Now Billie’s a double for TV boss behind royal scoop
THE long, wavy blonde locks are unfamiliar and the Gucci sunglasses mask her expression.
So fans may struggle to recognise Billie Piper in her latest on- screen role for the Netflix movie Scoop.
The actress stars as Sam McAlister, the Newsnight producer who secured Prince Andrew’s notorious 2019 interview with Emily Maitlis, who is played by Gillian Anderson, 55.
The new pictures show Ms Piper, 41, on the set wearing a recreated Zara fur gilet and leather blouse decorated with a Chanel brooch, while holding a takeaway Starbucks coffee.
The film tells in detail the story behind the interview with the disgraced Duke of York, portrayed by Rufus Sewell, 56.
Ms McAlister said ‘the attention to detail was incredible’ as they turned the actress into her.
When she was on set with Ms Piper, members of the crew could not tell the two women apart.
Vital to the look was a wig of her distinctive blonde curls. Ms McAlister said: ‘They felt my hair, took pictures and made it into something for Billie. I saw it hanging there on set and it had taken a life of its own.’
She revealed how the wardrobe team visited her west London home to take some of her clothes so they could buy or even make versions which would be exactly the same for Ms Piper. As well as finding lookalikes for Ms McAlister’s extra-long black River Island jeans and animal- print Topshop boots, they recreated the Zara gilet which she bought while waiting to interview Julian Assange ten years ago.
They also took a Tom Ford and Primark lip gloss from her make-up bag to make the right colour for Ms Piper.
Ms McAlister was grateful to the former pop star for getting her walk right. ‘She practised that a lot,’ said Ms McAlister. ‘That was very important to me.’
Pictures released by Netflix show the set in west London where the interview was recreated with a mock- up of Buckingham Palace.
A source said: ‘The level of detail to get the set right was second to none. They wanted an exact replica and they have pulled that off.’
The movie is out this spring and also stars Amanda Redman as Ms McAlister’s mother Letta and Keeley Hawes as the prince’s ex-publicist Amanda Thirsk.