Hollywood icon ‘felt terribly’ for Prince Andrew after watching new drama

A Hollywood star has praised Michael Sheen’s ’empathetic’ portrayal of Prince Andrew in A Very Royal Scandal.

Rachel Weisz, 54, admitted she ‘felt terribly’ for the disgraced royal, 64, after watching the Amazon Prime Video series.

A Very Royal Scandal is the second dramatision of Prince Andrew’s disastrous BBC Newsnight interview with Emily Maitlis, played by Ruth Wilson.

While in conversation with Emily, 54, at Cliveden Literary Festival, about the TV drama adaptation, Rachel shared her feelings on Michael’s ‘imaginative’ take on Prince Andrew.

She said according to the Daily Mail: ‘What I love so much about the series is the empathy with which Prince Andrew is played, and the pathos and humanity in this character, which is something that the writer and Michael Sheen had to invent.

‘That was an imaginative act. [I was] watching the drama and feeling just so terrible, I felt terribly for Prince Andrew.’

During the discussion, Emily, who acted as executive producer on A Very Royal Scandal, revealed that she approached Rachel for advice about the show.

She said: ‘I was calling up Rachel and saying, “Help, this is your world, and I don’t know how to deal with this”.’

‘I went to Rachel, first of all, and said, “What should I be doing? How much of myself should I give? Should I open up my freezer and let them see the vodka?”

Rachel, who described Emily as her ‘oldest friend’, revealed that she ‘felt incredible anxiety’ for her friend letting the production crew into her life.

The actress said: ‘Em’s a deeply private person, and I suddenly got worried that your life was going to be invaded in this way, and I felt very protective. And tried to give you some advice.’

A Very Royal Scandal also revealed a distressing question Prince Andrew asked Emily Maitlis ahead of their Newsnight interview.

In the show, Prince Andrew leans towards Emily and says: ‘Have any of you ever been victims of abuse?’ 

Looking shellshocked, Emily replies: ‘Nothing that bares comparison.’ 

Later on in the episode, Emily is still troubled by Prince Andrew’s question, which has played on her mind.

Confiding in her husband Mark Gwynne, played by Nicholas Burns, she says: ‘You know at the end of my meeting with Prince Andrew he asked me if I had ever been the victim of abuse? It felt horrible.’

Before A Very Royal Scandal’s release, there were reportedly fears it would be eclipsed by the success of Scoop, Netflix’s drama about the Newsnight interview released earlier this year.

A Very Royal Scandal recounts the events through Emily’s perspective, whereas Scoop is based on the book – Scoops: Behind the Scenes of the BBC’s Most Shocking Interviews – written by Newsnight producer Sam McAlister played by Billie Piper.

Despite both offerings covering the same subject matter and the ‘rivalry,’ Billie previously told  that Emily, who is played by Gillian Anderson, would enjoy Scoop. ‘I’m sure she would absolutely love it,’ she stated.

Emily previously told Deadline she didn’t get involved with the Netflix film: ‘I’ve left them very much to do their own thing because I think the last thing they want is me peeking around the edges offering my [views].’