Image credit: Lionsgate
I play Mary in A Royal Night Out (in cinemas now) and I thought you might like a little behind the scenes look at what went on! You get to see everything from the makeup process, to my trailer, to scenes in Trafalgar Square and various pictures of my 1940's face.
So the best thing about being in a feature film is that you get your own trailer, with your own loo (get me!) and your name on the door. Actually its never your name is your character's name which is odd - perhaps they want you to stay in character all the time like Daniel Day Lewis... Here is my trailer; it's in Brussels so there is a lovely backdrop.
Photo credit: Samantha Baines
Inside your trailer there is a sofa bed, tea facilities, your own toilet (I don't know why but this really was the most exciting bit. I wanted to put a sign on the door that said 'for my bottom only'), a mirror and table and they leave your costume out for you including industrial 1940's underwear. Sexy.
Photo credit: Samantha Baines
Make up and hair is incredibly important so you don't look like a spotty wreck and really evokes the time period. The hair and make up teams on A Royal Night Out were marvellous and just lovely people. Here I am getting dolled up (yes that is a hairpiece!).
Photo credit: Samantha Baines
Put costume and hair and make up together and here is how I scrubbed up.
Photo credit: Samantha Baines
The hair net is very important at this stage to stop silly actors from messing everything up - which we are inclined to do especially on night shoots when you have a little snooze! Although a hair piece makes an excellent cushion. Here I am in my hair net in outside Buckingham Palace before filming.
Photo credit: Samantha Baines
Filming outside Buckingham Palace felt rather grand although we weren't directly outside the palace we filmed at the gates off to the right. An area was cordoned off for us...
Photo credit: Samantha Baines
My favourite bit was filming in Trafalgar Square as the buzz was amazing! There were hundreds of extras in 1940's gear, huge spotlights and they brought in old fashioned red buses for the background.
Photo credit: Samantha Baines
Photo credit: Samantha Baines
Here I am with fellow actress Emma Connell both looking a bit grainy in our hair nets in Trafalgar Square. She plays Jane to my Mary (we are 1940's besties and cockney lasses) and she got a smooch with Jack Reynor on screen.
Photo credit: Samantha Baines
Here we are with the lovely Jack Reynor (I have no idea why my face is so bleached out - I look like a Geisha - should point out there are no Geishas in the film this is a strange light phenomena. Jack looks nice though).
Photo credit: Samantha Baines
To finish here is a poncy photo of me staring into a mirror. Oh I am such an actor sometimes!
Image credit: Samantha Baines
Thanks to the A Royal Night Out team for letting me reveal all this ground-breaking stuff!