A first-look image of actor Rufus Sewell in character as Prince Andrew has been revealed.
It comes ahead of the release of a new Netflix drama detailing the story behind the Duke of York’s infamous BBC Newsnight interview in November 2019.
A trailer for the upcoming film Scoop shows Sewell, in character as the duke, sitting down with co-star Gillian Anderson, who plays the journalist Emily Maitlis.
In another scene, Billie Piper, playing Newsnight producer Sam McAlister, is in discussions with Sewell’s Andrew when she refers to him as “Randy Andy”.
The film, based on McAlister’s book Scoops, documents the “high stakes negotiations with Buckingham Palace” through to the BBC’s interview with Andrew.
In real life, the royal took part amid intense criticism of his friendship with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.
However, the interview was dubbed a “car crash”, with commentators questioning the duke’s responses and condemning his unsympathetic tone and lack of remorse.
Following the interview, the duke stepped back from public life, saying the scandal had become a “major disruption” to the Royal Family.
Billie Piper as Newsnight producer Sam McAlister, in the new Nextflix drama Scoop.
Pic: Netflix/PA
Rufus Sewell as Prince Andrew and Gillian Anderson as journalist Emily Maitlis, in the new Nextflix drama Scoop.
Pic: Netflix/PA
He later agreed a financial settlement with Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre, who had accused him of sexual assault in a US civil case.
As part of the out-of-court settlement, Prince Andrew, who always strongly rejected claims of wrongdoing, accepted no liability.
As well as Anderson and Piper, Scoop features Bodyguard star Keeley Hawes as one of Andrew’s advisers, while Sex Education star Connor Swindells plays a member of the press.
Netflix released its first trailer for the film last month in which viewers were introduced to Anderson as Maitlis.
The real interview was described as a “car crash” by some commentators
Read more from Sky News:
Katie Price declared bankrupt for second time
The Crown actor condemns Southern Water over raw sewage
Maitlis, who left the BBC in 2022 and now hosts a podcast, has already served as an executive producer of a Channel 4 documentary about the interview.
Another drama about the interview, a series called A Very Royal Scandal, starring Michael Sheen as Andrew and Ruth Wilson as Maitlis, is also in the works.
Scoop will be released on Netflix on 5 April.
Source Agencies
