in May 2020, and his honorary military affiliations were removed by the Queen in January 2022.
Sewell aimed to understand life from Prince Andrew’s perspective in order to accurately portray him on screen. He highlighted the complexities of Andrew’s beliefs, expressing a mix of feeling like a victim of being too honorable while also fearing repercussions for others. Sewell noted that Andrew believes he has been set up and has a range of mixed emotions including culpability, innocence, and victimhood, making the role fascinating to play as an actor. The challenge of capturing such a wide range of emotions from a royal family member was daunting but rewarding for Sewell.
Despite portraying Prince Andrew in the film, Sewell clarified that Scoop does not take a stance on Andrew’s guilt or innocence, instead presenting the events without bias. In interviews, Sewell admitted that embodying Prince Andrew on camera was sometimes a painful experience due to the controversial nature of the storyline and character. He praised Anderson for her portrayal of Emily Maitlis, stating that she was terrifyingly up to the challenge in bringing the character to life on screen. Scoop is set to debut on Netflix on Friday, April 5, offering audiences a glimpse into the scandal-ridden story of Prince Andrew’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein through the lens of the BBC interview.
