“We realised we were handling a very hot potato in terms of the topics this narrative throws out “: Josette Simon on Anatomy of a Scandal
From David E Kelley, the show creator behind Big Little Lies and The Undoing, comes Anatomy of a Scandal, carrying some of the nail-biting thriller aspects of those series, but here delving into power and privilege in a quintessentially British setting. It’s a courtroom drama based on a book by Sarah Vaughan that spirals into a boundary-pushing dissection of the issue of consent, following the fallout of an MP being accused of rape by a political aide with whom he was having an affair.
At its centre are Rupert Friend, as Tory MP James Whitehouse, and Sienna Miller as his wife, Sophie, alongside Naomi Scott, as young parliamentary researcher Olivia Lytton; Michelle Dockery and Josette Simon play the two barristers fighting out the case in court, with Simon’s character QC Angela taking on the challenge of defending the disgraced MP. It’s a female-heavy team behind the camera as well, led by director SJ Clarkson, which helps bring this exploration of consent and the female experience nuance and sensitivity while still giving it binge-worthy appeal.
The Upcoming had the pleasure of chatting to Simon about how she saw her character of QC Angela, the preparation that went into playing her, plus her reflections on her stage and screen career to date, including overcoming barriers to “colour-blind” casting.
Sarah Bradbury
Anatomy of a Scandal is released on Netflix on 15th April 2022. Watch our interviews with the cast and creatives on the red carpet here.
Watch the trailer for Anatomy of a Scandal here:
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