Gillian Anderson portraying Margaret Thatcher in 'The Crown'
Last updated on: 14 November,2020 06:17 pm
Gillian Anderson portraying Margaret Thatcher in 'The Crown'
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Gillian Anderson’s portrayal of British political leader Margaret Thatcher in “The Crown” was built step by step, from distinctive voice to helmet-hair wig to padded wardrobe.
Olivia Colman, who as Queen Elizabeth II goes coif to coif with Thatcher, found Anderson’s Thatcher so uncanny that it was “quite scary.” The U.K.’s first female prime minister and Conservative Party leader died at 87 in 2013.
“Sitting opposite her, especially with the light behind her a bit, it was” — at which point the Oscar-winning Colman paused, shivering dramatically and widening her eyes — “like she was there.”
“It was like having a ghost around,” concurred Helena Bonham Carter, who plays Princess Margaret, the queen’s sister, in the drama’s 10-episode fourth season out Sunday on Netflix.
Anderson is so arresting as Thatcher that even cynical late-night hosts became giddy fans when she was on as a guest. “I’m already giving you the Emmy for this,” Jimmy Kimmel said, asking if she’d called President-elect Joe Biden with official congrats. Stephen Colbert saluted her performance as “extraordinary.”
The actor, who gained fame and awards for “The X-Files,” is Chicago-born but spent her childhood in Britain. She’s made England her home for nearly two decades, appearing on a variety of TV shows and the London stage.