Kate Winslet has set the record straight about whether her new political character was based on any real-life figures – after comparisons to one in particular.
The Titanic star is gearing up for the release of her new show The Regime, in which she plays the chancellor of a fictional European country who finds herself struggling to hold onto her political power.
Asked whether her performance was based on anyone in particular, Kate insisted during Friday’s edition of Graham Norton’s BBC talk show: “I wish I could tell you that I did, but I was too scared to do that, so I just made up my own stuff.
“I couldn’t draw a comparison to anybody I know because she is such an invention. I have never come across anyone like her.”
However, fellow Oscar winner Cate Blanchett appeared to be less convinced.
During their joint Graham Norton appearance, Cate claimed she saw a “soupçon of Liz Truss” in Kate’s performance, prompting her to reply simply: “People will take from it what they will.”
Kate shares the screen with Hugh Grant, Oscar nominee Andrea Riseborough and The Good Wife’s Martha Plimpton in The Regime, which sparked plenty of anticipation when its first trailer was released last year.
The official synopsis for The Regime, which debuts on Sky Atlantic and Now in April, reads: “The darkly comedic six-episode series tells the story of life within the walls of a modern authoritarian regime as it begins to unravel.
“After not leaving the palace for quite some time, Chancellor Elena Vernham (Kate Winslet) has grown increasingly paranoid and unstable when she turns to a volatile soldier, Herbert Zubak (Matthias Schoenaerts), as an unlikely confidant.
“As Zubak’s influence over the chancellor continues to grow, Elena’s attempts to expand her power eventually result in both the palace and the country fracturing around her.”
The Graham Norton Show airs on Friday night at 10.40pm on BBC One.