Elizabeth Debicki Underwent A ‘Psychological Journey’ To Bring ‘The Crown”s Reimagining Of Princess Diana To Life, Recalls The Pressure She Felt

etcanada.com:

Elizabeth Debicki is looking back on the “heaviness” she felt playing the beloved Princess Diana in season 5 of Netflix’s hit historical drama “The Crown”. “It’s a unique experience playing a character where this tragedy is looming,” the actress, 32, told Variety‘s Awards Circuit Podcast. “It’s a strange, heavy place to exist in.” The season reimagined some of the most polarizing experiences that the royal family endured in the ’90s, including the downfall of the late icon’s marriage to Prince Charles (now King Charles), which was defined by alleged affairs and the infamous revenge dress.

To prepare for the role, Debicki worked alongside the head of the research department, who gave her an “enormous amount of printed materials and books” to study.

She also went through a “psychological journey” in order to encapsulate the essence of series creator Peter Morgan’s reimagining of Diana and avoid completely replicating her. READ MORE: ‘The Crown’: Dominic West & Elizabeth Debicki On Recreating Charles & Diana’s Explosive Divorce “This was different, coming to understand that it’s Peter’s interpretation and that he is crafting the journey of the character,” Debicki explained. “When the script landed in my lap, I did feel a huge amount of relief, because it had been sculpted already —  all of that mass information, he’d carved through that and created this pathway.” One element that Debicki found herself “really fixated and obsessive about” was the former Princess of Wales’ voice.

The Australian actress really wanted to nail her “iconic” voice — as she felt it was important to the story — so she worked with a dialect coach. READ MORE: Elizabeth Debicki Recreates Princess Diana’s Famous ‘Revenge Dress’ For ‘The Crown’