Gillian Anderson donned a fat suit in order to portray prime minister Margaret Thatcher in The Crown.
The actress, 52, plays the politician in the upcoming fourth season of the Netflix show and has explained how she got into the role physically.
Speaking to OK! magazine, Gillian said: ‘I wear a fat suit and she has a very particular way of walking. After you’ve been working on a character for a long time, it’s really quite something to see everything come together at the same time.
Transformation: Gillian Anderson donned a fat suit in order to portray prime minister Margaret Thatcher in The Crown
‘It’s daunting, too. The first time you step in front of the camera, you’re exposed and it’s being documented – and you hope you’re on the right track. It’s exciting to finally get there and it’s also a bit freaky.
‘It wasn’t too hard to maintain because she has a lot of breath in her voice. It was fun to do, but it was also a bit challenging to figure out how to not go too overboard and take it into parody. Ultimately, her voice is as quintessential as her wig.’
Gillian also spoke to Harper’s Bazaar about the role this month and insisted she had ‘very clear boundaries’ with her partner Peter Morgan when they worked together on The Crown. Peter, 57, is the show’s creator and writer.
Gillian told the publication: ‘For our own sanity, and actually for the benefit of the relationship, we had very clear boundaries.
New look: The actress, 52, plays the politician in the upcoming fourth season of the Netflix show and has explained how she got into the role physically
‘I am not going to comment on the script, but you are not allowed to comment on the performance!’
When it came to playing a controversial figure like Thatcher, Gillian said she did not let her personal opinions of the former prime minister’s policies impact her portrayal.
She said: ‘I had to get to a point where it’s nothing to do with my opinions of her policies, of her actions. It is only about her as a human being and her motivation as a politician and as a mother.’
Gillian added that she didn’t struggle to go in and out of character while on set, explaining she has become good at ‘compartmentalising’.
Speaking to OK! magazine, Gillian said: ‘I wear a fat suit and she has a very particular way of walking. After you’ve been working on a character for a long time, it’s really quite something to see everything come together at the same time’
She said: ‘I’m pretty good at compartmentalising in my life, period. I think I learnt that quite young, being a young mother, in a really intense TV series where it was either full on on-set, or I was in my trailer having to shut the door and no longer be that person but be mum.’
Despite playing a politician on camera, Gillian doesn’t think it’s her place to comment on political matters publicly.
She said: ‘I feel like I have an opportunity as somebody in the public eye to draw attention to things, but I don’t comment, I don’t offer my opinion on social media on a regular basis, because it’s not my world. I’m an actor, I’m not a politician, I’m not a social worker.’
The fourth season of The Crown, with Olivia Colman returning in the lead role of Elizabeth II, is set to premiere on Netflix on November 15.
Relationship: Gillian also spoke to Harper’s Bazaar about the role this month and insisted she had ‘very clear boundaries’ with her partner Peter Morgan when they worked together on The Crown. Peter, 57, is the show’s creator and writer
The trailer for the upcoming series was released in October and revealed a glimpse of Princess Diana’s tumultuous marriage to Prince Charles as turmoil and tragedy await the royal family.
The preview features the early days of the iconic couple’s romance leading to their historic wedding, as their relationship takes a sour turn.
The trailer begins with a glimpse of a young and carefree Diana (played by Emma Corrin) being brought to meet the Her Majesty The Queen, as her and Charles’ (Josh O’Connor) relationship begins to blossom.
Role: Gillian added that she didn’t struggle to go in and out of character while on set, explaining she has become good at ‘compartmentalising’
As the couple enjoy a romantic dance, the trailer then cuts to the introduction of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher preparing to step out following her election as the UK’s first female Prime Minister.
It’s been thought that Thatcher had numerous disagreements with the Queen about the country’s running, and particularly the UK’s involvement in the Falklands war.
This tension becomes even more apparent as Thatcher kneels to The Queen, hinting at the conflicting powers between them.