Elizabeth Debicki on 'Immense' Responsibility to Portray Princess Diana's Death
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00:00 Well, first of all, we made it.
00:01 We're at the premiere of the final season of "The Crown."
00:03 We made it. We're here.
00:04 Jonathan joked that he thinks that the strike ended
00:06 just for "The Crown," you know, just
00:07 so we could have this moment.
00:08 But really, what does it mean to be here
00:10 to be able to celebrate with fans this final season?
00:12 It's totally surreal.
00:14 I did not expect it.
00:15 Two days ago, Calla and I were in London calling
00:18 each other on the phone saying, should we pack a suitcase?
00:21 What are we doing?
00:23 But I think any actor, you know, it's
00:26 a really beautiful thing to be able to promote the work
00:28 and celebrate it.
00:30 And we're really proud of this show and of this season.
00:32 So I'm very happy to be here.
00:34 You've worked on it for so long and so long ago as well.
00:37 You're so glam tonight.
00:38 But you're certainly glammed up in this final season.
00:41 Talk to me about the transformation process.
00:43 You know, what really went into transforming
00:45 into Diana this season?
00:47 Well, it was sort of a-- let me see.
00:53 We had a lot of-- there was a lot of swimsuits.
00:56 There was a lot--
00:57 Spray tans, I'm sure.
00:58 Yeah.
00:59 Spray tans, swimsuits, very '90s glam.
01:02 But actually, one of the things I loved in this season
01:05 was that we got to see a very intimate sort
01:08 of version of Diana.
01:10 And by that, I mean the kind of like just had a swim,
01:14 just kind of-- so we had-- so the costume and makeup
01:16 and hair team had to figure out what that really intimate,
01:19 less public-facing version was.
01:21 And so that was a different sort of process too.
01:23 We get to see Diana as a mother, as a jokester,
01:27 all these pranks she's pulling off in the boat
01:28 in this first episode, all those amazing things.
01:31 But you know, obviously, season six does not only
01:33 mark the end of this-- of the series,
01:35 but also this tragic time in history with the loss of Diana.
01:38 What kind of responsibility do you guys feel to get
01:40 this part of the story right?
01:43 An immense, immense responsibility.
01:46 It's difficult to describe.
01:49 It was something that we thought about, that we carried with us,
01:54 that we-- that woke us up in the night,
01:56 that we tried our very best to do properly.
02:01 Well, it's also because I feel like so many people
02:03 around the world have an attachment to Princess Diana,
02:06 but also to this particular moment.
02:08 You know, everyone remembers where
02:09 they were when it happened.
02:10 What message do you have for fans before they watch this?
02:14 I mean, my message is just thank you.
02:17 Thank you for sticking with the show.
02:19 Thank you for watching it.
02:21 And I hope that we give you what you need from it.
02:28 Did you get what you needed from it?
02:30 Yeah, I think that it was a very difficult and also
02:34 very beautiful thing to be asked to do as an actor.
02:38 So as much as it was very harrowing,
02:40 it was also-- there was a sort of grace to it
02:44 at the same time.
02:44 It's difficult to explain it.
02:47 But obviously, now you get to celebrate.
02:48 So tonight's a good moment.
02:50 Congratulations.
02:50 Thank you.
02:51 Thank you very much.
02:53 [music playing]
02:56 (upbeat music)
02:58 [music fades out]