Crown star insists TV drama is ‘very accurate’ portrayal
star Jason Watkins says the Royal drama is “very accurate”.
The actor, 54, plays Yorkshireborn Prime Minister Harold Wilson in the Netflix show, which sparked calls from Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden to add a disclaimer saying it is a work of fiction.
But Watkins told That Gaby Roslin Podcast: “There’s lots of talk about how accurate it is.
“As far as my understanding is, it’s very accurate with a little dramatic licence along the way.
“It’s depth the audience want to know about, not just a Madame Tussaud’s presentation of that world.”
The latest series focused on the unhappy marriage of Diana, Princess of Wales and the Prince of Wales, played by Emma Corrin and Josh O’Connor.
Dowden previously said he fears viewers of the lavish drama could mistake fiction for fact without a warning at the beginning of episodes.
Netflix said it had “no plans – and sees no need” to add a disclaimer to explain it is a work of fiction. Watkins also called for more support for arts workers in the pandemic.
The Government previously announced a £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund to save institutions in peril as a result of the global pandemic, plus additional support during the Budget this year.
“The arts is an essential part – it brings us together as a society, brings us closer and makes us more tolerant which is what we need, particularly at the moment,” Watkins said.
“It expresses different worlds that we can share as a group. For that not to be valued as it should be, is criminal.”
That Gaby Roslin Podcast is available on all podcast streaming platforms. Episodes are weekly, released every Monday.
Huddersfield-born Harold Wilson led Labour to a narrow victory at the 1964 General Election and then won again in 1966, but unexpectedly lost the 1970 election to Edward Heath’s Conservatives.
He became Prime Minister again in 1974 after a snap election resulted in a hung parliament, then announced his resignation in 1976,