A side-by-side comparison of Scoop’s iconic cast and the real-life people they played

Scoop dropped on Netflix on Friday, a retelling of how the iconic car crash Prince Andrew Newsnight interview came to be. Besides whether Prince Andrew actually had a huge teddy bear collection and whether Emily Maitlis actually took her dog to work (she did, queen) you have probably been wondering how similar the characters in real life actually look to the actors that played them on screen.

The show has an iconic cast, so let’s have a look at a side-by-side comparison between Scoop’s characters and the real-life people they are based on:

Rufus Sewell as Prince Andrew

Via Netflix and YouTube/BBC

I cannot BELIEVE this is the same man who played Jasper in The Holiday. Rufus Sewell plays Prince Andrew in Scoop which after a whole load of prosthetics, he looked scarily similar to. But when the casting was announced, a lot of people were against him for the role. “I loved people objecting to my casting. That just really made me glow,” he told Town and Country.

Rufus Sewell's transformation into Prince Andrew is mind-blowing…

Scoop, now playing on Netflix. pic.twitter.com/1c3PRG2RAo

— Netflix UK & Ireland (@NetflixUK) April 6, 2024

“The one thing that gave me solace was people saying that I was badly suited for the role. I thought, well, I can’t disappoint now. Just freedom.”

Gillian Anderson as Emily Maitlis

Via Netflix and YouTube/BBC

Our absolute QUEEN Gillian Anderson plays journalism legend and former Newsnight presenter Emily Maitlis who did the interview with Prince Andrew.

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But Gillian Anderson initially turned down the role of Emily Maitlis in Scoop. In an interview with Today, she called her “a formidable journalist and woman,” and admitted she was scared as she is a UK household name. “The idea of playing somebody who was so familiar and so alive felt incredibly daunting,” she said. Gillian did not work closely with the real Emily Maitlis but did run into her at an event. She said: “We were mid-shooting so I went in incredibly familiar about her. I must have come across as a freak.”

Billie Piper as Sam McAlister

Via Netflix and Instagram

Huge actor and former singer Billie Piper played Newsnight producer and the mastermind behind securing the Prince Andrew interview, Sam McAlister.

The wig of Sam’s masses of blonde curly hair apparently cost the show £11k to recreate and as soon as it’s intact, Sam and Billie look eerily similar. But it’s not just their appearances they have in common, peaking about playing Sam, Billie Piper told Radio Times: “We have quite similar working-class backgrounds. She’s also this absolute force of nature. Not chilly. Not steely – although I wouldn’t want to get on the wrong side of her – but incredibly likeable and bright.”

Keeley Hawes as Amanda Thirsk

Via Netflix and RICHARD WAINWRIGHT/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

Keeley Hawes plays Amanda Thirsk in Scoop, Prince Andrew’s real-life private secretary from 2004 to 2020. On her role as Amanda in Scoop, Keeley said in the press notes for the Netflix film: “She was pivotal in the decision that Prince Andrew should do this interview with Newsnight, And so we meet her at a very early stage where she goes and agrees to have a meeting with Sam McAlister. The wheels start turning and Amanda Thirsk thinks that this could be a really good idea in terms of PR for Prince Andrew.

“I think her intentions were good and very honest. She was a great friend of his and she obviously thought he was a great person. She wanted everybody to see Prince Andrew the way that she saw him and thought that would be a really positive thing. Unfortunately, as we now know, it was not to be.”

Colin Wells as Jeffrey Epstein

Via Netflix

Everyone I’ve spoken to about Scoop agreed that they initially thought they’d used real footage of Jeffrey Epstein in the film considering how real he looked. But nope, Epstein, although only featured in the first few minutes of the film is played by Colin Wells, former Casualty and Hollyoaks actor.

Charity Wakefield as Princess Beatrice

Via Netflix and YouTube

She’s not onscreen for very long, but Charity Wakefield plays Princess Beatrice, Andrew’s daughter in the scene where the Newsnight team convinces Prince Andrew to do the interview. She; ‘s previously been in Sense and Sensibility, Casualty, The Great and Close to the Enemy.

For more like this Scoop real-life characters all the latest Netflix news, drops, quizzes and memes like The Holy Church of Netflix on Facebook. 

Related stories recommended by this writer:

• Scoop: Prince Andrew’s maid has spoken out about his real-life crazy teddy bear addiction

• Who is Sam McAlister from Scoop? The vibey producer who nabbed THAT Prince Andrew interview

• Scoop just dropped on Netflix and guys, the reviews are absolutely savage

Featured image via Netflix and YouTube/BBC.