Anatomy of a Scandal's Naomi Scott reveals moment which didn't make cut
"It didn't feel right."
Anatomy of a Scandal star Naomi Scott has revealed that a scene involving her character Olivia Lytton didn't make it into the final edit.
In the Netflix drama, we only ever see the parliamentary researcher, who accuses Tory MP James Whitehouse of rape, in flashbacks or in court. But her day-to-day in the present moment, away from the judge and jury, is hidden from viewers.
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"What I love about this show is it kind of puts the audience in the seat of the jury," said Scott. "I think that's really effective because ultimately, if you are a member of the jury, you're dealing with these fragments of memory, which I think makes these cases really hard to prosecute.
"We did actually shoot something, Olivia after everything, but it didn't feel right. It didn't feel like it did the character justice, to tie it off with a bow.
"I actually think it's more powerful to just allow people to go, ‘Wow, what happened to her?’ And a lot of the time these types of victims are forgotten, so I think it's really fitting."
Scott went on to say that she was "really nervous" when initially entering the courtroom for her Anatomy of a Scandal scenes.
"The set itself is really quite daunting and I thought, 'OK, I'm an actor. This is not real.' I can't imagine how it must feel for someone who actually has to retell their trauma to a bunch of people who aren't necessarily supporting them, but actually judging whether they're lying or not.
"It really did open my mind and my eyes and I just thought, 'Wow, how brave it is to come forward.' But also, I completely understand why someone wouldn't want to go through that."
Chatting to Radio Times magazine, Scott said of the series: "It asks questions of us as an audience member, how we bring our own biases to what we're seeing. As entertaining as the show is – and it is a thriller – I'd like to think that it'll spark some discussions about consent and privilege."
Anatomy of a Scandal is streaming now on Netflix. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what else is on tonight.
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Authors
Abby Robinson is the Drama Editor for Radio Times, covering TV drama and comedy titles. She previously worked at Digital Spy as a TV writer, and as a content writer at Mumsnet. She possesses a postgraduate diploma and a degree in English Studies.
