Prince Harry’s description of certain moments in his memoir Spare’ influenced Netflix’s ‘The Crown’
When Prince Harry’s candid memoir Spare was released earlier this year, it provided intimate new insights into his life and relationship with his father, now King Charles III.
Among those eagerly consuming the tell-all was British actor Dominic West, who portrays Charles in Netflix’s acclaimed series The Crown.
In a recent interview with Variety, West revealed how Harry’s recounting of certain events from his childhood directly influenced West’s portrayal of emotionally strained father-son moments between Charles and Harry in the show’s upcoming sixth season.
Specifically, West said Harry’s memory of being informed about Princess Diana’s death as a young boy slightly shaped how he and his scene partner played out telling the tragic news.
“I bought it immediately, and I think it did slightly affect the way we played that key scene where he wakes Harry up,” West says.
In his memoir, the Duke of Sussex had written: “Pa didn’t hug me. He wasn’t great at showing emotions under normal circumstances. But his hand did fall once more on my knee and he said, ‘It’s going to be okay.'”
Beyond diving deep into archives and watching old footage, West meticulously visited Royal estates and locations important to Charles to immerse himself in his subject’s environment and persona.
“I’ve been reading every newspaper article or journalistic article on him since I got the job,” West continued.
“In a way, this was a gift that he was in the headlines every day when he was becoming king — like getting irritated by the fountain pen,” West confessed. “In the cold, formal exterior of this guy, I tried to get those little tells.”