08 April 2023 , 08:11
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There is 'chaos' at The Crown after bosses couldn't convince Gillian Anderson to reprise her role as Margaret Thatcher, it has been claimed.
Netflix execs were banking on the The X-Files icon returning but have been unable to lure her back.
She wowed fans in the role, but just like the fearsome former PM's famous speech, it seems the lady is not for turning.
A diary clash means Gillian, 54, will not be returning to the UK later this year.
That has thrown plans up in the air as scriptwriters needed Maggie when covering Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip ’s golden wedding anniversary.
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We won't be seeing Margaret Thatcher in the next series (Des Willie/Netflix)But they won't re-cast - and must do without the Emmy and Golden Globe winning American.
Now plans are being put in place to work around the issue, with Thatcher central to part of the the planned storyline.
“Gillian’s portrayal of Thatcher was met with global critical acclaim and she was a huge asset to The Crown," a TV source told The Sun.
“It had been hoped she would be able to make an appearance in scenes around the golden wedding but sadly that has not been the case due to scheduling issues.
Gillian Anderson is just too busy to film the scenes (WireImage)“As ever with the series, clever scripting will mean viewers will be none the wiser but it’s been another blow for producers in what’s already been a fairly dogged production.”
Maybe she was spooked by what happened after the cameras were switched off.
Gillian says the voice and mannerisms she took on became second nature – even popping up in new roles.
Gillian could not stop Maggie coming through when she played Dr Jean Milburn in Sex Education, another Netflix smash.
The actress said: “She stayed a bit longer than she was welcome.
Bosses were desperate to have the PM back for another fearsome performance (Netflix)“I realised watching Sex Ed – which I went into a month after I’d finished The Crown – in a couple of places there were still remains of Thatcher in Jean’s scenes.”
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Gillian said she had rehearsed so thoroughly to play the divisive ex-PM that the role had become part of her “muscle memory”.
Speaking in the Christmas edition of Total Film magazine she said: “It needs to, at some point, become muscle memory.
“I started with research… listening to interviews, starting to hear the rhythm of her voice.
“Doing that simultaneously to reading her books – and, any time I was in the car, listening to her read her autobiography.
“It’s probably still in there somewhere.”