Rufus Sewell’s dramatic transformation into Prince Andrew is one of the biggest talking points of Scoop, the new Netflix film about his now-infamous interview with Newsnight.
And a new video released by the streaming service shows exactly how the actor’s metamorphosis into the Duke Of York came about.
The behind-the-scenes footage shows the Olivier winner in the makeup chair, undergoing elaborate facial prosthetics as part of his makeover, before hair and cosmetics are applied.
Prosthetics designer Kristyan Mallett explains that the process began with an image of Rufus’ face being “overlaid” with Andrew’s, to determine “all the key features and the key changes to be done”.
This apparently includes the application of “eye bags”, a “nose piece” and even an artificial forehead, which Rufus himself later shared on Instagram was required “every morning for a few weeks” of shooting.
Check out the video for yourself below:
“Being in a makeup room and seeing the process and feeling it happen – stage by stage, you just kind of accept each new layer,” Rufus says halfway through the process.
“In the end we’re working out which physical characteristics are key – you don’t know until you get them on the face. It’s finding that sweet spot... half me, half him.”
Of course, Rufus’ prosthetics apparently didn’t stop with his face.
Around the release of Scoop, he revealed that he was required to don a fake bum for one scene in which Prince Andrew watches the media aftermath of his Newsnight interview after taking a bath.
“It’s not that I’m ashamed of my own. I get it out whenever I get the chance,” he joked to Radio Times earlier this month. “But this bum was specially shipped in.”
Scoop also features Gillian Anderson as former Newsnight anchor Emily Maitlis, while Billie Piper portrays producer Sam McAllister, whose book on the subject served as the inspiration for the new film.