Playing Diana was a terrifying proposition for Naomi Watts
The official trailer shows pains the actress took to look like the princess, and also appears to have mastered the warmth she exuded
Naomi Watts has played real women before: outed CIA agent Valerie Plame in Fair Game, the mother Maria from the tsunami tragedy film The Impossible. But none have been more visible than her role as Princess Diana in the upcoming movie Diana from director Oliver Hirschbiegel.
A new trailer shows the initial fruits of Watts’ labour. The teaser is high on imagery and low on dialogue but it’s clear Watts and company took great pains to copy Diana’s look. Watts also appears to have mastered the warmth the princess exuded.
The film depicts the last two years of Diana’s life, her involvement in a campaign to eradicate land mines and her romance with Dr Hasnat Khan (Naveen Andrews).
For Watts, it was a terrifying proposition. According to an interview The Times conducted with the actress last year upon the release of The Impossible, Watts faced the challenge of perfecting some of the princess’ most iconic looks while not allowing the performance to devolve into mimicry.
Plus she had to contend with a shooting schedule that was delayed midway after Andrews broke his leg during the production.
“We had to stop and now we are going back,” said Watts last October. “It’s like being terrified all over again. Nothing measures up to that kind of pressure.”
— Los Angeles Times
