Collider: When this came your way, did you know anything about Ruth Ellis?
What was it like to meet her on the page?
She was written about in the media in such a skewed way, so narrowed by misogyny and classism.
This script was a really great balance.
It allows her to be humanized, finally, and really portrayed in her full spectrum.
What was it about her, as a person, that drew you in?
Image via BritBox
BOYNTON: The extent of her rebellion against what society deemed appropriate for her or expected of her.
She wanted a big, bright life.
She wanted to be successful in business and financially independent.
That was so important for her.
So, she chipped away at it and carved it out herself.
There was just so much to mine, as an actor, and so much to explore.
Image via BritBox
Boynton becomes the last woman hanged in Britain when the series hits Britbox in February.
It feels like a story of layers, in so many ways.
BOYNTON: Thats why I loved the costuming process on this.
It was an opportunity to offer a little more exposition to the audience without it being dialogue exposition.
She changed her voice and her appearance.
She always dressed immaculately.
Image via BritBox
I thought the costuming was such a beautiful indication of who she wanted to be versus that inherent separation.
BOYNTON: And deliberately so.
It is absurd to think that our society or our world has been built solely by men.
Being half the population and half the entirety of history, it seems obvious.
Its really satisfying and a real privilege.
BOYNTON: Whenever Im playing someone real, I always attempt to go in quite analytically.
Image via Searchlight Pictures
And then, I fill in the color of emotions later.
With Ruth, that wasnt really possible because I empathized with her so early on in my research.
There is no neutrality when it comes to domestic violence.
There was no safety in vulnerability.I was lucky with this one because theres so much source material on her.
That informed how Ruth was shaped and where concedes to that society and where she pushes against it.
There was just so much material to draw from.
There wasnt much fabrication or creative interpretation because there was so much evidence there already.
Hiding her true accent seems like such a small detail, but its such an interesting one too.
Why do you think she felt it was necessary to do that?
How did you figure out how to portray that?
BOYNTON: We still do that in the UK because we still feel so precious about this class hierarchy.
Working out the balance in the filming process was tricky because she never dropped it.
She developed this telephone voice.
There are recordings of her when shes really drunk, and she doesnt drop it.
Its very specific, and I wanted to honor that.
She worked so hard on it that I really wanted to deliver the same and respect that.
I reluctantly dropped it in some areas.
And we went in after in ADR and did that, as well.
Boynton’s latest, ‘The Pale Blue Eye,’ is streaming on Netflix now!
How did you approach the relationship between Ruth and David?
What are the most important aspects of their dynamic, that you felt were important to focus on?
BOYNTON: It was a really weighty thing to be contending with.
It was a really complex dynamic to attempt to establish.
Youre not really weighing up your safety and the pros and cons of a person.
You are just so in it, specific to this relationship.
BOYNTON: Yeah, your body still has an intense chemical reaction to that, going into panic.
That was the thing that really rattled and would rock me.
It was a really intense thing to film.
It was quite awful.
The worst part of it was knowing that it was a minutia of what she experienced.
It was a glimpse of what that experience is actually like.
There is no safety in thinking, Thankfully, weve left that in the 50s.
It is happening today, and the statistics are horrific.
I really hope this series is a catalyst for addressing that conversation and addressing this epidemic.
Do you feel like she was made an example of?
And there are more resources to turn to and theres more of a sense of community with social media.
I think that would make it harder for peoples will to be ignored.
You would think and hope that because there was mass outrage at the time.
It wouldnt happen now, but it shouldnt have happened then.
So, it was because of what Ruth stood for.She was a single mother.
She was financially independent.
She was sexually confident.
They hated all of that.She was used as a political pawn, and it was a bureaucratic issue.
That was the reason why they didnt bring up Blakelys violence in the trial.
It was uncouth to detail the horrific behavior of a man in the upper class.
That classism was playing out right before their eyes, as was misogyny.
This is the first time that audiences will really see that in its full truth.
With her recent passing, it feels like theres even more interest there.
Is there any update on that?
Is that something youre still hoping to do, at some point?
BOYNTON: Im sadly not attached to the project anymore.
The pandemic really threw us off.
And then, there was a series of things.
But she so deserves to have her life and all her work to be explored.
She was such a brilliant artist, and such a force and storm of a woman.
I really hope her story is told.
Mean girls are always more fun.
Do you think there might ever be another season ofThe Politician?
Would you ever want to revisit that character and that world?
BOYNTON: I would go back to Astrid in a second.
Shes just something else.
It was so fun to step into that character.
I would love to.
Id happily go back, especially now that time has passed.
Theres the thrill of going back to an old character like that.
And I love that cast so much.
Everyone is still really close.
That would be fun.
It seems like youre collecting this fascinating group of women that youve played throughout your career.
Do you know whats next for you?
Do you know the minute you find something youre drawn to?
I think its quite instinctive.
Its always based on the writing.
Great writing just gives you this adrenaline rush of inspiration and creativity.
I really hope to keep looking for those.
Im hoping to adapt more work and be more involved from the genesis.
Hes an incredible creative and sensitive human.
That was a really special one.
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