Netflix is debuting its Prince Andrew film Scoop on April 5, with Rufus Sewell starring as the royal, Gillian Anderson as the BBC host whose interview got the prince in trouble and Billie Piper as a booker-producer on the news show. The stars came together in London on Wednesday for the world premiere of the movie to discuss what makes it “a nailbiter” despite its well-known fallout.
Anderson and Sewell recently shared that they initially didn’t want to play their respective parts. Anderson portrays former BBC Newsnight host Emily Maitlis in the film, which provides a behind-the-scenes look into the November 2019 Newsnight interview with Prince Andrew about his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Piper plays Sam McAlister, who used to work for the show behind the scenes.
The film is based on McAlister’s memoir, Scoops: Behind The Scenes of the BBC’s Most Shocking Interviews. It tells the inside story of the women who broke through the Buckingham Palace establishment to land the scoop of the decade, starting with the first failed approach, through to the negotiations with Prince Andrew and his team, the rehearsals, the interview itself and the aftermath. The BBC interview became a public catalyst for Prince Andrew‘s fall from grace.
After Wednesday’s world premiere, Anderson and Sewell lauded each other for doing such spot-on work. Recalling the experience of shooting the actual interview part of the film after watching and studying the original BBC interview, Anderson said: “We sit down, and so I’m doing it and doing the gestures. But at the same time, I’m seeing Rufus doing exactly what Prince Andrew did. I just wanted to go: ‘What the fuck?!’ You were so good!”
Sewell paid back the compliment, telling Anderson: “You made it very easy for me by making it very difficult for Andrew.” He shared that the interview set felt “strangely safe for me,” but “unsafe for…
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