Journalist Emily Maitlis has commented on the forthcoming Netflix film adaptation of her Newsnight interview with Prince Andrew. Maitlis took control of a widely-publicised talk with the Royal Family member about his friendship with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein and his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell.
The film will star Gillian Anderson as Maitlis and Rufus Sewell as Prince Andrew. I’ve been completely hands-off actually, and I think it’s better that way because if I was the actress, I’d slightly want to have my own space to interpret it as I saw fit,” Maitlis said on the BAFTA red carpet (via the Evening Standard).
“I know that there must be a difficulty with playing real, living people, and so I’ve just sort of stepped back from it and said, ‘This is the Netflix film of that, it’s not my life, and it’s not me. It’s whatever Gillian does with it,’” Maitliss added. “And I think Gillian is just a fantastic actress, and I think she’s amazing, so I’m very happy to be completely hands-off and just allow her space to do something fabulous.”
When the question arose of whether Maitlis would be watching the film upon its release, she said, “No, I think I will run a million miles away,” but added, “I feel incredibly grateful that it all came together in the way it did for that interview. And if it follows me, you know, there are worse things to live with.”
