DIANA releasing on october 4th
DIANA is a compelling portrait of Diana, Princess of Wales during the final two
years of her life. The film stars British-born Academy Award® nominated actress Naomi
Watts (J. EDGAR, FAIR GAME, 21 GRAMS) who assumes the leading role of the
eponymous and iconic princess. Naveen Andrews, best known for his roles in THE
ENGLISH PATIENT and the hit television series LOST, co-stars as Dr. Hasnat Khan. Fellow
Brits Douglas Hodge, Geraldine James, Charles Edwards and Juliet Stevenson round out the
supporting cast.
Masterfully directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel (Academy Award® nominated for
DOWNFALL), the film is based on a screenplay by the internationally acclaimed playwright
Stephen Jeffreys (The Clink, Libertine). The compelling love story charts how finding true
personal happiness allowed Diana to achieve her defining successes, as she evolved into a
major international campaigner and humanitarian.
The film is produced by Robert Bernstein and Douglas Rae of Ecosse Films
(NOWHERE BOY, WUTHERING HEIGHTS, MRS BROWN). Matt Delargy and James
Saynor (also of Ecosse) co-produce alongside Paul Ritchie. Executive producers are Tim
Haslam, Mark Woolley and Xavier Marchand. Journalist and documentary filmmaker Kate
Snell (Diana: Her Last Love) serves as associate producer.
The filmmakers have assembled an exceptionally talented and creative team to
produce a truly insightful and compassionate study of Diana’s later years. Headed by Rainer
Klaussman S.C.S, (DOWNFALL, THE EXPERIMENT), the director's long-time collaborator
and cinematographer, the team includes: production designer Kave Quinn
(TRAINSPOTTING), costume designer Julian Day (RUSH), hair and make-up designer
Noriko Watanabe (UNKNOWN, MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA), editor Hans Funck
(DOWNFALL) and the Academy Award® winning composer Rachel Portman (EMMA,
CHOCOLAT).
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ABOUT THE PRODUCTION
BRINGING DIANA'S STORY TO THE SCREEN
The idea for DIANA was generated in-house at Ecosse Films several years ago. The
story the filmmakers wanted to tell was the love story between Diana and Dr. Hasnat Khan, a
British Pakistani heart surgeon. "It seemed to us that it was the key to understanding the last
two years of her life," says Bernstein. Although the producers knew they wanted to make the
movie, they weren't confident they could take it forward into development until the inquests
had taken place into Diana's death. At the inquest, Khan went on record confirming he had
had a relationship with Diana. "He went into quite a bit of dignified detail, which was
extremely helpful to us in terms of deciding that that period in her life was now history,"
explains Bernstein. "We decided now we could interpret that and make a film based on
facts."
From the outset, Bernstein wasn't interested in making a typical biopic about Diana.
They set about to make a film that focused on who Diana became in those last two years,
rather than on the tragedy of how she died. "If you're looking at a famous person's life you
have to consolidate it into a specific time period and through a key relationship, that is
largely unknown, you can clarify the filmmaker's interpretation of that person’s life," he
explains.
"Diana became herself in those two years and we're very lucky that that journey is
tied up in a love story," Bernstein adds. "Diana did a lot of good and was a pioneer in terms
of bringing awareness to landmine victims which is important to revisit. The way that she
felt played a strong part in terms of her ability to be more confident and become the woman
she became at the end of her life. Hasnat was a very key component towards that happening."
The producers approached Stephen Jeffreys, a prominent playwright and film writer
to bring their story to the screen. At the time they were already working with him on a film
about Florence Nightingale. "We wanted to work with Stephen because he's a fantastic writer
of character and he's also a very dexterous writer," Bernstein states.
The producers met with Jeffreys and presented him with a three-page story outline
about Diana and Khan. He went away and returned a few days later with pages of colored
charts plotting the film's story. "I remember poring over these charts with Ecosse and our
researchers in the café at Waterstone’s in Piccadilly and thinking we had something special,"
he recalls.
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One of the writer's key points of references when writing the screenplay was a
meeting he had with Diana, when she awarded him a prize at the Evening Standard Drama
Awards at the Royal Court. "I realized from talking to her that the standard press portrayal of
her as a brainless bimbo was utterly wrong: she was quick, witty and intelligent. That fiveminute
conversation was my lodestar as I wrote the film: I returned to the voice I'd heard
when imagining what she would say."
PAINTING AN ACCURATE PORTRAIT
Writing a script based on real people and events, and in particular, writing about one
of the most famous people in the world was something Jeffreys found challenging. "The
crucial events of any such films are the moments to which there were no witnesses, the
private scenes, usually between two people where no-one actually knows what happened. In
these scenes I had to take off and fly using empathy and imagination. This was the hardest
part."
The filmmakers wanted to portray Diana's life as accurately as they could.
Consequently the film is heavily researched from archive and source materials and with
consultants and people who had met her. "Clearly there's some dramatic interpretation
because we weren't always privy to what actually happened behind closed doors, but in those
scenes we try to go with what we felt the spirit of things were," notes Bernstein.
In researching the screenplay, Jeffreys read an abundance of books and articles on
related topics. Of these, the most important was Diana: Her Last Love, by Kate Snell who
became a consultant on the film. The book, which Ecosse had optioned, deals directly with
Diana's relationship with Khan and examines the events with forensic skill. "Kate introduced
us to certain people who were close to Diana and we interviewed them which was extremely
helpful," Bernstein recalls. "Certainly some of the insights in the film come in part from her
journalistic endeavors."
Jeffreys also read Sarah Bradford's Diana, "which gives by far the best account of the
formation of Diana's character," he says. Meeting Oonagh Shalney-Toffolo, one of Diana's
healers, was also a great privilege for the writer providing valuable insight into the spiritual
aspects of Diana's character. "Finally having lunch with David Puttnam in the House of
Lords was very significant: he knew Diana well and told me I caught her character
accurately."
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CASTING THE DIRECTOR:
OLIVER HIRSCHBIEGEL JOINS DIANA
The next significant step for the producers was to find the film's director. "It's part of
what we do, to cast the director. It's a critical choice you make and we wanted to make the
right choice," notes Bernstein. Their search led them to Oliver Hirschbiegel, the Academy
Award® nominated director of DOWNFALL, a film they had watched several times. The
producers recognized Hirschbiegel's ability to create drama out of somebody globally
famous. "He had already made one masterpiece about an icon, in this case an evil icon, in the
last days of his life. Diana is another icon and in her own way, she was stuck in her own
bunker."
At the time the producers didn't think about whether Hirschbiegel was a British or
non-British director. "We just felt Oliver was the perfect director for this film," states
Bernstein.
Hirschbiegel had heard of 'Princess Diana' but he wasn't at all familiar with the story
they wanted to tell. When he was first sent the script, he admits he didn't want to read it. "I
wasn't interested in Princess Diana but my agent told me that Stephen Jeffreys is a very fine
writer so I read it. I was totally surprised – ten pages in I was completely hooked and I got
what I hadn't expected – a very exciting and touching love story."
The script was basically written by the time the director came on board, but
Hirschbiegel wanted to increase the audience's awareness of the press and security
surrounding her. "He was very astute about the way a celebrity's life is constantly monitored
and this, I think, increases Diana's sense of isolation and emotional emptiness in the film,"
says Jeffreys.
Bernstein acknowledges having a German director made it interesting, as he didn't
come with any baggage or judgment. "I think that was of great benefit to us because we all
had a collaborator who was just going for the story and the subject matter, rather than
worrying about the perception, the history: all those sorts of things that we obviously have in
the UK."
Hirschbiegel agrees that it helped him enormously in making the movie. "As a
German, I'm not really part of what's going on in this country and that helped me a great deal
because I have a very clear viewpoint. I felt I was able to make a film that's as authentic,
honest and true as possible, without having anything to fear."
In preparing for the film, Hirschbiegel did his own extensive research. He read the
same books, studied her videos over and over again and covered his walls with her
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photographs. "I met quite a lot of people who were close to her but the most useful source
was the photographs. It's the look, her posture, her eyes, the way people look at her – they
tell a million stories." Hirschbiegel also had access to a lot of the personal letters Diana
wrote and these became a precious source of information for him. "She wrote up to six letters
a day, describing the details of her situation: her thoughts and feelings. She was also a phone
maniac and she was very direct and would always express her emotions and how she felt."
The first thought Hirschbiegel had about Diana's character was that she was like an
old-fashioned movie star, in the vein of Marlene Dietrich. "She radiated a certain kind of
energy that you only see in these stars and, like all icons, she's wasn't perfect, but that's what
makes them real and that’s why people adore them. The women of the world loved Diana."
The more Hirschbiegel researched Diana, the more he fell in love with her character.
He describes her as the most fascinating and complex character he has ever worked with.
"She really was a game changer. You marry into the Royal Family and there are two ways;
you either play the game, which is very isolating and not very fun for a woman, or you chose
to be the rebel and sort of do it, but go against it at the same time." That's exactly what Diana
did and he admires her for it. "She was a rebel, so insecure and afraid but at the same time
she was a fighter and I loved that. Hasnat’s grandmother compares her to a lioness and that’s
exactly what she was."
THE FILM'S STORY
The heart of the film is the rite of passage of Diana from a slightly depressed, lonely
lady to somebody who found fulfillment in her personal life, which extrapolated into her
professional life. Within that story is the love story between Diana and Khan.
"It's a beautiful love story," says Hirschbeigel. "It’s important for people to know
because there is something very true, honest and real about their love. At the same time, it's
like a fairy tale; the common man from another culture falling in love with the most famous
woman in the world. It teaches us a lot, as any good story does."
In bringing her story to the screen, the director wanted to show as many sides of her
character as possible. He notes that like all icons, Diana had a very special existence, but that
kind of existence can be very isolating. Combined with a certain sense of paranoia, it made
her life very difficult. "When we first meet Diana at the start of the movie, her life has
stalled. She's pretty isolated in Kensington Palace and not yet divorced, so she's searching for
a purpose," he says. To emphasize her loneliness he filmed many private moments with
Diana trapped in her apartment alone, doing everyday things which contrasts greatly with her
public life as a princess.
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"When Diana meets Khan she understands the importance not just of giving love ,for
which she had an extraordinary ability, but also of receiving it," explains Hirschbiegel. He
follows their relationship to the point where they realize that, although they are emotionally
and spiritually attuned, their lives are not compatible. "They had a very committed
relationship but then ultimately there wasn't that final commitment, and that's what we
dramatize," notes Bernstein.
Hirschbiegel believes that Diana and Khan immediately recognized each other as
soul mates. "They are both what I call 'energy people.' They were both healers and were very
perceptive of people's needs. He's still a doctor and, although she never practiced it, I believe
she had the same healing energy. All the people I spoke to agreed that when she took
someone's hand, she elevated that person."
The producers agree with this interpretation. "They both wanted to save people's lives
and that's the key component in our love story. Hasnat is a heart surgeon and is very
dedicated to what he does and Diana wanted to help people, so there was a raison d'être
which drew them together."
"Who knows what would have happened if she were still alive today?" Bernstein
asks. Hasnat said fairly recently when he opened the hospital in Pakistan that Diana would've
definitely been at his side as his wife or married to somebody else. "This gives you the sense
that from his point of view it wasn't necessarily over, but he didn't have the opportunity to
have a second chance and that is the tragedy of this story," he says.
ASSUMING THE ROLE OF A PRINCESS:
NAOMI WATTS STARS AS DIANA
To portray Diana, the filmmakers looked no further than the British-born actress
Naomi Watts, a two-time Academy Award® nominee for her leading roles in 21 GRAMS
and THE IMPOSSIBLE. "I don't know who else would have been right and who could have
pulled it off," says the director. "Naomi's an exquisite actress and is outstandingly good. She
has the ability to be a chameleon. You know it's her and at the same time it’s definitely that
character and in this case you're watching Diana. That's an exceptional gift."
As an actress, Watts is better known for doing contemporary films. "This film is very
near contemporary so we need it to feel quite edgy and real. Naomi brings all of those
qualities to the screen," says Bernstein. "She's a very brave actress and her prior films have
largely dealt with intense emotions. We knew she had the real range of ability and courage to
fulfill the role."
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Additionally, it's important to the filmmakers that Watts is British. "Naomi was born
in Britain and this role is in her DNA. She remembers where she was the day Diana died and
the impact it had on her and the world. She just inhabits the role and her ability to capture
Diana's voice is uncanny."
Deciding whether to take on such an iconic role was not easy for Watts. At the time
they approached her, she was in Australia filming TWO MOTHERS for director Anne
Fontaine. "I struggled with the idea for some time, obviously because she is the most famous
woman of our time, and with that comes a lot of pressure. Everyone feels they know her so I
questioned whether I could ever claim her as being my own character."
The filmmakers continued to pursue her and she finally agreed to read the script. At
the same time, she began her own research and quickly discovered there was a lot about
Diana she didn't know. This was exciting for her. "I was definitely fascinated by the idea and
I liked that this was a great love story. I realized there was a lot I didn't know about her life,
which was this relationship at the center of the movie."
Very quickly, Watts became captivated by Diana's character. This was a role that
encompassed everything she looks for as an actress. "I like to play women who are
complicated and full of contradictions, and Diana was this and more. At times she was strong
and rebellious: she could also be happy, giggly, flirty, mischievous and incredibly wise. I'm
interested in watching those kinds of women on screen. I'm also drawn to these kinds of
women in my friendships in life."
Taking on the role of Diana could not have been done without the right director
providing her with a safety net. Watts was already an admirer of DOWNFALL, which she
describes as a masterpiece and a brilliant piece of storytelling. "When I met with Oliver, I
realized he had become completely obsessed with Diana and entrenched in that world. We
sat together and compared stories and I knew that taking on this character was about trusting
him and the screenplay completely." In Hirschbiegel's hands, she believed the film would
work. Several weeks later, she relocated to London to begin the process of becoming Diana.
BECOMING A PRINCESS
Watts immersed herself in research and training in preparation for her role. "I
definitely prepared more for this role than I have for any other character," admits Watts.
During this time, Hirschbiegel continued to send her endless little tidbits of information that
he had come across, including the perfume that Diana wore.
For Watts, the most important element in becoming Diana was the voice. "I had six
weeks of hardcore daily coaching with Penny Dyer (THE QUEEN, MY WEEK WITH
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MARILYN) before we started filming as well as William Conacher (RAILWAY MAN, BILLY
ELLIOT) coaching me on set. I just knew I had to get it right," she says. "Diana's voice was
something we all remember very well. She was aristocracy but it wasn't that old-fashioned
stiff upperlip. It was warm and modern and there was a breathiness to it, which makes it
sound more attractive. There was a lot to get right. Even my mother said to me, ‘Oh God. I
don't know if you'll be able to get that voice, Naomi!’"
The Panorama interview between Diana and Bashir was the greatest source of
information that the actress focused on. "I watched it over and over again and listened to the
audio on a daily basis during the weeks leading up to the shoot and during filming."
Watts used the interview to study Diana's voice, her mannerisms: the way she moved
her face, her hair and her eyes. She also used it to gain a deeper insight into her character and
the more she listened, the more she grew to admire her and understand why spoke out.
"I think her answers in that interview were brilliant. I know people have mixed
feelings, but I think I would have wanted to do the same thing, and I don't know if I could
have been that courageous. Here was a woman who went into that life at 19 with absolutely
no preparation. I loved that she fought for her happiness against all odds and I take my hat
off to her."
Once pre-production commenced, Watts worked closely with Noriko Watanabe
(MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA, PORTRAIT OF A LADY) who designed her hair and make-up.
Together with Hirschbiegel, they pored over hundreds of photos of Diana taken between
1996 and 1997. The filmmakers agree that although it was important to have a look that
audiences would buy into, they didn't want Watts to become a caricature. "Naomi is not a
lookalike for Diana and that's not what we wanted," explains Bernstein. "It's our
interpretation and obviously the look is part of that interpretation."
Diana's hairstyles were some of the most photographed and documented in the world,
and they defined the different stages of her life. For Watts, her transformation began with the
wig. "We have four wigs because there were different lengths and colors between 1995 and
1997. This was quite tough during filming as there were often four changes in a day," she
says.
The next defining characteristic was Diana's nose. "Our noses are completely
different so I wanted something to make mine stronger without it being too distracting," she
states. They tried several different options, before deciding on one small prosthetic on the
bridge of her nose.
Although the wigs and the nose were added, the director claims it was all in the eyes.
This involved a great deal of mascara and for the Bashir interview extra heavy eyeliner.
Watts also shaved her eyebrows to be more like Diana's. "The make-up was actually very
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simple, but there was always something incredible about her eyes. They could change from
being very shy and vulnerable to a powerful eye contact that was almost confronting.
Because of her eyes, the story could often be told just with one look," she explains.
In addition to taking on some of the physical attributes, Watts had to train her face to
move in the opposite direction. "My face tends to go to the right but Diana's goes to the left
and that's the side I had to learn to use. It was actually quite difficult to train my face to work
in the opposite way."
The costumes also played an important part in transforming the actress. Diana's
wardrobe had been documented as much as her hair and it's a big part of what people are
familiar with.
Costume designer Julian Day (RUSH, NOWHERE BOY) focused on blocks of simple
color in navy, black, beige and cream. "In the last few years of her life, Diana became very
simple in her style, very elegant and classic. She wore a lot of shift dresses and didn't wear a
lot of pattern," he says. "I chatted to Naomi about what suited her and we talked about her
look. It was important to marry the two together – what suited her and what suited Diana.
It's the idea of her style and elegance more than anything else."
Day approached various designers about reproducing some of the looks for the
movie. Versace, one of Diana's favorite designers, reproduced the exact blue gown that
Diana wore to the Victor Chang event in Sydney, Australia. Jacques Azagury, also one of
Diana's favorite designers, lent them two of the dresses that Diana actually wore.
"Proportionally, they fit Naomi perfectly and we only had to alter it slightly," he notes.
Not all of her costumes are exact recreations of Diana's clothes. "What we have done
is reproduce her style rather than copy every item. Some people may like that and some may
not but we are not making a documentary. There are a lot of occasions when people don't
know what she wore, so I took it as a whole design, rather than reproducing individual
pieces."
For the film's iconic scenes, the filmmakers felt the costumes had to match exactly
because these images have been seen so many times before. These include the Bashir
interview, the Victor Chang charity event and Diana's landmines crusade. "Because these
scenes are so famous it was important that the audience wasn't taken out of them," Day
explains.
ASSEMBLING THE CAST AROUND DIANA
Naveen Andrews, who is originally from the north of India, was the filmmakers’ first
and only choice to portray Khan. "Having seen his performances in THE ENGLISH
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PATIENT and the television series LOST, we realized he had a great range," says Bernstein.
"There's definitely a sympathy about how he goes about his work."
Hirschbiegel adds that he was the first man he thought about when reading the script.
"I thought back to Minghella's ENGLISH PATIENT. Back then, I loved the love story
between Naveen and Juliette Binoche and it touched me more than the other stories. I
thought to myself, 'I need that guy.' We were lucky he was available."
Of all the characters in the film, Jeffreys notes that Khan was the most difficult to
write. "He's very resistant to publicity. I admire him enormously and my fervent hope is that
he will appreciate being restored to his rightful place in the Diana story," he says. The
producers agree that portraying somebody who is still alive, who is very private, is very
tricky, but in the end, Andrews accomplished it perfectly. "I think Naveen captured the
essence of Hasnat entirely, with great charm, sensitivity and joie de vivre."
Andrews received the script from his agents and responded to the project
immediately. "I wanted to do a love story, something very pure, something close to David
Lean's BRIEF ENCOUNTER. When I met Oliver he seemed to have a grasp of the spiritual
side of Diana-an awareness that suffuses his vision of the love story and the piece as a
whole."
Andrews was grateful to able to connect with people who know or knew the heart
surgeon and were happy to talk to him. Through them, he was able to get a feel for the kind
of human being he was during the time the movie was set. The few pieces of footage that
existed, particularly an interview from years later, were also very helpful to him. "Above all,
I learned that Hasnat is utterly dedicated to his vocation as a heart surgeon. He's also very
masculine and seemingly free of the neurosis that afflicts most modern men."
It had always been the filmmakers’ intention to treat Khan with sensitivity and
respect in bringing his character to the screen. "It's a big deal to be creating a film that
features him," acknowledges Bernstein. Andrews shared this viewpoint. "Given that a lot of
the cast are playing real people, we feel a tremendous sense of responsibility towards them. I
would like to think that this is a story they would have wanted to be told."
Although the filmmakers know that Khan is aware of the movie, they acknowledge
that they haven't had a chance to meet with him. Hirschbiegel admits he would have found
this very difficult. "I realize now how tragic it must have been for him. Anybody who has
ever been truly in love must know how it feels to lose a loved one like that, and it's a very
sad and painful thought. I know he is out there and will probably see the film eventually, so I
hope I did everything right."
Surrounding Watts and Andrews in DIANA is an ensemble of highly accomplished
and talented British actors. Douglas Hodge (Paul Burrell), Geraldine James (Oonagh
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Toffolo), Charles Edwards (Patrick Jephson) and Juliet Stevenson (Sonia) assume these
critical roles. In casting these actors, the filmmakers were able to meet with some of the real
people they were portraying which helped them enormously, although the director stresses
he didn't want to go for lookalikes.
"For Jephson, for example, I was looking for the right posture and vibe. The actual
Jephson is more heavy set." Charles Edwards, who was most recently seen on the awardwinning
series DOWNTON ABBEY, agrees that he doesn't bear any physical resemblance to
him. "It's the suggestions of him rather than a slavish recreation," he says. Edwards
responded to the film because it's a love story. "The other thing I liked about it was that
Charles and the Queen don't appear. It's the people you perhaps know less about, other than
her of course, that makes it a story worth telling."
When searching for the right actor to play Paul Burrell, although Hirschbiegel had
uncovered some negative press about him, he decided he wanted to cast someone likeable.
"You have to remember that Paul was, at the time, very important to Diana. He loved her and
he must have been devastated when she died."
Douglas Hodge, the Tony®-winning star of La Cage aux Folles was extremely
cautious when he first heard there was a film about Diana. "When I thought of Paul Burrell, I
was even more cautious. But then I heard that Oliver was directing, so I knew there would be
a different take on it."
Once he began his research, Hodge was surprised how much had been written about
Burrell and how much he had generated himself. He discovered countless books, hundreds of
hours of footage, videos, interviews and even a reality television show. "I did watch it all but
I'm not so interested in doing an exact impersonation. I think what I am interested in is his
devotion to her, his attention to detail, those kinds of things."
Although Geraldine James (GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO, SHERLOCK
HOLMES) doesn't look at all like Oonagh Toffolo, the director felt she hit the right note. He
met Oonagh on several occasions and he believes she will be happy with the casting.
"Geraldine captured her warmth and spirituality perfectly," he says.
Not all of the characters are portraying real people. The Sonia character that Juliet
Stevenson (TRULY, MADLY, DEEPLY, BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM) plays isn't based on any
one particular person. "It's actually loosely based on various friends Diana had around her in
those years, including her healer, spiritual advisor and therapist. She's s a fusion of all of
them," Bernstein explains.
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PRINCIPAL PHOTOGRAPHY BEGINS
Filming took place in over 100 locations over nine weeks in Croatia, South East
England, Central London, Pakistan and Mozambique. "It's a very ambitious film," Bernstein
acknowledges. "We began in Croatia, which doubled for Australia, the Mediterranean,
Rimini and Bosnia. I think there were 30 locations there in the first two weeks of
production." One day was spent in Trieste on their return to London to film the sequences
outside the Paris Ritz.
Back in the UK, they filmed the obvious locations – Ronnie Scott’s, Hyde Park and
the interior of Kensington Palace, which was recreated in an old building in Langleybury on
the outskirts of London. After a break in filming due to an injury on set, the filmmakers
relocated to Mozambique, which doubled for Angola, for the hospitals and landmines as well
as the interior of the Pakistani household. The film concluded with a shoot in Pakistan, to
pick up the exteriors to recreate Diana's arrival there.
For production designer Kave Quinn the research her team did was critical. "There
are scenes in the script that took place in very specific points in time, and Oliver wanted
these moments to be matched exactly. These include the hospital in Angola, the landmines
visit, the Christie's auction, the Victor Chang charity event and Diana's visit to Bosnia. "He
prefers to use real places rather than sets so we used a lot of locations to recreate them."
The designer had a little bit more freedom in the private scenes behind closed doors
that were not documented by the press or seen by the public. These scenes include the
interior of the palace and the interior of Khan's apartment. Quinn had photographs of Diana's
apartment in Kensington Palace but didn't actually know what it looked like at the time she
was living there. "I really delved down to find out as much as we could about her kitchen,
her living room – the tiny little details, then taking the essential elements from those detail
and recreating them." She roughly knew the layout of the rooms, but there were various
additions to the palace at different times. "We took a bit of liberty there but we didn't stray
too far."
It took much longer for the filmmakers to find a location for Kensington Palace than
they had expected. They were restricted on what they could use because of the Royal Family.
"We couldn't use National Trust houses because of Prince Charles's affiliation there because
we didn't want to upset them. It just made things take a lot longer," says Quinn.
The producers are grateful they were allowed to film outside the real gates of
Kensington Palace because they are so iconic. "Having that location and being given
permission by the Royal Household to film there was quite critical," states Bernstein.
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They were also given permission to film a jogging scene in Kensington Gardens.
"The Royal Family is definitely aware of the film and allowed us into those areas so I am
hoping our sensibility as such has been submitted to them. We are obviously respectful to
them and in particular to her children. We wanted to make a film with integrity and that's
what we set out to do."
In the telling of this story, the director and producers wanted to include the iconic
Diana moments from the last two years of her life. "There are certain scenes that you would
expect to see in a movie about Diana. The most important thing is recreating them in such a
way that you are reminded of how you felt when you were actually there, particularly for
people in the UK," Bernstein explains. "It feels like a great moment when you see them up
on the screen," adds Hirschbiegel.
The director was incredibly effective in recreating these moments that were heavily
documented in the press and have become part of history. Some of these moments include
Diana observing Khan's heart operation; walking through the landmines in Angola, hugging
an elderly woman at a graveside in Bosnia, visiting the landmine victims, holidaying on
Dodi's boat and, probably the most famous, her Panorama interview with Bashir. "Oliver
recreated these in a way that gives you a slight shiver down your spine and makes you
remember what it was like and how you felt at the time," explains Bernstein.
For the director, it was important to also include the moments of Diana with the
press. "I tried to recreate that atmosphere that I saw in the documentaries about her. The
press shouting at her and the photographers who followed her around like a pack of insects,"
he says.
Probably the most iconic scene in the film is the Bashir interview. As well as being
the actress's greatest source of information in preparing for the film, it became her most
important scene.
"It was probably the hardest part of the film for me, because when you take on such a
famous woman there will always be comparisons drawn. For me, the Bashir interview was
what I was most invested in getting right." Watts felt like she had more freedom when
filming behind closed doors in Kensington Palace because nobody really knows what went
on no matter which books you read. "You don't want to get caught up in mimicry - the
performance has to be a truthful one and it's an interpretation," she explains.
"But with the Bashir interview, you want to get that as exact as you can, the phrasing
of the voice, the looks in the eyes and the way she articulates things. I had a lot of fear about
that but it was also good stuff to do."
The filmmakers all agree the actress captured it perfectly. Filming on set that day it
felt like Diana was there. "It was hard to distinguish between Naomi's voice and the actual
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interview," the producers said. "It’s shocking how good she was in that scene," adds
Hirschbiegel. "It was like seeing a ghost, watching Naomi giving the answers to Bashir
exactly how Diana did it back then."
DIANA'S MEMORY AND HER LEGACY
The film's story is fairly recent in terms of history and Diana is very much a part of
the public's consciousness, particularly in Britain. Additionally, many of the characters
depicted in the film are still alive. "We have had to be extremely careful in bringing this
story to the screen. We know that ours is a heavily researched film and as filmmakers all we
can do is make the best film that we can based on the story that we've chosen to tell," states
Bernstein.
Watts feels a sense of responsibility to Diana's sons. "I do care about how they feel
about it. They're men now and they understand that their mother was the most famous
woman of our time, so there will always be an obvious interest in her." In the end, she views
it as an important piece of history and a story that had to be told and would have been be
told.
"I think everyone has good memories of her because of the tragic ending to her life,
and we all remember that massive outpouring of grief and the flowers surrounding
Kensington Palace. She was a great mother, a strong woman, and an intelligent woman who
bridged the gap between the Royal Family and the public. Hopefully, our love story will
continue the loving memory we have for her."
The producers continue: "We feel we have made something that's really powerful,
has resonance and illuminates the last two years of this global icon's life. We hope they will
take away something new from her life, something revelatory. This will be the first film
about her and we feel that we've chosen the most appropriate story."
As with all love stories, the director hopes that the audience takes something home
for themselves. "A good love story always raises questions: what does love really mean?
Who am I with? What do I really want in life? They are often sad and tragic but they teach us
a lot and that's my hope," says Hirschbiegel.
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ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS
OLIVER HIRSCHBIEGEL (director) is best known for his award-winning feature
DOWNFALL, depicting the last twelve days of Adolf Hitler's reign. The film was a critical
and commercial triumph, earning Hirschbiegel an Academy Award® nomination for Best
Foreign Language Film. The film also received the Best Foreign Film award at the British
Independent Film Awards and the London Critics Circle Film Awards.
Hirschbiegel's earlier films include MEIN LETZTER FILM, THE INVASION and
FIVE MINUTES OF HEAVEN starring Liam Neeson, for which Hirschbiegel won the Best
Director prize at the Sundance Film Festival in 2009.
In 2000, Hirschbiegel directed DAS EXPERIMENT, based on the infamous Stanford
Prison Experiment. The film was met with wide critical acclaim, winning several awards in
many festivals around the world, including Best Director at the Montreal Film Festival and
the Istanbul Film Festival.
On the smaller screen, Hirschbiegel directed and executive produced the first four
episodes of Tom Fontana's hit series BORGIA. For German television, he directed
MÖRDERISCHE ENTSCHEIDUNG – UMSCHALTEN ERWÜNSCHT, TATORT,
KOMMISSAR REX, TRICKSER, TODFEINDE, EIN GANZE GEWÖHNLICHER JUDE;
and DAS URTEIL, which received an Emmy nomination for Best Foreign TV Drama.
Hirschbiegel was born in Hamburg, Germany. Prior to filmmaking, he studied
painting and graphic design at the Academy of Arts in Hamburg where he also experimented
with video and photography. His experimental movies attracted the attention of some of
German's leading television producers, leading to his directorial debut in 1986 with DAS
GO! PROJEKT.
ROBERT BERNSTEIN (producer) is a director and partner in Ecosse Films. During
his tenure at the company, he has produced multiple feature films and executive-produced
hours of primetime television drama.
In 2011 Bernstein produced WUTHERING HEIGHTS with acclaimed director
Andrea Arnold and THE DECOY BRIDE directed by Sheree Folkson. At the end of 2009,
Bernstein produced Sam Taylor-Wood’s directorial début NOWHERE BOY starring Kristin
Scott-Thomas. Written by BAFTA® winner Matt Greenhalgh, the film opened to rave
reviews.
Bernstein's other notable film credits include BECOMING JANE, starring Anne
Hathaway and James McAvoy; THE WATER HORSE, starring David Morrissey and Emily
Watson and BRIDESHEAD REVISITED starring Emma Thompson and Michael Gambon.
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Prior to becoming a producer, Bernstein developed the script for MRS. BROWN, starring
Dame Judi Dench. The film went on to win 12 major international awards and two Oscar
nominations. His next role was to executive produce CHARLOTTE GRAY, a 25 million
dollar feature for Film Four.
For television, Bernstein has executive produced several series including the hugely
successful BBC1 series MONARCH OF THE GLEN starring Susan Hampshire, MY BOY
JACK starring Daniel Radcliffe and HE KILLS COPPERS, based on the novel by Jake
Arnott. He is currently executive producing FLEMING, a drama based on the life of the man
behind James Bond.
DOUGLAS RAE (producer) is the founder and CEO of Ecosse Films and is
one of Britain's most prolific producers. Ecosse have produced 12 films and over 300 hours
of network television for BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Showtime, Starz Channel and WGBH.
Douglas's first feature film, MRS. BROWN, won 12 major international awards, a BAFTA
nomination for Producer of the year and two Oscar nominations. Other films he has
produced include CHARLOTTE GRAY (starring Cate Blanchett), BECOMING JANE
(Anne Hathaway and James McAvoy), NOWHERE BOY (the story of John Lennon's
childhood) and WUTHERING HEIGHTS (directed by Andrea Arnold).
For television, Rae has executive produced such shows as THE AMBASSADOR,
AN UNSUITABLE JOB FOR A WOMAN, MY BOY JACK and the hugely successful
BBC1 drama, MONARCH OF THE GLEN. More recently he executive produced LIFE OF
CRIME, a police drama set over three decades.
Douglas is currently producing a four part series on Ian Fleming, the creator of
BOND, starring Dominic Cooper for Sky Atlantic and BBC America. He is also executive
producing MISTRESSES, a 13 part series for ABC based on Ecosse's hit-making BBC one
series.
Among his many recognitions are; the Silver Thistle Award for Outstanding
Contribution to Scotland in 2005, the Scottish Icon Award for Innovation in 2004 and the
Scottish Filmmaker of the Year award in 1997.
STEPHEN JEFFREYS (writer) is an internationally acclaimed playwright whose
work includes VALUED FRIENDS (Hampstead Theatre), for which he was awarded the
Evening Standard and Critics' Circle Award for Most Promising Playwright; THE CLINK,
(Paines Plough), for whom he was Art Council Writer in Residence from 1987-1989 and
THE LIBERTINE which was staged at the Royal Court Theatre to great popular and critical
acclaim. The play went on to be produced at the Steppenwolf Theatre, Chicago, directed by
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Terry Johnson and starring John Malkovich. Jeffrey's screenplay version of THE
LIBERTINE, directed by Laurence Dunmore, was released in 2005 starring Johnny Depp.
Other plays include A JOVIAL CREW (RSC), A GOING CONCERN (Hampstead
Theatre), HARD TIMES (adapted from Dickens), I JUST STOPPED BY TO SEE THE
MAN (Royal Court Theatre, Steppenwolf and Geffen Playhouse, LA), LOST LAND
(Steppenwolf Theatre); THE ART OF WAR (Sydney Theatre Company) and BUGLES AT
THE GATES OF JALALABAD - part of the GREAT GAME series of plays about
Afghanistan presented by the Tricycle Theatre.
RAINER KLAUSMANN S.C.S. (director of photography) is a Swiss
cinematographer, writer and director. A frequent collaborator with Hirschbiegel, he has
worked with him on a total of seven film and television projects including DAS URTEIL,
THE EXPERIMENT, for which he won the Bavarian Film Award for Best Cinematography,
and the Oscar-nominated DOWNFALL.
Klausmann collaborated with Erin Ricklis on the critically acclaimed LEMON TREE
and THE MISSION OF THE HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER. He also won the
prestigious Camerimage Bronze Frog for the Oscar-nominated film, THE BAADAR
MEINHOF COMPLEX, directed by Uli Edel. Klausmann has worked continually with
director Werner Hertzog, collaborating on CERRO TORRE, SCHREI AUS STEIN,
LEKTONEN IN FINSTERNIS and FITZCARRALDO.
Fluent in German, French and English, Klausmann resides in Switzerland, traveling
between Europe and the United States for his work in film and television.
KAVE QUINN worked as a production designer for the past 15 years. Her most
recent credits include BROKEN, directed by Rufus Norris and THE WOMAN IN BLACK,
starring Daniel Radcliffe, which went on to became the most successful British horror film
on record.
A graduate of the St Martins School of Art, Quinn began her career in the costume
department. After working on several NFTS graduations films, she segued from costume to
set design. Around this time she met Danny Boyle and together with cinematographer Brian
Tufano, became a part of his creative team for SHALLOW GRAVE, TRAINSPOTTING and
A LIFE LESS ORDINARY starring Ewan McGregor and Cameron Diaz.
Other notable credits include LAYER CAKE directed by Matthew Vaughan,
INCENDIARY starring Ewan McGregor and Michelle Williams and HARRY BROWN
starring Michael Caine.
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JULIAN DAY is one of Britain's most talented costume designers. Prior to DIANA
he designed RUSH, a biopic of the Formula 1 driver Niki Lauda, and DOM HEMINGWAY
starring Jude Law. His most recent credits include the critically acclaimed SALMON
FISHING IN THE YEMEN, directed by Lasse Hallstrom and THE BERBERIAN SOUND
STUDIO featuring Toby Jones, directed by Peter Strickland.
Day began designing films in the early 1990s and has never looked back. He likes to
take on varied work in terms of budgets, periods and scale and is particularly enamored with
the research process. Other notable film credits include; NOWHERE BOY, THE
DISAPPEARANCE OF ALICE CREED, BRIGHTON ROCK and KICKS.
On the smaller screen he has designed costumes for the television movies PAGE
EIGHT, POPPY SHAKESPEARE, DIS/CONNECTED and the mini-series DEMONS. He
has also designed costumes for several high profile British television series including
BRITZ, HEX, MURDER CITY and WIRE IN THE BLOOD.
A graduate of Birmingham University, he resides in London with his wife and
costume supervisor Shaida Day.
Hailed as one of the film industry's top image-makers, NORIKO WATANABE (hair
and make-up designer) has spent years behind the camera creating some of the most
memorable screen looks of contemporary cinema. During that time she has collaborated
with some of cinema's most talented directors, including Rob Marshall, for MEMOIRS OF A
GEISHA, which earned her a BAFTA® nomination.
Watanabe also does personal hair and make-up design for some of Hollywood's
biggest stars including; Liam Neeson (GREY, A TEAM, UNKNOWN), Cameron Diaz
(GANGS OF NEW YORK), Nicole Kidman (BIRTHDAY GIRL) and Kate Winslet
(ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND).
The talented designer has a long history with the award-winning director Jane
Campion. She first collaborated with her on THE PIANO and went on to design HOLY
SMOKE, PORTRAIT OF A LADY and IN THE CUT. Other prominent director's include
Robert Redford (THE HORSE WHISPERER), Martin Scorsese (GANGS OF NEW YORK),
Quentin Tarantino (KILL BILL VOL. 1) and Michel Gondry (ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF
THE SPOTLESS MIND).
Watanabe was trained at the Yamano University Beauty in Cosmetology in her native
Japan. She developed her skills in Tokyo working in the fashion industry before relocating to
California at 21 where she designed make-up for fashion and advertising. When Phillip
Noyce appointed her as make-up designer for DEAD CALM (Nicole Kidman and Sam
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Neill), Watanabe's screen career was launched internationally.
Watanabe resides in New Zealand with her husband and two children.
HANS FUNCK is a German editor and longtime collaborator of Hirschbiegel's. Prior
to DIANA, they have worked on THE INVASION, DOWNFALL, FIVE MINUTES OF
HEAVEN and THE EXPERIMENT for which he was awarded with a German Camera
Award for Outstanding Editing. His other notable film credits include LUDWIG II, TIME
YOU CHANGE, POPE JANE and BANDITS for which he received a German Camera
nomination.
For television, Funck has edited the German television movies THE OTHER CHILD,
I NEVER TOLD YOU, LOST CITY RAIDERS, IRON JAWED ANGELS, DER TOURIST,
and OPERA BALL which earned him a Golden Lion for editing. He also edited the highly
successful German series SEX AND MORE.
WILLIAM CONACHER (dialect coach) has coached the voices of some of
cinema's most talented artists including Nicole Kidman for RAILWAY MAN and Kristin
Scott Thomas for NOWHERE BOY. Most recently, he wrapped production on DESERT
DANCER starring Frieda Pinto.
A graduate of the Central School of Speech and Drama, he taught voice, dialect and
phonetics in various drama schools before settling at RADA in 1998 where he has remained
for eight years. Concurrently, he began working extensively in regional and London theatre,
most notably at the Manchester Royal Exchange, Sheffield Crucible, Theatre Clywd, the
West Yorkshire Playhouse, the Royal National Theatre, the Royal Court and the Donmar
Warehouse.
Recent film credits include CLOUD ATLAS and PERFUME: THE STORY OF A
MURDERER for director Tom Twyker; THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: PRINCE
CASPIAN; and the highly anticipated ONLY GOD FORGIVES for director Nicolas
Winding Refn.
Conacher has been a long-time collaborator of Stephen Daldry's working on his two
Oscar-nominated films THE READER and EXTREMELY LOUD AND INCREDIBLY
CLOSE as well as BILLY ELLIOT: THE MUSICAL. The highly successful stage show
went on to win numerous Olivier and Tony awards with productions in London, New York,
Sydney, Melbourne, Chicago and a US national tour.
Conacher resides in London with his wife and two children.
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ABOUT THE CAST
NAOMI WATTS (Diana) was honored with an Academy Award® nomination in
2013 for Best Actress for her performance in Juan Antonio Bayona’s THE IMPOSSIBLE.
She also earned Best Actress nominations for a Golden Globe® Award, a SAG Award®, a
Critics’ Choice Award and received the Desert Palm Achievement Actress Award at the
Palm Springs International Film Festival.
Watts also earned an Academy Award® nomination for Best Actress for her role in
Alejandro Gonzales Inarritu’s 21 GRAMS. The film also garnered Best Actress Awards
from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, Southeastern Film Critics Association,
Washington Area Film Critics and San Diego Film Critics, as well as Best Actress
nominations from the SAG Awards®, BAFTAs®, Broadcast Film Critics and Golden
Satellites. At the film’s premiere at the 2003 Venice International Film Festival, she
received the Audience Award (Lion of the Public) for Best Actress.
Next up for Watts is the gritty drama SUNLIGHT JR., opposite Matt Dillon, which
premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and the highly anticipated TWO MOTHERS, from
director Ann Fontaine, which premiered at The Sundance Film Festival earlier this year.
Other recent film credits include Clint Eastwood’s critically acclaimed J. EDGAR,
Jim Sheridan’s DREAMHOUSE, Doug Liman’s FAIRGAME, Woody Allen’s YOU WILL
MEET A TALL DARK STRANGER, Rodrigo Garcia’s MOTHER AND CHILD, for which
she received an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress and Tom
Twyker’s THE INTERNATIONAL.
Watts has had an impressive list of movies since her acclaimed turn in David Lynch’s
MULHOLLAND DRIVE. Her credits include Peter Jackson’s epic remake of KING KONG,
WE DON'T LIVE HERE ANYMORE which she starred in and produced, THE
ASSASSINATION OF RICHARD NIXON, David O. Russell’s I (HEART) HUCKABEES,
Marc Forster’s STAY, Gore Verbinski’s THE RING and its sequel, THE RING 2, Merchant
Ivory’s LE DIVORCE; John Curran’s THE PAINTED VEIL, David Cronenberg’s
drama/thriller EASTERN PROMISES and Michael Haneke’s thriller FUNNY GAMES.
Born in England, Watts moved to Australia at the age of 14 and began studying
acting. Her first major film role came in John Duigan’s FLIRTING.
Among her many awards and recognitions, Watts received the Montecito Award
from the Santa Barbara Film Festival in 2006 for her role in KING KONG, was honored by
the Palm Springs Film Festival in 2003 for 21 GRAMS, and in 2002, was named the Female
Star of Tomorrow at ShoWest and received the Breakthrough Acting Award at the
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Hollywood Film Festival, both for her work in MULHOLLAND DRIVE. She was most
recently honored for her entire body of work at the 2011 Deauville Film Festival.
NAVEEN ANDREWS (Hasnat Kahn) is known for his role in JJ Abram's award
winning hit series LOST. His performance earned him the Best Supporting Actor
nominations at the 2005 Emmy Awards and the 2006 Golden Globes Awards. His other
television credits include THE BUDDHA OF SUBURBIA directed by Roger Michell for the
BBC.
His most recent film credits include Joel Silver's THE BRAVE ONE with Jodie
Foster directed by Neil Jordan and GRINDHOUSE for director Robert Rodriguez.
In 1996, he starred in the critically acclaimed film, THE ENGLISH PATIENT, with
Ralph Fiennes, Kristin Scott Thomas and Juliette Binoche, for writer/director Anthony
Minghella.
He began his career in London, where he studied at the Guildhall School of Music
and Drama, and currently resides in Los Angeles.
DOUGLAS HODGE (Paul Burrell) is a four times Olivier®-nominated
actor/director, who has worked at the National Theatre, the RSC, Shakespeare's Globe and
the Royal Court Theatre. He has achieved great success on the stage in plays such as NO
MAN'S LAND and THE CARETAKER at the Comedy Theatre, PERICLES at the National
Theatre, BLINDED BY THE SON at the Cottesloe Theatre (National Theatre) and THE
WINTER'S TALE at the Roundhouse, amongst others. For his Broadway debut in LA
CAGE AUX FOLLES, he won the Tony®, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle awards.
For ten years Hodge worked closely with Harold Pinter, starring in many of his plays
including BETRAYAL at the National Theatre's Lyttelton Theatre; MOONLIGHT at the
Almeida Theatre; and A KIND OF ALASKA, THE LOVER and THE COLLECTION at
The Donmar Warehouse. He was also Associate Director at the Donmar from 2007 to 2009.
For television, Hodge received critical and popular acclaim in the BBC's awardwinning
production MIDDLEMARCH, which also aired in the United States. His recent TV
appearances include SKINS, OUTNUMBERED, ONE NIGHT, UNFORGIVEN, THE
UNINVITED and THE WHISTLEBLOWERS. He also featured in the popular television
movie MANSFIELD PARK.
Hodge's notable film credits include VANITY FAIR, ROBIN HOOD and the soon to
be released SERENA.
22
In addition to his acting achievements, Hodge released two albums of his own
compositions 'Cowley Road Songs' and 'Nightbus', and is the recipient of the Stiles and
Drewe 2012 Best New Song Award.
GERALDINE JAMES (Oonagh Toffolo) works across film, television and the
stage. Her most recent film work includes David’s Fincher’s THE GIRL WITH THE
DRAGON TATTOO, Guy Ritchie's SHERLOCK HOLMES and its sequel SHERLOCK
HOLMES: GAME OF SHADOWS, Tim Burton's ALICE IN WONDERLAND and Nigel
Cole's MADE IN DAGENHAM.
James is a four times BAFTA® nominee for her television work for DUMMY, THE
JEWEL IN THE CROWN, BAND OF GOLD and SINS. Other television credits include
UTOPIA, LITTLE BRITAIN, THE LAST ENEMY, CRIME & PUNISHMENT, BLOTT
ON THE LANDSCAPE and THE HISTORY MAN, among many others.
On stage, Geraldine played Gertrude in Michael Grandage’s Donmar on Broadway
production of HAMLET opposite Jude Law. Other theatre credits include 13 (National
Theatre), THE SEAGULL (Arcola Theatre), VICTORY (Arcola Theatre), THE UN
INSPECTOR (National Theatre), THE CHERRY ORCHARD (Oxford Stage Co) and THE
MERCHANT OF VENICE (Phoenix Theatre and Broadway) for which she won the Drama
Desk Award, and was nominated for a Tony® Award.
Geraldine trained at The Drama Centre and was awarded an OBE in 2003. She was
also awarded the Coppa Volpi Award for Best Actress at the Venice Film Festival for her
performance in Sir Peter Hall’s SHE'S BEEN AWAY.
CHARLES EDWARDS (Patrick Jephson) is a graduate of the Guildhall School of
Music and Drama. Most recently he was seen co-starring in the popular television series
DOWNTON ABBEY, written and directed by Julian Fellowes. He also starred as 'Bertie' in
the original stage play of THE KING'S SPEECH, on a national tour that included the West
End. His performance gained high appraise from critics across the board.
In 2011, he was shortlisted for Best Actor at the Evening Standard Awards for his
role as Benedick in MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. He
was also recognized at the Whatsonstage Awards for his performance as Andrew Aguecheek
in Peter Hall’s production of TWELFTH NIGHT.
Notable film credits include BATMAN BEGINS directed by Christopher Nolan, AN
IDEAL HUSBAND starring Rupert Everett and Julianne Moore and MUCH ADO ABOUT
NOTHING directed by Jeremy Herrin.
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For television, he has appeared on MISTRESSES, WALKING THE DEAD,
RUMPOLE OF THE BAILEY and MIDSOMER MURDERS, among others.
Since launching his career, CAS ANVAR (Dodi Fayed), has performed in
over 80 roles in both film and television. He will soon be seen in the TV series AIR FORCE
ONE IS DOWN, adapted from Allistair MacLean's international thriller and the hit series
NCIS: LOS ANGELES.
Anvar's film credits include SOURCE CODE, SHATTERED GLASS, THE
TERMINAL, NEVERLAND, THE FACTORY, AGENT OF INFLUENCE, and most
recently, the multi award-winning Oscar-nominated ARGO.
On the smaller screen, Anvar appeared opposite Naveen Andrews in the final season
of LOST playing the role of his brother Omer. Some of his other television credits include
LAST RESORT (ABC), "24" (FOX), MAJOR CRIMES (TNT), IN PLAIN SIGHT (USA
Network), LEVERAGE (TNT), BOSTON LEGAL, N.C.I.S, THE UNIT, E-RING and
MEDIUM.
In Canada he featured in the hit television series THE TOURNAMENT, for which he
was nominated for two Gemini awards for Best Ensemble Comedy Cast. He was also
nominated for two ACTRA Awards for Best Actor for his roles in THE PHANTOM and the
BBC/Discovery mini-series SUPERSTORM.
An accomplished stage actor, Anvar is the Founding Artistic Director of the
acclaimed Shakespeare in the Park touring company (Repercussion Theatre) which tours
extensively across Eastern Canada and throughout the United States.
Anvar has substantial roles in several of the largest video games in the world (CALL
OF DUTY: BLACK OPS 2, HALO 4) and is the voice of Altair in the popular video game
ASSASSINS CREED: REVELATION. He recently enjoyed a very successful appearance at
the MCM Expo London Comicon in Oct 2012 as well as three major Game Launches in
Nottingham.
Born in Canada, Anvar is a graduate of Montreal's prestigious National Theatre
School and is a recipient of the Carla Napier Award for Achievement in the Montréal
Theatre community. He also received the Alliance Quebec's Youth Achievement Award for
accomplishments in the Arts.
Although JULIET STEVENSON CBE (Simone Simmons) has gained fame through
her television and film roles, she is best known for her work on the stage. In 1992, Stevenson
was honored with a Laurence Olivier Theatre Award for Best Actress for her performance in
DEATH AND MAIDEN. Seven years later she was awarded the C.B.E. (Commander of the
24
Order of the British Empire) in the 1999 Queen's Birthday Honors List for her services to
drama.
Most recently, Stevenson completed filming on THE LETTERS, directed by William
Reaid in which she stars as Mother Teresa. For her lead role as Nina in Anthony Minghella's
TRULY, MADLY DEEPLY, Stevenson earned a BAFTA® nomination for Best Actress.
She went on to win Best Actress awards at the Evening Standard British Film Awards, the
Mystfest Film Awards and the Sitges-Catalonian Film Awards. Other notable screen credits
include EMMA, BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM, NICHOLAS NICKELBY, BEING JULIA,
DROWNING BY NUMBERS, BREAKING AND ENTERING, INFAMOUS and MONA
LISA SMILE.
Stevenson has graced the small screen on some of Britain's finest TV series. Most
recently, she was seen in THE HOUR and WHITE HEAT for the BBC. Her earlier
television credits include: GHOST, LEWIS, THE MALLENS, MAYBURY, CROWN
COURT, 10 DAYS OF WAR and PLACE OF EXECUTION. For her roles in the drama
series, THE ACCUSED, THE POLITICIAN'S WIFE and PERFORMANCE: A DOLL'S
HOUSE, Stevenson earned BAFTA® TV nominations for Best Actress.
The incredibly versatile actress has also starred in the television movies: THE SNOW
QUEEN, TRIAL BY FIRE, CIDER WITH ROSIE, VERDI, HEAR THE SLIENCE, THE
PACT and the award-winning THE ROAD FROM COORAIN for which she won an AFI for
Best Actress.
Throughout her career, Stevenson's work on the stage has continued to be honored
and recognized, earning her a total of five Olivier Award nominations for Best Actress. She
has been a member of The Royal Shakespeare Theatre Company since the early 1980s
starring in productions which include: THE HERETIC, LES LIAISONS DANGEREUSES,
AS YOU LIKE IT, MONEY, MEASURE FOR MEASURE, TROILUS AND CRESSIDA,
ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA and THE TEMPEST. She has also performed in DUET FOR
ONE (Almeida Theatre), ALICE TRILOGY (Royal Court), PRIVATE LIVES (National
Theatre), BURN THIS (West End) and HEDDA GABLER at the National Theatre.
Born in Essex, England, Stevenson is a graduate of the RADA and is a member of the
RADA Council.
DIANA is a compelling portrait of Diana, Princess of Wales during the final two
years of her life. The film stars British-born Academy Award® nominated actress Naomi
Watts (J. EDGAR, FAIR GAME, 21 GRAMS) who assumes the leading role of the
eponymous and iconic princess. Naveen Andrews, best known for his roles in THE
ENGLISH PATIENT and the hit television series LOST, co-stars as Dr. Hasnat Khan. Fellow
Brits Douglas Hodge, Geraldine James, Charles Edwards and Juliet Stevenson round out the
supporting cast.
Masterfully directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel (Academy Award® nominated for
DOWNFALL), the film is based on a screenplay by the internationally acclaimed playwright
Stephen Jeffreys (The Clink, Libertine). The compelling love story charts how finding true
personal happiness allowed Diana to achieve her defining successes, as she evolved into a
major international campaigner and humanitarian.
The film is produced by Robert Bernstein and Douglas Rae of Ecosse Films
(NOWHERE BOY, WUTHERING HEIGHTS, MRS BROWN). Matt Delargy and James
Saynor (also of Ecosse) co-produce alongside Paul Ritchie. Executive producers are Tim
Haslam, Mark Woolley and Xavier Marchand. Journalist and documentary filmmaker Kate
Snell (Diana: Her Last Love) serves as associate producer.
The filmmakers have assembled an exceptionally talented and creative team to
produce a truly insightful and compassionate study of Diana’s later years. Headed by Rainer
Klaussman S.C.S, (DOWNFALL, THE EXPERIMENT), the director's long-time collaborator
and cinematographer, the team includes: production designer Kave Quinn
(TRAINSPOTTING), costume designer Julian Day (RUSH), hair and make-up designer
Noriko Watanabe (UNKNOWN, MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA), editor Hans Funck
(DOWNFALL) and the Academy Award® winning composer Rachel Portman (EMMA,
CHOCOLAT).
# # # #
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ABOUT THE PRODUCTION
BRINGING DIANA'S STORY TO THE SCREEN
The idea for DIANA was generated in-house at Ecosse Films several years ago. The
story the filmmakers wanted to tell was the love story between Diana and Dr. Hasnat Khan, a
British Pakistani heart surgeon. "It seemed to us that it was the key to understanding the last
two years of her life," says Bernstein. Although the producers knew they wanted to make the
movie, they weren't confident they could take it forward into development until the inquests
had taken place into Diana's death. At the inquest, Khan went on record confirming he had
had a relationship with Diana. "He went into quite a bit of dignified detail, which was
extremely helpful to us in terms of deciding that that period in her life was now history,"
explains Bernstein. "We decided now we could interpret that and make a film based on
facts."
From the outset, Bernstein wasn't interested in making a typical biopic about Diana.
They set about to make a film that focused on who Diana became in those last two years,
rather than on the tragedy of how she died. "If you're looking at a famous person's life you
have to consolidate it into a specific time period and through a key relationship, that is
largely unknown, you can clarify the filmmaker's interpretation of that person’s life," he
explains.
"Diana became herself in those two years and we're very lucky that that journey is
tied up in a love story," Bernstein adds. "Diana did a lot of good and was a pioneer in terms
of bringing awareness to landmine victims which is important to revisit. The way that she
felt played a strong part in terms of her ability to be more confident and become the woman
she became at the end of her life. Hasnat was a very key component towards that happening."
The producers approached Stephen Jeffreys, a prominent playwright and film writer
to bring their story to the screen. At the time they were already working with him on a film
about Florence Nightingale. "We wanted to work with Stephen because he's a fantastic writer
of character and he's also a very dexterous writer," Bernstein states.
The producers met with Jeffreys and presented him with a three-page story outline
about Diana and Khan. He went away and returned a few days later with pages of colored
charts plotting the film's story. "I remember poring over these charts with Ecosse and our
researchers in the café at Waterstone’s in Piccadilly and thinking we had something special,"
he recalls.
3
One of the writer's key points of references when writing the screenplay was a
meeting he had with Diana, when she awarded him a prize at the Evening Standard Drama
Awards at the Royal Court. "I realized from talking to her that the standard press portrayal of
her as a brainless bimbo was utterly wrong: she was quick, witty and intelligent. That fiveminute
conversation was my lodestar as I wrote the film: I returned to the voice I'd heard
when imagining what she would say."
PAINTING AN ACCURATE PORTRAIT
Writing a script based on real people and events, and in particular, writing about one
of the most famous people in the world was something Jeffreys found challenging. "The
crucial events of any such films are the moments to which there were no witnesses, the
private scenes, usually between two people where no-one actually knows what happened. In
these scenes I had to take off and fly using empathy and imagination. This was the hardest
part."
The filmmakers wanted to portray Diana's life as accurately as they could.
Consequently the film is heavily researched from archive and source materials and with
consultants and people who had met her. "Clearly there's some dramatic interpretation
because we weren't always privy to what actually happened behind closed doors, but in those
scenes we try to go with what we felt the spirit of things were," notes Bernstein.
In researching the screenplay, Jeffreys read an abundance of books and articles on
related topics. Of these, the most important was Diana: Her Last Love, by Kate Snell who
became a consultant on the film. The book, which Ecosse had optioned, deals directly with
Diana's relationship with Khan and examines the events with forensic skill. "Kate introduced
us to certain people who were close to Diana and we interviewed them which was extremely
helpful," Bernstein recalls. "Certainly some of the insights in the film come in part from her
journalistic endeavors."
Jeffreys also read Sarah Bradford's Diana, "which gives by far the best account of the
formation of Diana's character," he says. Meeting Oonagh Shalney-Toffolo, one of Diana's
healers, was also a great privilege for the writer providing valuable insight into the spiritual
aspects of Diana's character. "Finally having lunch with David Puttnam in the House of
Lords was very significant: he knew Diana well and told me I caught her character
accurately."
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CASTING THE DIRECTOR:
OLIVER HIRSCHBIEGEL JOINS DIANA
The next significant step for the producers was to find the film's director. "It's part of
what we do, to cast the director. It's a critical choice you make and we wanted to make the
right choice," notes Bernstein. Their search led them to Oliver Hirschbiegel, the Academy
Award® nominated director of DOWNFALL, a film they had watched several times. The
producers recognized Hirschbiegel's ability to create drama out of somebody globally
famous. "He had already made one masterpiece about an icon, in this case an evil icon, in the
last days of his life. Diana is another icon and in her own way, she was stuck in her own
bunker."
At the time the producers didn't think about whether Hirschbiegel was a British or
non-British director. "We just felt Oliver was the perfect director for this film," states
Bernstein.
Hirschbiegel had heard of 'Princess Diana' but he wasn't at all familiar with the story
they wanted to tell. When he was first sent the script, he admits he didn't want to read it. "I
wasn't interested in Princess Diana but my agent told me that Stephen Jeffreys is a very fine
writer so I read it. I was totally surprised – ten pages in I was completely hooked and I got
what I hadn't expected – a very exciting and touching love story."
The script was basically written by the time the director came on board, but
Hirschbiegel wanted to increase the audience's awareness of the press and security
surrounding her. "He was very astute about the way a celebrity's life is constantly monitored
and this, I think, increases Diana's sense of isolation and emotional emptiness in the film,"
says Jeffreys.
Bernstein acknowledges having a German director made it interesting, as he didn't
come with any baggage or judgment. "I think that was of great benefit to us because we all
had a collaborator who was just going for the story and the subject matter, rather than
worrying about the perception, the history: all those sorts of things that we obviously have in
the UK."
Hirschbiegel agrees that it helped him enormously in making the movie. "As a
German, I'm not really part of what's going on in this country and that helped me a great deal
because I have a very clear viewpoint. I felt I was able to make a film that's as authentic,
honest and true as possible, without having anything to fear."
In preparing for the film, Hirschbiegel did his own extensive research. He read the
same books, studied her videos over and over again and covered his walls with her
5
photographs. "I met quite a lot of people who were close to her but the most useful source
was the photographs. It's the look, her posture, her eyes, the way people look at her – they
tell a million stories." Hirschbiegel also had access to a lot of the personal letters Diana
wrote and these became a precious source of information for him. "She wrote up to six letters
a day, describing the details of her situation: her thoughts and feelings. She was also a phone
maniac and she was very direct and would always express her emotions and how she felt."
The first thought Hirschbiegel had about Diana's character was that she was like an
old-fashioned movie star, in the vein of Marlene Dietrich. "She radiated a certain kind of
energy that you only see in these stars and, like all icons, she's wasn't perfect, but that's what
makes them real and that’s why people adore them. The women of the world loved Diana."
The more Hirschbiegel researched Diana, the more he fell in love with her character.
He describes her as the most fascinating and complex character he has ever worked with.
"She really was a game changer. You marry into the Royal Family and there are two ways;
you either play the game, which is very isolating and not very fun for a woman, or you chose
to be the rebel and sort of do it, but go against it at the same time." That's exactly what Diana
did and he admires her for it. "She was a rebel, so insecure and afraid but at the same time
she was a fighter and I loved that. Hasnat’s grandmother compares her to a lioness and that’s
exactly what she was."
THE FILM'S STORY
The heart of the film is the rite of passage of Diana from a slightly depressed, lonely
lady to somebody who found fulfillment in her personal life, which extrapolated into her
professional life. Within that story is the love story between Diana and Khan.
"It's a beautiful love story," says Hirschbeigel. "It’s important for people to know
because there is something very true, honest and real about their love. At the same time, it's
like a fairy tale; the common man from another culture falling in love with the most famous
woman in the world. It teaches us a lot, as any good story does."
In bringing her story to the screen, the director wanted to show as many sides of her
character as possible. He notes that like all icons, Diana had a very special existence, but that
kind of existence can be very isolating. Combined with a certain sense of paranoia, it made
her life very difficult. "When we first meet Diana at the start of the movie, her life has
stalled. She's pretty isolated in Kensington Palace and not yet divorced, so she's searching for
a purpose," he says. To emphasize her loneliness he filmed many private moments with
Diana trapped in her apartment alone, doing everyday things which contrasts greatly with her
public life as a princess.
6
"When Diana meets Khan she understands the importance not just of giving love ,for
which she had an extraordinary ability, but also of receiving it," explains Hirschbiegel. He
follows their relationship to the point where they realize that, although they are emotionally
and spiritually attuned, their lives are not compatible. "They had a very committed
relationship but then ultimately there wasn't that final commitment, and that's what we
dramatize," notes Bernstein.
Hirschbiegel believes that Diana and Khan immediately recognized each other as
soul mates. "They are both what I call 'energy people.' They were both healers and were very
perceptive of people's needs. He's still a doctor and, although she never practiced it, I believe
she had the same healing energy. All the people I spoke to agreed that when she took
someone's hand, she elevated that person."
The producers agree with this interpretation. "They both wanted to save people's lives
and that's the key component in our love story. Hasnat is a heart surgeon and is very
dedicated to what he does and Diana wanted to help people, so there was a raison d'être
which drew them together."
"Who knows what would have happened if she were still alive today?" Bernstein
asks. Hasnat said fairly recently when he opened the hospital in Pakistan that Diana would've
definitely been at his side as his wife or married to somebody else. "This gives you the sense
that from his point of view it wasn't necessarily over, but he didn't have the opportunity to
have a second chance and that is the tragedy of this story," he says.
ASSUMING THE ROLE OF A PRINCESS:
NAOMI WATTS STARS AS DIANA
To portray Diana, the filmmakers looked no further than the British-born actress
Naomi Watts, a two-time Academy Award® nominee for her leading roles in 21 GRAMS
and THE IMPOSSIBLE. "I don't know who else would have been right and who could have
pulled it off," says the director. "Naomi's an exquisite actress and is outstandingly good. She
has the ability to be a chameleon. You know it's her and at the same time it’s definitely that
character and in this case you're watching Diana. That's an exceptional gift."
As an actress, Watts is better known for doing contemporary films. "This film is very
near contemporary so we need it to feel quite edgy and real. Naomi brings all of those
qualities to the screen," says Bernstein. "She's a very brave actress and her prior films have
largely dealt with intense emotions. We knew she had the real range of ability and courage to
fulfill the role."
7
Additionally, it's important to the filmmakers that Watts is British. "Naomi was born
in Britain and this role is in her DNA. She remembers where she was the day Diana died and
the impact it had on her and the world. She just inhabits the role and her ability to capture
Diana's voice is uncanny."
Deciding whether to take on such an iconic role was not easy for Watts. At the time
they approached her, she was in Australia filming TWO MOTHERS for director Anne
Fontaine. "I struggled with the idea for some time, obviously because she is the most famous
woman of our time, and with that comes a lot of pressure. Everyone feels they know her so I
questioned whether I could ever claim her as being my own character."
The filmmakers continued to pursue her and she finally agreed to read the script. At
the same time, she began her own research and quickly discovered there was a lot about
Diana she didn't know. This was exciting for her. "I was definitely fascinated by the idea and
I liked that this was a great love story. I realized there was a lot I didn't know about her life,
which was this relationship at the center of the movie."
Very quickly, Watts became captivated by Diana's character. This was a role that
encompassed everything she looks for as an actress. "I like to play women who are
complicated and full of contradictions, and Diana was this and more. At times she was strong
and rebellious: she could also be happy, giggly, flirty, mischievous and incredibly wise. I'm
interested in watching those kinds of women on screen. I'm also drawn to these kinds of
women in my friendships in life."
Taking on the role of Diana could not have been done without the right director
providing her with a safety net. Watts was already an admirer of DOWNFALL, which she
describes as a masterpiece and a brilliant piece of storytelling. "When I met with Oliver, I
realized he had become completely obsessed with Diana and entrenched in that world. We
sat together and compared stories and I knew that taking on this character was about trusting
him and the screenplay completely." In Hirschbiegel's hands, she believed the film would
work. Several weeks later, she relocated to London to begin the process of becoming Diana.
BECOMING A PRINCESS
Watts immersed herself in research and training in preparation for her role. "I
definitely prepared more for this role than I have for any other character," admits Watts.
During this time, Hirschbiegel continued to send her endless little tidbits of information that
he had come across, including the perfume that Diana wore.
For Watts, the most important element in becoming Diana was the voice. "I had six
weeks of hardcore daily coaching with Penny Dyer (THE QUEEN, MY WEEK WITH
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MARILYN) before we started filming as well as William Conacher (RAILWAY MAN, BILLY
ELLIOT) coaching me on set. I just knew I had to get it right," she says. "Diana's voice was
something we all remember very well. She was aristocracy but it wasn't that old-fashioned
stiff upperlip. It was warm and modern and there was a breathiness to it, which makes it
sound more attractive. There was a lot to get right. Even my mother said to me, ‘Oh God. I
don't know if you'll be able to get that voice, Naomi!’"
The Panorama interview between Diana and Bashir was the greatest source of
information that the actress focused on. "I watched it over and over again and listened to the
audio on a daily basis during the weeks leading up to the shoot and during filming."
Watts used the interview to study Diana's voice, her mannerisms: the way she moved
her face, her hair and her eyes. She also used it to gain a deeper insight into her character and
the more she listened, the more she grew to admire her and understand why spoke out.
"I think her answers in that interview were brilliant. I know people have mixed
feelings, but I think I would have wanted to do the same thing, and I don't know if I could
have been that courageous. Here was a woman who went into that life at 19 with absolutely
no preparation. I loved that she fought for her happiness against all odds and I take my hat
off to her."
Once pre-production commenced, Watts worked closely with Noriko Watanabe
(MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA, PORTRAIT OF A LADY) who designed her hair and make-up.
Together with Hirschbiegel, they pored over hundreds of photos of Diana taken between
1996 and 1997. The filmmakers agree that although it was important to have a look that
audiences would buy into, they didn't want Watts to become a caricature. "Naomi is not a
lookalike for Diana and that's not what we wanted," explains Bernstein. "It's our
interpretation and obviously the look is part of that interpretation."
Diana's hairstyles were some of the most photographed and documented in the world,
and they defined the different stages of her life. For Watts, her transformation began with the
wig. "We have four wigs because there were different lengths and colors between 1995 and
1997. This was quite tough during filming as there were often four changes in a day," she
says.
The next defining characteristic was Diana's nose. "Our noses are completely
different so I wanted something to make mine stronger without it being too distracting," she
states. They tried several different options, before deciding on one small prosthetic on the
bridge of her nose.
Although the wigs and the nose were added, the director claims it was all in the eyes.
This involved a great deal of mascara and for the Bashir interview extra heavy eyeliner.
Watts also shaved her eyebrows to be more like Diana's. "The make-up was actually very
9
simple, but there was always something incredible about her eyes. They could change from
being very shy and vulnerable to a powerful eye contact that was almost confronting.
Because of her eyes, the story could often be told just with one look," she explains.
In addition to taking on some of the physical attributes, Watts had to train her face to
move in the opposite direction. "My face tends to go to the right but Diana's goes to the left
and that's the side I had to learn to use. It was actually quite difficult to train my face to work
in the opposite way."
The costumes also played an important part in transforming the actress. Diana's
wardrobe had been documented as much as her hair and it's a big part of what people are
familiar with.
Costume designer Julian Day (RUSH, NOWHERE BOY) focused on blocks of simple
color in navy, black, beige and cream. "In the last few years of her life, Diana became very
simple in her style, very elegant and classic. She wore a lot of shift dresses and didn't wear a
lot of pattern," he says. "I chatted to Naomi about what suited her and we talked about her
look. It was important to marry the two together – what suited her and what suited Diana.
It's the idea of her style and elegance more than anything else."
Day approached various designers about reproducing some of the looks for the
movie. Versace, one of Diana's favorite designers, reproduced the exact blue gown that
Diana wore to the Victor Chang event in Sydney, Australia. Jacques Azagury, also one of
Diana's favorite designers, lent them two of the dresses that Diana actually wore.
"Proportionally, they fit Naomi perfectly and we only had to alter it slightly," he notes.
Not all of her costumes are exact recreations of Diana's clothes. "What we have done
is reproduce her style rather than copy every item. Some people may like that and some may
not but we are not making a documentary. There are a lot of occasions when people don't
know what she wore, so I took it as a whole design, rather than reproducing individual
pieces."
For the film's iconic scenes, the filmmakers felt the costumes had to match exactly
because these images have been seen so many times before. These include the Bashir
interview, the Victor Chang charity event and Diana's landmines crusade. "Because these
scenes are so famous it was important that the audience wasn't taken out of them," Day
explains.
ASSEMBLING THE CAST AROUND DIANA
Naveen Andrews, who is originally from the north of India, was the filmmakers’ first
and only choice to portray Khan. "Having seen his performances in THE ENGLISH
10
PATIENT and the television series LOST, we realized he had a great range," says Bernstein.
"There's definitely a sympathy about how he goes about his work."
Hirschbiegel adds that he was the first man he thought about when reading the script.
"I thought back to Minghella's ENGLISH PATIENT. Back then, I loved the love story
between Naveen and Juliette Binoche and it touched me more than the other stories. I
thought to myself, 'I need that guy.' We were lucky he was available."
Of all the characters in the film, Jeffreys notes that Khan was the most difficult to
write. "He's very resistant to publicity. I admire him enormously and my fervent hope is that
he will appreciate being restored to his rightful place in the Diana story," he says. The
producers agree that portraying somebody who is still alive, who is very private, is very
tricky, but in the end, Andrews accomplished it perfectly. "I think Naveen captured the
essence of Hasnat entirely, with great charm, sensitivity and joie de vivre."
Andrews received the script from his agents and responded to the project
immediately. "I wanted to do a love story, something very pure, something close to David
Lean's BRIEF ENCOUNTER. When I met Oliver he seemed to have a grasp of the spiritual
side of Diana-an awareness that suffuses his vision of the love story and the piece as a
whole."
Andrews was grateful to able to connect with people who know or knew the heart
surgeon and were happy to talk to him. Through them, he was able to get a feel for the kind
of human being he was during the time the movie was set. The few pieces of footage that
existed, particularly an interview from years later, were also very helpful to him. "Above all,
I learned that Hasnat is utterly dedicated to his vocation as a heart surgeon. He's also very
masculine and seemingly free of the neurosis that afflicts most modern men."
It had always been the filmmakers’ intention to treat Khan with sensitivity and
respect in bringing his character to the screen. "It's a big deal to be creating a film that
features him," acknowledges Bernstein. Andrews shared this viewpoint. "Given that a lot of
the cast are playing real people, we feel a tremendous sense of responsibility towards them. I
would like to think that this is a story they would have wanted to be told."
Although the filmmakers know that Khan is aware of the movie, they acknowledge
that they haven't had a chance to meet with him. Hirschbiegel admits he would have found
this very difficult. "I realize now how tragic it must have been for him. Anybody who has
ever been truly in love must know how it feels to lose a loved one like that, and it's a very
sad and painful thought. I know he is out there and will probably see the film eventually, so I
hope I did everything right."
Surrounding Watts and Andrews in DIANA is an ensemble of highly accomplished
and talented British actors. Douglas Hodge (Paul Burrell), Geraldine James (Oonagh
11
Toffolo), Charles Edwards (Patrick Jephson) and Juliet Stevenson (Sonia) assume these
critical roles. In casting these actors, the filmmakers were able to meet with some of the real
people they were portraying which helped them enormously, although the director stresses
he didn't want to go for lookalikes.
"For Jephson, for example, I was looking for the right posture and vibe. The actual
Jephson is more heavy set." Charles Edwards, who was most recently seen on the awardwinning
series DOWNTON ABBEY, agrees that he doesn't bear any physical resemblance to
him. "It's the suggestions of him rather than a slavish recreation," he says. Edwards
responded to the film because it's a love story. "The other thing I liked about it was that
Charles and the Queen don't appear. It's the people you perhaps know less about, other than
her of course, that makes it a story worth telling."
When searching for the right actor to play Paul Burrell, although Hirschbiegel had
uncovered some negative press about him, he decided he wanted to cast someone likeable.
"You have to remember that Paul was, at the time, very important to Diana. He loved her and
he must have been devastated when she died."
Douglas Hodge, the Tony®-winning star of La Cage aux Folles was extremely
cautious when he first heard there was a film about Diana. "When I thought of Paul Burrell, I
was even more cautious. But then I heard that Oliver was directing, so I knew there would be
a different take on it."
Once he began his research, Hodge was surprised how much had been written about
Burrell and how much he had generated himself. He discovered countless books, hundreds of
hours of footage, videos, interviews and even a reality television show. "I did watch it all but
I'm not so interested in doing an exact impersonation. I think what I am interested in is his
devotion to her, his attention to detail, those kinds of things."
Although Geraldine James (GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO, SHERLOCK
HOLMES) doesn't look at all like Oonagh Toffolo, the director felt she hit the right note. He
met Oonagh on several occasions and he believes she will be happy with the casting.
"Geraldine captured her warmth and spirituality perfectly," he says.
Not all of the characters are portraying real people. The Sonia character that Juliet
Stevenson (TRULY, MADLY, DEEPLY, BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM) plays isn't based on any
one particular person. "It's actually loosely based on various friends Diana had around her in
those years, including her healer, spiritual advisor and therapist. She's s a fusion of all of
them," Bernstein explains.
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PRINCIPAL PHOTOGRAPHY BEGINS
Filming took place in over 100 locations over nine weeks in Croatia, South East
England, Central London, Pakistan and Mozambique. "It's a very ambitious film," Bernstein
acknowledges. "We began in Croatia, which doubled for Australia, the Mediterranean,
Rimini and Bosnia. I think there were 30 locations there in the first two weeks of
production." One day was spent in Trieste on their return to London to film the sequences
outside the Paris Ritz.
Back in the UK, they filmed the obvious locations – Ronnie Scott’s, Hyde Park and
the interior of Kensington Palace, which was recreated in an old building in Langleybury on
the outskirts of London. After a break in filming due to an injury on set, the filmmakers
relocated to Mozambique, which doubled for Angola, for the hospitals and landmines as well
as the interior of the Pakistani household. The film concluded with a shoot in Pakistan, to
pick up the exteriors to recreate Diana's arrival there.
For production designer Kave Quinn the research her team did was critical. "There
are scenes in the script that took place in very specific points in time, and Oliver wanted
these moments to be matched exactly. These include the hospital in Angola, the landmines
visit, the Christie's auction, the Victor Chang charity event and Diana's visit to Bosnia. "He
prefers to use real places rather than sets so we used a lot of locations to recreate them."
The designer had a little bit more freedom in the private scenes behind closed doors
that were not documented by the press or seen by the public. These scenes include the
interior of the palace and the interior of Khan's apartment. Quinn had photographs of Diana's
apartment in Kensington Palace but didn't actually know what it looked like at the time she
was living there. "I really delved down to find out as much as we could about her kitchen,
her living room – the tiny little details, then taking the essential elements from those detail
and recreating them." She roughly knew the layout of the rooms, but there were various
additions to the palace at different times. "We took a bit of liberty there but we didn't stray
too far."
It took much longer for the filmmakers to find a location for Kensington Palace than
they had expected. They were restricted on what they could use because of the Royal Family.
"We couldn't use National Trust houses because of Prince Charles's affiliation there because
we didn't want to upset them. It just made things take a lot longer," says Quinn.
The producers are grateful they were allowed to film outside the real gates of
Kensington Palace because they are so iconic. "Having that location and being given
permission by the Royal Household to film there was quite critical," states Bernstein.
13
They were also given permission to film a jogging scene in Kensington Gardens.
"The Royal Family is definitely aware of the film and allowed us into those areas so I am
hoping our sensibility as such has been submitted to them. We are obviously respectful to
them and in particular to her children. We wanted to make a film with integrity and that's
what we set out to do."
In the telling of this story, the director and producers wanted to include the iconic
Diana moments from the last two years of her life. "There are certain scenes that you would
expect to see in a movie about Diana. The most important thing is recreating them in such a
way that you are reminded of how you felt when you were actually there, particularly for
people in the UK," Bernstein explains. "It feels like a great moment when you see them up
on the screen," adds Hirschbiegel.
The director was incredibly effective in recreating these moments that were heavily
documented in the press and have become part of history. Some of these moments include
Diana observing Khan's heart operation; walking through the landmines in Angola, hugging
an elderly woman at a graveside in Bosnia, visiting the landmine victims, holidaying on
Dodi's boat and, probably the most famous, her Panorama interview with Bashir. "Oliver
recreated these in a way that gives you a slight shiver down your spine and makes you
remember what it was like and how you felt at the time," explains Bernstein.
For the director, it was important to also include the moments of Diana with the
press. "I tried to recreate that atmosphere that I saw in the documentaries about her. The
press shouting at her and the photographers who followed her around like a pack of insects,"
he says.
Probably the most iconic scene in the film is the Bashir interview. As well as being
the actress's greatest source of information in preparing for the film, it became her most
important scene.
"It was probably the hardest part of the film for me, because when you take on such a
famous woman there will always be comparisons drawn. For me, the Bashir interview was
what I was most invested in getting right." Watts felt like she had more freedom when
filming behind closed doors in Kensington Palace because nobody really knows what went
on no matter which books you read. "You don't want to get caught up in mimicry - the
performance has to be a truthful one and it's an interpretation," she explains.
"But with the Bashir interview, you want to get that as exact as you can, the phrasing
of the voice, the looks in the eyes and the way she articulates things. I had a lot of fear about
that but it was also good stuff to do."
The filmmakers all agree the actress captured it perfectly. Filming on set that day it
felt like Diana was there. "It was hard to distinguish between Naomi's voice and the actual
14
interview," the producers said. "It’s shocking how good she was in that scene," adds
Hirschbiegel. "It was like seeing a ghost, watching Naomi giving the answers to Bashir
exactly how Diana did it back then."
DIANA'S MEMORY AND HER LEGACY
The film's story is fairly recent in terms of history and Diana is very much a part of
the public's consciousness, particularly in Britain. Additionally, many of the characters
depicted in the film are still alive. "We have had to be extremely careful in bringing this
story to the screen. We know that ours is a heavily researched film and as filmmakers all we
can do is make the best film that we can based on the story that we've chosen to tell," states
Bernstein.
Watts feels a sense of responsibility to Diana's sons. "I do care about how they feel
about it. They're men now and they understand that their mother was the most famous
woman of our time, so there will always be an obvious interest in her." In the end, she views
it as an important piece of history and a story that had to be told and would have been be
told.
"I think everyone has good memories of her because of the tragic ending to her life,
and we all remember that massive outpouring of grief and the flowers surrounding
Kensington Palace. She was a great mother, a strong woman, and an intelligent woman who
bridged the gap between the Royal Family and the public. Hopefully, our love story will
continue the loving memory we have for her."
The producers continue: "We feel we have made something that's really powerful,
has resonance and illuminates the last two years of this global icon's life. We hope they will
take away something new from her life, something revelatory. This will be the first film
about her and we feel that we've chosen the most appropriate story."
As with all love stories, the director hopes that the audience takes something home
for themselves. "A good love story always raises questions: what does love really mean?
Who am I with? What do I really want in life? They are often sad and tragic but they teach us
a lot and that's my hope," says Hirschbiegel.
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ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS
OLIVER HIRSCHBIEGEL (director) is best known for his award-winning feature
DOWNFALL, depicting the last twelve days of Adolf Hitler's reign. The film was a critical
and commercial triumph, earning Hirschbiegel an Academy Award® nomination for Best
Foreign Language Film. The film also received the Best Foreign Film award at the British
Independent Film Awards and the London Critics Circle Film Awards.
Hirschbiegel's earlier films include MEIN LETZTER FILM, THE INVASION and
FIVE MINUTES OF HEAVEN starring Liam Neeson, for which Hirschbiegel won the Best
Director prize at the Sundance Film Festival in 2009.
In 2000, Hirschbiegel directed DAS EXPERIMENT, based on the infamous Stanford
Prison Experiment. The film was met with wide critical acclaim, winning several awards in
many festivals around the world, including Best Director at the Montreal Film Festival and
the Istanbul Film Festival.
On the smaller screen, Hirschbiegel directed and executive produced the first four
episodes of Tom Fontana's hit series BORGIA. For German television, he directed
MÖRDERISCHE ENTSCHEIDUNG – UMSCHALTEN ERWÜNSCHT, TATORT,
KOMMISSAR REX, TRICKSER, TODFEINDE, EIN GANZE GEWÖHNLICHER JUDE;
and DAS URTEIL, which received an Emmy nomination for Best Foreign TV Drama.
Hirschbiegel was born in Hamburg, Germany. Prior to filmmaking, he studied
painting and graphic design at the Academy of Arts in Hamburg where he also experimented
with video and photography. His experimental movies attracted the attention of some of
German's leading television producers, leading to his directorial debut in 1986 with DAS
GO! PROJEKT.
ROBERT BERNSTEIN (producer) is a director and partner in Ecosse Films. During
his tenure at the company, he has produced multiple feature films and executive-produced
hours of primetime television drama.
In 2011 Bernstein produced WUTHERING HEIGHTS with acclaimed director
Andrea Arnold and THE DECOY BRIDE directed by Sheree Folkson. At the end of 2009,
Bernstein produced Sam Taylor-Wood’s directorial début NOWHERE BOY starring Kristin
Scott-Thomas. Written by BAFTA® winner Matt Greenhalgh, the film opened to rave
reviews.
Bernstein's other notable film credits include BECOMING JANE, starring Anne
Hathaway and James McAvoy; THE WATER HORSE, starring David Morrissey and Emily
Watson and BRIDESHEAD REVISITED starring Emma Thompson and Michael Gambon.
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Prior to becoming a producer, Bernstein developed the script for MRS. BROWN, starring
Dame Judi Dench. The film went on to win 12 major international awards and two Oscar
nominations. His next role was to executive produce CHARLOTTE GRAY, a 25 million
dollar feature for Film Four.
For television, Bernstein has executive produced several series including the hugely
successful BBC1 series MONARCH OF THE GLEN starring Susan Hampshire, MY BOY
JACK starring Daniel Radcliffe and HE KILLS COPPERS, based on the novel by Jake
Arnott. He is currently executive producing FLEMING, a drama based on the life of the man
behind James Bond.
DOUGLAS RAE (producer) is the founder and CEO of Ecosse Films and is
one of Britain's most prolific producers. Ecosse have produced 12 films and over 300 hours
of network television for BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Showtime, Starz Channel and WGBH.
Douglas's first feature film, MRS. BROWN, won 12 major international awards, a BAFTA
nomination for Producer of the year and two Oscar nominations. Other films he has
produced include CHARLOTTE GRAY (starring Cate Blanchett), BECOMING JANE
(Anne Hathaway and James McAvoy), NOWHERE BOY (the story of John Lennon's
childhood) and WUTHERING HEIGHTS (directed by Andrea Arnold).
For television, Rae has executive produced such shows as THE AMBASSADOR,
AN UNSUITABLE JOB FOR A WOMAN, MY BOY JACK and the hugely successful
BBC1 drama, MONARCH OF THE GLEN. More recently he executive produced LIFE OF
CRIME, a police drama set over three decades.
Douglas is currently producing a four part series on Ian Fleming, the creator of
BOND, starring Dominic Cooper for Sky Atlantic and BBC America. He is also executive
producing MISTRESSES, a 13 part series for ABC based on Ecosse's hit-making BBC one
series.
Among his many recognitions are; the Silver Thistle Award for Outstanding
Contribution to Scotland in 2005, the Scottish Icon Award for Innovation in 2004 and the
Scottish Filmmaker of the Year award in 1997.
STEPHEN JEFFREYS (writer) is an internationally acclaimed playwright whose
work includes VALUED FRIENDS (Hampstead Theatre), for which he was awarded the
Evening Standard and Critics' Circle Award for Most Promising Playwright; THE CLINK,
(Paines Plough), for whom he was Art Council Writer in Residence from 1987-1989 and
THE LIBERTINE which was staged at the Royal Court Theatre to great popular and critical
acclaim. The play went on to be produced at the Steppenwolf Theatre, Chicago, directed by
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Terry Johnson and starring John Malkovich. Jeffrey's screenplay version of THE
LIBERTINE, directed by Laurence Dunmore, was released in 2005 starring Johnny Depp.
Other plays include A JOVIAL CREW (RSC), A GOING CONCERN (Hampstead
Theatre), HARD TIMES (adapted from Dickens), I JUST STOPPED BY TO SEE THE
MAN (Royal Court Theatre, Steppenwolf and Geffen Playhouse, LA), LOST LAND
(Steppenwolf Theatre); THE ART OF WAR (Sydney Theatre Company) and BUGLES AT
THE GATES OF JALALABAD - part of the GREAT GAME series of plays about
Afghanistan presented by the Tricycle Theatre.
RAINER KLAUSMANN S.C.S. (director of photography) is a Swiss
cinematographer, writer and director. A frequent collaborator with Hirschbiegel, he has
worked with him on a total of seven film and television projects including DAS URTEIL,
THE EXPERIMENT, for which he won the Bavarian Film Award for Best Cinematography,
and the Oscar-nominated DOWNFALL.
Klausmann collaborated with Erin Ricklis on the critically acclaimed LEMON TREE
and THE MISSION OF THE HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER. He also won the
prestigious Camerimage Bronze Frog for the Oscar-nominated film, THE BAADAR
MEINHOF COMPLEX, directed by Uli Edel. Klausmann has worked continually with
director Werner Hertzog, collaborating on CERRO TORRE, SCHREI AUS STEIN,
LEKTONEN IN FINSTERNIS and FITZCARRALDO.
Fluent in German, French and English, Klausmann resides in Switzerland, traveling
between Europe and the United States for his work in film and television.
KAVE QUINN worked as a production designer for the past 15 years. Her most
recent credits include BROKEN, directed by Rufus Norris and THE WOMAN IN BLACK,
starring Daniel Radcliffe, which went on to became the most successful British horror film
on record.
A graduate of the St Martins School of Art, Quinn began her career in the costume
department. After working on several NFTS graduations films, she segued from costume to
set design. Around this time she met Danny Boyle and together with cinematographer Brian
Tufano, became a part of his creative team for SHALLOW GRAVE, TRAINSPOTTING and
A LIFE LESS ORDINARY starring Ewan McGregor and Cameron Diaz.
Other notable credits include LAYER CAKE directed by Matthew Vaughan,
INCENDIARY starring Ewan McGregor and Michelle Williams and HARRY BROWN
starring Michael Caine.
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JULIAN DAY is one of Britain's most talented costume designers. Prior to DIANA
he designed RUSH, a biopic of the Formula 1 driver Niki Lauda, and DOM HEMINGWAY
starring Jude Law. His most recent credits include the critically acclaimed SALMON
FISHING IN THE YEMEN, directed by Lasse Hallstrom and THE BERBERIAN SOUND
STUDIO featuring Toby Jones, directed by Peter Strickland.
Day began designing films in the early 1990s and has never looked back. He likes to
take on varied work in terms of budgets, periods and scale and is particularly enamored with
the research process. Other notable film credits include; NOWHERE BOY, THE
DISAPPEARANCE OF ALICE CREED, BRIGHTON ROCK and KICKS.
On the smaller screen he has designed costumes for the television movies PAGE
EIGHT, POPPY SHAKESPEARE, DIS/CONNECTED and the mini-series DEMONS. He
has also designed costumes for several high profile British television series including
BRITZ, HEX, MURDER CITY and WIRE IN THE BLOOD.
A graduate of Birmingham University, he resides in London with his wife and
costume supervisor Shaida Day.
Hailed as one of the film industry's top image-makers, NORIKO WATANABE (hair
and make-up designer) has spent years behind the camera creating some of the most
memorable screen looks of contemporary cinema. During that time she has collaborated
with some of cinema's most talented directors, including Rob Marshall, for MEMOIRS OF A
GEISHA, which earned her a BAFTA® nomination.
Watanabe also does personal hair and make-up design for some of Hollywood's
biggest stars including; Liam Neeson (GREY, A TEAM, UNKNOWN), Cameron Diaz
(GANGS OF NEW YORK), Nicole Kidman (BIRTHDAY GIRL) and Kate Winslet
(ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND).
The talented designer has a long history with the award-winning director Jane
Campion. She first collaborated with her on THE PIANO and went on to design HOLY
SMOKE, PORTRAIT OF A LADY and IN THE CUT. Other prominent director's include
Robert Redford (THE HORSE WHISPERER), Martin Scorsese (GANGS OF NEW YORK),
Quentin Tarantino (KILL BILL VOL. 1) and Michel Gondry (ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF
THE SPOTLESS MIND).
Watanabe was trained at the Yamano University Beauty in Cosmetology in her native
Japan. She developed her skills in Tokyo working in the fashion industry before relocating to
California at 21 where she designed make-up for fashion and advertising. When Phillip
Noyce appointed her as make-up designer for DEAD CALM (Nicole Kidman and Sam
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Neill), Watanabe's screen career was launched internationally.
Watanabe resides in New Zealand with her husband and two children.
HANS FUNCK is a German editor and longtime collaborator of Hirschbiegel's. Prior
to DIANA, they have worked on THE INVASION, DOWNFALL, FIVE MINUTES OF
HEAVEN and THE EXPERIMENT for which he was awarded with a German Camera
Award for Outstanding Editing. His other notable film credits include LUDWIG II, TIME
YOU CHANGE, POPE JANE and BANDITS for which he received a German Camera
nomination.
For television, Funck has edited the German television movies THE OTHER CHILD,
I NEVER TOLD YOU, LOST CITY RAIDERS, IRON JAWED ANGELS, DER TOURIST,
and OPERA BALL which earned him a Golden Lion for editing. He also edited the highly
successful German series SEX AND MORE.
WILLIAM CONACHER (dialect coach) has coached the voices of some of
cinema's most talented artists including Nicole Kidman for RAILWAY MAN and Kristin
Scott Thomas for NOWHERE BOY. Most recently, he wrapped production on DESERT
DANCER starring Frieda Pinto.
A graduate of the Central School of Speech and Drama, he taught voice, dialect and
phonetics in various drama schools before settling at RADA in 1998 where he has remained
for eight years. Concurrently, he began working extensively in regional and London theatre,
most notably at the Manchester Royal Exchange, Sheffield Crucible, Theatre Clywd, the
West Yorkshire Playhouse, the Royal National Theatre, the Royal Court and the Donmar
Warehouse.
Recent film credits include CLOUD ATLAS and PERFUME: THE STORY OF A
MURDERER for director Tom Twyker; THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: PRINCE
CASPIAN; and the highly anticipated ONLY GOD FORGIVES for director Nicolas
Winding Refn.
Conacher has been a long-time collaborator of Stephen Daldry's working on his two
Oscar-nominated films THE READER and EXTREMELY LOUD AND INCREDIBLY
CLOSE as well as BILLY ELLIOT: THE MUSICAL. The highly successful stage show
went on to win numerous Olivier and Tony awards with productions in London, New York,
Sydney, Melbourne, Chicago and a US national tour.
Conacher resides in London with his wife and two children.
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ABOUT THE CAST
NAOMI WATTS (Diana) was honored with an Academy Award® nomination in
2013 for Best Actress for her performance in Juan Antonio Bayona’s THE IMPOSSIBLE.
She also earned Best Actress nominations for a Golden Globe® Award, a SAG Award®, a
Critics’ Choice Award and received the Desert Palm Achievement Actress Award at the
Palm Springs International Film Festival.
Watts also earned an Academy Award® nomination for Best Actress for her role in
Alejandro Gonzales Inarritu’s 21 GRAMS. The film also garnered Best Actress Awards
from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, Southeastern Film Critics Association,
Washington Area Film Critics and San Diego Film Critics, as well as Best Actress
nominations from the SAG Awards®, BAFTAs®, Broadcast Film Critics and Golden
Satellites. At the film’s premiere at the 2003 Venice International Film Festival, she
received the Audience Award (Lion of the Public) for Best Actress.
Next up for Watts is the gritty drama SUNLIGHT JR., opposite Matt Dillon, which
premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and the highly anticipated TWO MOTHERS, from
director Ann Fontaine, which premiered at The Sundance Film Festival earlier this year.
Other recent film credits include Clint Eastwood’s critically acclaimed J. EDGAR,
Jim Sheridan’s DREAMHOUSE, Doug Liman’s FAIRGAME, Woody Allen’s YOU WILL
MEET A TALL DARK STRANGER, Rodrigo Garcia’s MOTHER AND CHILD, for which
she received an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress and Tom
Twyker’s THE INTERNATIONAL.
Watts has had an impressive list of movies since her acclaimed turn in David Lynch’s
MULHOLLAND DRIVE. Her credits include Peter Jackson’s epic remake of KING KONG,
WE DON'T LIVE HERE ANYMORE which she starred in and produced, THE
ASSASSINATION OF RICHARD NIXON, David O. Russell’s I (HEART) HUCKABEES,
Marc Forster’s STAY, Gore Verbinski’s THE RING and its sequel, THE RING 2, Merchant
Ivory’s LE DIVORCE; John Curran’s THE PAINTED VEIL, David Cronenberg’s
drama/thriller EASTERN PROMISES and Michael Haneke’s thriller FUNNY GAMES.
Born in England, Watts moved to Australia at the age of 14 and began studying
acting. Her first major film role came in John Duigan’s FLIRTING.
Among her many awards and recognitions, Watts received the Montecito Award
from the Santa Barbara Film Festival in 2006 for her role in KING KONG, was honored by
the Palm Springs Film Festival in 2003 for 21 GRAMS, and in 2002, was named the Female
Star of Tomorrow at ShoWest and received the Breakthrough Acting Award at the
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Hollywood Film Festival, both for her work in MULHOLLAND DRIVE. She was most
recently honored for her entire body of work at the 2011 Deauville Film Festival.
NAVEEN ANDREWS (Hasnat Kahn) is known for his role in JJ Abram's award
winning hit series LOST. His performance earned him the Best Supporting Actor
nominations at the 2005 Emmy Awards and the 2006 Golden Globes Awards. His other
television credits include THE BUDDHA OF SUBURBIA directed by Roger Michell for the
BBC.
His most recent film credits include Joel Silver's THE BRAVE ONE with Jodie
Foster directed by Neil Jordan and GRINDHOUSE for director Robert Rodriguez.
In 1996, he starred in the critically acclaimed film, THE ENGLISH PATIENT, with
Ralph Fiennes, Kristin Scott Thomas and Juliette Binoche, for writer/director Anthony
Minghella.
He began his career in London, where he studied at the Guildhall School of Music
and Drama, and currently resides in Los Angeles.
DOUGLAS HODGE (Paul Burrell) is a four times Olivier®-nominated
actor/director, who has worked at the National Theatre, the RSC, Shakespeare's Globe and
the Royal Court Theatre. He has achieved great success on the stage in plays such as NO
MAN'S LAND and THE CARETAKER at the Comedy Theatre, PERICLES at the National
Theatre, BLINDED BY THE SON at the Cottesloe Theatre (National Theatre) and THE
WINTER'S TALE at the Roundhouse, amongst others. For his Broadway debut in LA
CAGE AUX FOLLES, he won the Tony®, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle awards.
For ten years Hodge worked closely with Harold Pinter, starring in many of his plays
including BETRAYAL at the National Theatre's Lyttelton Theatre; MOONLIGHT at the
Almeida Theatre; and A KIND OF ALASKA, THE LOVER and THE COLLECTION at
The Donmar Warehouse. He was also Associate Director at the Donmar from 2007 to 2009.
For television, Hodge received critical and popular acclaim in the BBC's awardwinning
production MIDDLEMARCH, which also aired in the United States. His recent TV
appearances include SKINS, OUTNUMBERED, ONE NIGHT, UNFORGIVEN, THE
UNINVITED and THE WHISTLEBLOWERS. He also featured in the popular television
movie MANSFIELD PARK.
Hodge's notable film credits include VANITY FAIR, ROBIN HOOD and the soon to
be released SERENA.
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In addition to his acting achievements, Hodge released two albums of his own
compositions 'Cowley Road Songs' and 'Nightbus', and is the recipient of the Stiles and
Drewe 2012 Best New Song Award.
GERALDINE JAMES (Oonagh Toffolo) works across film, television and the
stage. Her most recent film work includes David’s Fincher’s THE GIRL WITH THE
DRAGON TATTOO, Guy Ritchie's SHERLOCK HOLMES and its sequel SHERLOCK
HOLMES: GAME OF SHADOWS, Tim Burton's ALICE IN WONDERLAND and Nigel
Cole's MADE IN DAGENHAM.
James is a four times BAFTA® nominee for her television work for DUMMY, THE
JEWEL IN THE CROWN, BAND OF GOLD and SINS. Other television credits include
UTOPIA, LITTLE BRITAIN, THE LAST ENEMY, CRIME & PUNISHMENT, BLOTT
ON THE LANDSCAPE and THE HISTORY MAN, among many others.
On stage, Geraldine played Gertrude in Michael Grandage’s Donmar on Broadway
production of HAMLET opposite Jude Law. Other theatre credits include 13 (National
Theatre), THE SEAGULL (Arcola Theatre), VICTORY (Arcola Theatre), THE UN
INSPECTOR (National Theatre), THE CHERRY ORCHARD (Oxford Stage Co) and THE
MERCHANT OF VENICE (Phoenix Theatre and Broadway) for which she won the Drama
Desk Award, and was nominated for a Tony® Award.
Geraldine trained at The Drama Centre and was awarded an OBE in 2003. She was
also awarded the Coppa Volpi Award for Best Actress at the Venice Film Festival for her
performance in Sir Peter Hall’s SHE'S BEEN AWAY.
CHARLES EDWARDS (Patrick Jephson) is a graduate of the Guildhall School of
Music and Drama. Most recently he was seen co-starring in the popular television series
DOWNTON ABBEY, written and directed by Julian Fellowes. He also starred as 'Bertie' in
the original stage play of THE KING'S SPEECH, on a national tour that included the West
End. His performance gained high appraise from critics across the board.
In 2011, he was shortlisted for Best Actor at the Evening Standard Awards for his
role as Benedick in MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. He
was also recognized at the Whatsonstage Awards for his performance as Andrew Aguecheek
in Peter Hall’s production of TWELFTH NIGHT.
Notable film credits include BATMAN BEGINS directed by Christopher Nolan, AN
IDEAL HUSBAND starring Rupert Everett and Julianne Moore and MUCH ADO ABOUT
NOTHING directed by Jeremy Herrin.
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For television, he has appeared on MISTRESSES, WALKING THE DEAD,
RUMPOLE OF THE BAILEY and MIDSOMER MURDERS, among others.
Since launching his career, CAS ANVAR (Dodi Fayed), has performed in
over 80 roles in both film and television. He will soon be seen in the TV series AIR FORCE
ONE IS DOWN, adapted from Allistair MacLean's international thriller and the hit series
NCIS: LOS ANGELES.
Anvar's film credits include SOURCE CODE, SHATTERED GLASS, THE
TERMINAL, NEVERLAND, THE FACTORY, AGENT OF INFLUENCE, and most
recently, the multi award-winning Oscar-nominated ARGO.
On the smaller screen, Anvar appeared opposite Naveen Andrews in the final season
of LOST playing the role of his brother Omer. Some of his other television credits include
LAST RESORT (ABC), "24" (FOX), MAJOR CRIMES (TNT), IN PLAIN SIGHT (USA
Network), LEVERAGE (TNT), BOSTON LEGAL, N.C.I.S, THE UNIT, E-RING and
MEDIUM.
In Canada he featured in the hit television series THE TOURNAMENT, for which he
was nominated for two Gemini awards for Best Ensemble Comedy Cast. He was also
nominated for two ACTRA Awards for Best Actor for his roles in THE PHANTOM and the
BBC/Discovery mini-series SUPERSTORM.
An accomplished stage actor, Anvar is the Founding Artistic Director of the
acclaimed Shakespeare in the Park touring company (Repercussion Theatre) which tours
extensively across Eastern Canada and throughout the United States.
Anvar has substantial roles in several of the largest video games in the world (CALL
OF DUTY: BLACK OPS 2, HALO 4) and is the voice of Altair in the popular video game
ASSASSINS CREED: REVELATION. He recently enjoyed a very successful appearance at
the MCM Expo London Comicon in Oct 2012 as well as three major Game Launches in
Nottingham.
Born in Canada, Anvar is a graduate of Montreal's prestigious National Theatre
School and is a recipient of the Carla Napier Award for Achievement in the Montréal
Theatre community. He also received the Alliance Quebec's Youth Achievement Award for
accomplishments in the Arts.
Although JULIET STEVENSON CBE (Simone Simmons) has gained fame through
her television and film roles, she is best known for her work on the stage. In 1992, Stevenson
was honored with a Laurence Olivier Theatre Award for Best Actress for her performance in
DEATH AND MAIDEN. Seven years later she was awarded the C.B.E. (Commander of the
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Order of the British Empire) in the 1999 Queen's Birthday Honors List for her services to
drama.
Most recently, Stevenson completed filming on THE LETTERS, directed by William
Reaid in which she stars as Mother Teresa. For her lead role as Nina in Anthony Minghella's
TRULY, MADLY DEEPLY, Stevenson earned a BAFTA® nomination for Best Actress.
She went on to win Best Actress awards at the Evening Standard British Film Awards, the
Mystfest Film Awards and the Sitges-Catalonian Film Awards. Other notable screen credits
include EMMA, BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM, NICHOLAS NICKELBY, BEING JULIA,
DROWNING BY NUMBERS, BREAKING AND ENTERING, INFAMOUS and MONA
LISA SMILE.
Stevenson has graced the small screen on some of Britain's finest TV series. Most
recently, she was seen in THE HOUR and WHITE HEAT for the BBC. Her earlier
television credits include: GHOST, LEWIS, THE MALLENS, MAYBURY, CROWN
COURT, 10 DAYS OF WAR and PLACE OF EXECUTION. For her roles in the drama
series, THE ACCUSED, THE POLITICIAN'S WIFE and PERFORMANCE: A DOLL'S
HOUSE, Stevenson earned BAFTA® TV nominations for Best Actress.
The incredibly versatile actress has also starred in the television movies: THE SNOW
QUEEN, TRIAL BY FIRE, CIDER WITH ROSIE, VERDI, HEAR THE SLIENCE, THE
PACT and the award-winning THE ROAD FROM COORAIN for which she won an AFI for
Best Actress.
Throughout her career, Stevenson's work on the stage has continued to be honored
and recognized, earning her a total of five Olivier Award nominations for Best Actress. She
has been a member of The Royal Shakespeare Theatre Company since the early 1980s
starring in productions which include: THE HERETIC, LES LIAISONS DANGEREUSES,
AS YOU LIKE IT, MONEY, MEASURE FOR MEASURE, TROILUS AND CRESSIDA,
ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA and THE TEMPEST. She has also performed in DUET FOR
ONE (Almeida Theatre), ALICE TRILOGY (Royal Court), PRIVATE LIVES (National
Theatre), BURN THIS (West End) and HEDDA GABLER at the National Theatre.
Born in Essex, England, Stevenson is a graduate of the RADA and is a member of the
RADA Council.
