Sam McAlister: ‘Watching Scoop was like being there all over again’
The former Newsnight guest booker couldn't believe the accuracy of the recreation in the new Netflix film.
Although new Netflix film Scoop primarily tells the story of how the infamous Prince Andrew Newsnight interview came about, one of the key scenes in the film is a near word-for-word re-enactment of the interview itself.
The scene stars Rufus Sewell as Prince Andrew and Gillian Anderson as Emily Maitlis, and includes all the most memorable moments of the interview – including the reference to Pizza Express in Woking and the royal's bizarre assertion that he was unable to sweat.
And according to Sam McAlister – the former Newsnight guest booker who secured the interview and on whose book the film is based – the recreation of these scenes was so realistic that it felt like she was watching the actual events again.
"I was literally there at the original and I was literally there at [director] Philip [Martin]’s vision of the new original with Rufus, and with Gillian," she explained in an exclusive interview with RadioTimes.com.
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"And with my eyes closed, it was like being there all over again. That is the magic of the performances, of the way that it's done, the eye for detail, the brilliant mise en scène, the direction, the lighting, whatever it is, at every layer.
She added: "It is a profoundly moving and incredible experience to see once again, an interview you think you know, but you visit for the first time."
Read more:
- How I landed the infamous Prince Andrew Newsnight interview
- Billie Piper on Scoop: "Telling their story felt important to me"
McAlister is played in the film by former Doctor Who star Billie Piper, and elsewhere in the interview, she talked about how surreal it was to see such a well-known actor portraying her on screen.
"You wouldn't envisage that even for a second," she said. "I thought basically my mum would read the book, I felt hugely lucky to get to write a book even, particularly in the current climate.
"So to imagine that it would get, you know, some sales and then ended up as a Netflix movie with Billie Piper playing me. I mean, you'd think I was drunk if I said that! So I couldn't have imagined it, even if I was being really fantastical."
Scoop is now available to stream on Netflix. Sign up for Netflix from £4.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.
Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.
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Authors
Patrick Cremona is the Senior Film Writer at Radio Times, and looks after all the latest film releases both in cinemas and on streaming. He has been with the website since October 2019, and in that time has interviewed a host of big name stars and reviewed a diverse range of movies.
