First look at Michael Sheen as Chris Tarrant in coughing scandal drama Quiz
The drama centred around the Who Wants to Be a Millionaire coughing scandal features an all-star cast
Michael Sheen has donned a strawberry blonde wig and plenty of fake tan to portray Chris Tarrant in the upcoming ITV drama Quiz.
The three-parter, which will also be broadcast on AMC in the States, will follow the infamous coughing scandal that rocked quiz show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? back in 2001.
Major Ingram, his wife Diana and an accomplice, Tecwen Whittock, who was sitting in the audience, were accused of cheating their way to a million pounds by using a coughing system to point out the correct answers.
In our first look, Sheen is recreating the famous shot in which Tarrant is arriving to give evidence at the Ingram trial at Southwark Crown Court in March 2003.
If you’ve got any doubt about how convincing Welsh actor Sheen will be in the role, he managed to convince Alan Carr of his likeness on Sky One show There’s Something About Movies – with the host hailing Sheen “amazing”.
Quiz is written by James Graham, who wrote the stage version of the scandal (Cheat) in 2017. A Very English Scandal’s Stephen Frears serves as director.
Matthew Macfadyen stars as Major Charles Ingram, while Fleabag star Sian Clifford plays Diana Ingram.
Elsewhere, Mark Bonnar takes on Celador Television Chairman, Paul Smith, Helen McCrory plays Sonia Woodley QC, Michael Jibson portrays Tecwen Whittock, and Aisling Bea plays ITV’s Entertainment Commissioner, Claudia Rosencrantz.
Quiz comes to ITV in 2020