A notable Game of Thrones actress is making a bold stance in light of revelations of the woman she’s playing in a biopic!
Long before anyone had heard of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry was a toddler, Sarah Ferguson the Duchess of York was the member of the Royal Family who was a tabloid darling. The Duchess married Prince Andrew, second son of Queen Elizabeth II and younger brother to now King Charles III, in 1986 in a lavish ceremony.
In 1992, the pair’s contentious separation would incite massive media attention, with them finally divorced in 1996. The media buzz around it would only be topped by Charles and Lady Diana’s own split at the same time.
Ferguson would go on to have a successful career as an author and charity worker, although also known for a few more scandals. Her life is just the thing suited for a juicy biopic and that’s set to happen with The Lady, an upcoming miniseries for ITV and Acorn TV.
The series is a partially fictionalized take on the life of former royal dresser Jane Andrews (played by Mia McKenna-Bruce), who worked for Ferguson before being convicted of the murder of her boyfriend Thomas Cressman (Ed Speleers) in 2001. That makes Ferguson more of a side character in the tale, but still plays a key role.
Playing the part is Natalie Dormer, best known for her role as Margarery Tyrell on Game of Thrones, as well as Elementary and other film and TV roles. It looked like a nice turn by her, only Dormer seems to be regretting it!
Natalie Dormer will not promote The Lady and gives her paycheck for the show to charity
Variety broke the story that not only is Dormer refusing to promote The Lady, but is devoting her entire salary from the project to charities that aid victims of abuse.
The reason? Recently leaked e-mails show a surprising apology from Ferguson to Jeffrey Epstein. The infamous billionaire was convicted of prostitution in 2008, and the next year was convicted of running a pedophile ring and died in prison in 2019.
Ferguson had publicly condemned Epstein to everyone in 2008 after working with him on charities. However, the e-mails she sent to Epstein in 2011 had Ferguson issuing support to the newly convicted Epstein and even calling him “a supreme friend.”
The backlash has been huge, with numerous charities cutting ties with Ferguson. In a statement to Variety, Dormer revealed her own feelings and how she won’t be taking any salary for this.
“When I agreed to take the role in The Lady, I knew portraying the script’s Sarah Ferguson would require nuance. People are layered, their journeys are full of highs and lows, and as an actor, my job is to lean into those elements and bring them to life with honesty and empathy. Since completing the project, new information has come to light that makes it impossible for me to reconcile my values with Sarah Ferguson’s behavior, which I believe is inexcusable. For that reason, I will not be taking part in the promotion of the project. In keeping with my commitment to the well-being of children, I have donated my entire salary from this project to the National Association for People Abused in Childhood (NAPAC) and the Centre of Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse (hosted by Barnardo’s).”
Dormer noted that her decision was “not a reflection” of her experience working with Left Bank. “They are an extraordinary company to collaborate with and I’m grateful for the time we spent together.”
This is a bold move for Dormer as she likely would not have taken part in the project at all had she known about Ferguson’s words. It’s a sad showcase for how far Ferguson’s public image has fallen in the wake of this scandal, yet also shows Dormer’s spirit and willingness to help others.