Gillian Anderson wanted to subtly transform into Margaret Thatcher for her performance as the famous leader in The Crown.
The 52-year-old American actress plays the former British Prime Minister in the upcoming fourth series of the hit Netflix show, and she revealed that she refused to wear prosthetics in order to avoid her impersonation of the controversial politician becoming laughable.
While Anderson wears a wig for her role as Thatcher, who was dubbed the Iron Lady, she told Harper's Bazaar that she found wearing fake teeth too uncomfortable, and wanted her portrayal of the former Conservative leader's mannerisms to be subtle and "not doing it so much that it ended up a parody".
She wore a padded suit beneath her clothes to bulk up her petite frame, and was determined to show audiences that she thought Thatcher was just a vulnerable woman in a position of power.
"I had to get to a point where it’s nothing to do with my opinions of her policies, of her actions," Anderson explained. "It is only about her as a human being and her motivation as a politician and as a mother."
And she also managed to freak out her partner, The Crown writer Peter Morgan, when he came to see her on set while she was in full costume.
"I smiled at him, as me, Gillian, smiling at her boyfriend, and he said, 'This is Thatcher! This smile is Thatcher!’" she laughed. "And I’m like, no! This smile is me!"
The fourth season of The Crown, starring Olivia Colman, Helena Bonham Carter, Josh O'Connor, and Emma Corrin, will premiere on Netflix on 15 November.
