FOUR THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS
THE INSIDE WORD ON THE NEW REGAL FILM
IT’S AN INTERNATIONAL AFFAIR
Irish actress Saoirse Ronan ( Lady Bird) plays the 16th century Scottish queen. The English Queen Elizabeth I is played by Margot Robbie. Fellow Australian Guy Pearce plays Lizzie’s chief adviser, William Cecil. There’s also – appropriately – Scottish actors, including David Tennant and Jack Lowden, as well as Puerto Rican Ismael Cruz Cordova.
MARGOT WAS WORRIED SHE WASN’T QUEENLY
“I thought I wasn’t really worthy of this role. I thought they should be getting an actress who’s gone to drama school and studied Shakespeare and literature and history,” Margot tells Screen. “I was really daunted by the prospect, especially as the last time someone played Elizabeth, it was the actress I idolise the most: Cate Blanchett.”
MARY AND ELIZABETH LIKELY NEVER ACTUALLY MET
Although director Josie Rourke says “the scene felt absolutely necessary because until that moment we can’t fully understand what Mary and Elizabeth went through, what they lived and endured, until you have them looking one another in the eyes”, there is no historical evidence the pair ever met. The letters between them inspired the scene.
THE FILM WAS A LONG TIME COMING
“I’ve always wanted to play Mary and it was an amazing feeling to get to do it,” says 24-year-old Saoirse, who signed on when she was 18 – before there was even a script. The movie is based on the 2004 book Queen of Scots: The True Life of Mary Stuart by John Guy, who worked with the actresses on their characters’ motivation. The novel was adapted by House of Cards writer Beau Willimon.