Franchise Fred Interview: Rose Leslie On The Good Fight
Filed in Article Interviews

Franchise Fred Interview: Rose Leslie On The Good Fight

WE LIVE ENTERTAINMENT  It’s official, The Good Wife is a franchise now. The spinoff The Good Fight stars Christine Baranski and Cush Jumbo as their characters Diane and Lucca. Rose Leslie plays the brand new character of Maia Rindell, Diane’s goddaughter who ends up working with her.

After the Television Critics Association panel for The Good Fight, I spoke with Leslie in the scrum, as we call it, where reporters follow up with stars from the panel. The Good Fight premieres tonight on CBS All Access, a streaming service without the restrictions of broadcast.

Since you were on Game of Thrones, is the language and sexuality of streaming still tame to you?
Do you know what? For the first time, I have now been filmed in a shower. So I felt that that was a new way of exploring the character’s sexuality without it being too gratuitous. I am hopefully very discreetly covering my breasts with my arm.

How awkward is it to film those scenes?
It was my first ever. I felt incredibly supported by the director, Brooke Kennedy. Then the wonderful actress who plays my girlfriend, Helene Yorke, she and I bonded and we realized that yes, this was something that was very true to the relationship that these two ladies have. It’s very loving, very comfortable in their own skin, incredibly comfortable with their own sexuality and they are there for one another. So it suddenly became the two of them, two souls together supporting them. So it was awkward for both of us. Of course, we didn’t do it in one take. We did it in a couple of takes but after the first take it was then kind of like okay, here we go. Let’s make sure that we can show them in the best light possible.

Honeymoon had some intimate scenes too.
Absolutely. That had some intimate scenes and you’re bang on, because we were in a shower as well. It was far more, as you say, intimate and behind the curtain as it were so it didn’t feel so much of a wide shot. Yes, that had some very intimate scenes. I actually saw the director last night at a viewing party which is really lovely. Leigh Janiak, that was a really lovely thing. I hadn’t seen her in a couple of years.

Tell us about Maia personally and professionally.
She is a young lawyer. We basically see her as a law student, literally on the cusp of taking her bar exam. Then suddenly very rapidly, the cushy life that she lives, a very privileged life she lives suddenly gets swept and taken out from beneath her feet. All the revelations of her father’s fraud and the Ponzi scheme spins everything out of control. Then she is taken into the wonderful, welcoming arms of Diane Lockhart. We see her process and struggle with the damage that something like that can do, and the understanding just how it ripples through everybody’s life. Obviously we kind of pulled it from the Madoff situation and just how appalling a catastrophe like this can be and the effects that it has on your day to day life and your mental health. It must be an awful thing to go through.

Is Maia going to be a lawyer?
She managed to pass the bar exam, yes. So she’s a lawyer herself.

Do you get some fabulous courtroom monologues?
So far, I still feel that I haven’t been given them yet. So yes, I think possibly Robert and Michelle [King] are hopefully waiting for that to happen. So far no, I haven’t had any court monologues. I can’t wait. I’ve heard the court days are very, very long so there’s a little bit of trepidation in approaching one of those long days but yeah, I’m looking forward to it. I think they are treating the character as a newbie in terms of having to see that process develop for her finally to own the courtroom and to own that floor and to make sure that she comes across as talented as she is.

What was the last thing you fought for?
Can it be something really ridiculous and trivial? It usually is. I fought for a bagel this morning. Somebody was going to reach for it and I was like, “No, sorry. That’s the last one. I haven’t had breakfast yet.” Here, backstage. It was very rude of me.

Is doing a real world set show very different from fantasy, or is it all the same to you?
I would say that of course it’s different. Of course, it is. The wonderful thing about The Good Fight is that we are in present day. This is modern time and I get to wear some clothes that aren’t shrouded in fur. I get some high heels which are painful after a while. I would say the storyline particularly for The Good Fight is something that absolutely keeps me engrossed in this particular genre, in this particular world so it’s wonderful to b able to dip your toes in and out of all the different fantasy elements and go back to kind of reality.

How many times did you go in for this part?
I feel incredibly honored, the Kings asked me to play the role of Maia so obviously I jumped at the opportunity at being able to work and collaborate with them.

How is New York treating you?
What a fabulous part, to be able to accept a job and then live in New York City. It’s one of the world’s greatest cities so I feel incredibly privileged. Beautifully, because I’ve got the East River quite close to where I am, I think it’s rather wonderful. I am in Williamsburg so it’s really, really lovely. That area is just fabulous. You’ve got your parks and the water, but it’s cold. I’ve done one day of that.
Rose Leslie

What was growing up in a castle like?
I’m from Scotland. My parents live in Scotland so that was my upbringing. It was cold. It’s very drafty. There isn’t any central heating so there’s no romantic element to living in a castle. It’s pretty freezing but wonderful to be able to play hide and seek with your siblings. I had an incredibly happy childhood.

So kingdoms have been in your blood.
You could say that, yes.

And your castle is available on Airbnb?
Yes, it’s wonderful. I’m one of five children. My parents, with all of the children having flown the nest, it is a house that needs to be lived in. So it’s wonderful that it’s open for people to come and explore Scotland. It’s in the countryside. I’m biased but the countryside is beautiful. It’s in Aberdeenshire.

Do your parents still live there?
They still live there.

What do you miss the most from home?
This is going to sound bonkers, and I kind of get a little bit of relief from New York, but the weather. I love it cold, man. It was raining today. It was really full on. I woke up this morning and I was like, “That is a proper kind of shower happening outside.” From everyone I’ve spoken to, I think L.A. needs a bit of rain is what I’ve heard.

Do you still hear “You know nothing, Jon Snow” every day?
Delightfully, I am. It’s so lovely that it is something that is adored by so many people.

(source)

‘The Good Fight’ Cast Conversation at 92Y
Filed in Gallery Interviews Public Appearances Videos

‘The Good Fight’ Cast Conversation at 92Y

Rose is still promoting ‘The Good Fight’ in NYC while filming the latest episodes and she attended a ‘The Good Fight’ conversation yesterday (February 13) at 92Y along with the Kings, Cush Jumbo & Christine Baranski. You can find below some pictures taken at the event as well as the full conversation which happened live on Facebook :

Gallery Links
2017 Appearances ‘The Good Fight’ Cast Conversation at 92Y

Altuzarra Fashion Show at the New York Fashion Week & W Magazine Photoshoot
Filed in Gallery Interviews Photoshoots Public Appearances

Altuzarra Fashion Show at the New York Fashion Week & W Magazine Photoshoot

Yesterday (February 12) Rose has attended the Altuzarra Fashion Show during the New York Fashion Week FW17 ! I have added to the gallery HQ pictures of her arriving to the event and at the fashion show.

Gallery Links
2017 Appearances > Feb 12 | Altuzarra Fashion Show – New York Fashion Week FW17

We are also lucky to get more pictures of her while she getting ready for the event – she was indeed followed the whole evening by W Magazine who chatted with Rose and Victoria Stevens took gorgeous pictures of her, be sure to check them all below ; they are stunning :

Gallery Links
Photoshoots > 2017 | W Magazine

Here is the article released by W Magazine :

Rose Leslie has a soft spot for florals. It was nearing 7 p.m. on a dreary Sunday evening, and a pair of Joseph Altuzarra’s flower-adorned frocks hung on a rack nearby as a team of hair and makeup artists descended on Leslie to put the finishing touches on her look. In just an hour, the actress, best known for her role as the eminently quotable wildling Ygritte on Game of Thrones, would make her New York Fashion Week debut, sitting front-row at Altuzarra’s Fall 2017 show, and she already had an ensemble in mind: a soft lilac dress with half sleeves and tiny, delicate flowers weaving up and over, a pair of matching boots, and a grey wool overcoat.

I’m just a bit of a sucker for flowers,” Leslie says as a makeup artist daubed lilac shimmer into her crease. “It’s very floral, elegant, just rather fun and light and flowing. I rather loved the contrast of the heavy, grey overcoat I’m going to wear with it.

Though a veteran of the front row at London Fashion Week, where she’s supported designers like Emilia Wickstead, Erdem, and Christopher Kane, this season, she’s found herself on the other side of the pond for fashion month. Four months ago, Leslie landed the lead role in The Good Fight, the much-anticipated follow-up to The Good Wife which premieres on February 19th. An avid fan of the original, Julianna Margulies-starring series, Leslie leapt at the opportunity, departing her familiar London for Brooklyn. There are some parallels between the North London neighborhood she left behind and her adopted Williamsburg—the tree-lined streets, the sense of neighborhood in the middle of a big city— but she won’t deny Brooklyn has had some small influences on her personal style. (She bought a fedora, and she’s quite pleased with it; next up, a pair of Doc Martens.)

At this point in time,” she says, deadpan, “I’m a complete phony, because I’m trying very hard to blend in with the Williamsburg approach to everyday wear.

While we spoke, Leslie’s mother and sister, visiting from the U.K. for the week, curled up on a leather couch nearby. The previous day, they’d done a bit of a museum tour, stopping at the Whitney; the next day, they planned to make the rounds of Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. But Leslie herself, having spent Sunday on set for a photo shoot, had to be back on set the next morning, ready to enter the law office once more.

Continue reading Altuzarra Fashion Show at the New York Fashion Week & W Magazine Photoshoot

‘The Good Fight’ Team Reveals How « Fake News » and Politics Factor Into ‘Good Wife’ Spinoff
Filed in Article Interviews Television The Good Fight

‘The Good Fight’ Team Reveals How « Fake News » and Politics Factor Into ‘Good Wife’ Spinoff

THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER Like its predecessor The Good Wife, spinoff The Good Fight will and has been heavily affected by the current political climate, with its characters tackling some of the same issues the government’s addressing. But beyond the Trump administration, the phenomenon behind one of the president’s favorite phrases, « fake news, » will also factor into the legal drama, star Rose Leslie teased at The Good Fight premiere in New York earlier this week.

Leslie, who plays Maia Rindell, a young lawyer and goddaughter of Christine Baranski’s power attorney Diane Lockhart, told The Hollywood Reporter that she’d just finished filming an episode in which « fake news is very relevant. »

« There are some falsehoods being spread on the Internet about Maia that are jeopardizing her profession and her reputation, » Leslie said. « That is scary to see how something can just grow, spread like wildfire, in terms of reliable sources that begin to believe something that isn’t true. We see the danger in entering a world whereby truth is no longer relevant. »

[…]

To understand Maia and Diane’s backstory, Leslie told THR that she and Baranski spent an evening together talking about the relationship between their characters and « built it backwards. »

« It was more breaking down the character and how long she’d been in my life. If she’s a godmother than that’s presumably from the beginning. And we realize that she was a mentor for Maia and someone who was that strong foundation, a rock, in terms of a moral compass, » Leslie said. « So, yeah, Diane is integral to Maia’s happiness and realization that you need to stay true to what you believe in. » (source)

Rose Leslie & Helene Yorke on their characters’ relationship
Filed in Interviews Television The Good Fight

Rose Leslie & Helene Yorke on their characters’ relationship

PEOPLE – One of Game of Thrones‘ greatest love stories was that of Jon Snow and Ygritte — and now, Rose Leslie fans have a new on-screen romance to look forward to. The actress is set to star in the upcoming Good Wife spinoff, The Good Fight, as Maia Rindell, Diane Lockhart (Christine Baranski)’s goddaughter, who joins the Lockhart/Lee firm just before a massive scandal upends both of their lives.

PEOPLE caught up with the cast at the show’s premiere party in New York City on Wednesday evening, and actress Heléne Yorke dished on what it was like playing the character of Amy, Maia’s longtime girlfriend.

“I literally went into this audition because I got an email and it said: ‘Rose Leslie is playing this character and Amy is her girlfriend,’ ” said Yorke. “I’ve always been such a fan of hers, always been such a fan of Game of Thrones and Downton Abbey, and I just knew it would be so great to work with her.”

“She brings such a grounded energy,” she continued. “Our characters have been in this relationship for a long time and you sort of get that sense because she and I have a very easy, natural way with one another.” So, how does she feel about any comparisons to Kit Harington‘s Jon Snow? “I like to think that I’m winning as a fictional partner!” said Yorke with a laugh. But jokes aside, Yorke couldn’t be happier about the role. “What’s really nice is that it doesn’t feel like: ‘Oh, the character is a gay female,’ ” she said. “It just feels like she’s in this relationship. So there’s not a real meal made out of it, which is what I think does it so much credit and does the show so much credit.”

And Leslie, 30, agrees. “Her sexuality has nothing to do with whom she is in the show,” Leslie told PEOPLE. “It is a fact, and she’s just in a very loving relationship.” So is the star looking forward to taking on a brand-new role, leaving beloved Ygritte aside? “I’m phenomenally excited to be able to have the opportunity to explore different characters with different television shows,” she said. “I think that I’m a very lucky actor to be able to do that.” (source)

VOGUE – The new legal drama The Good Fight may have spun off of CBS blockbuster The Good Wife, but star Rose Leslie, a newcomer to the franchise who plays a young lawyer mired by a Madoff-like Ponzi scandal, has an impressive TV backstory of her own: In addition to playing key roles on two rabidly watched dramas, Game of Thrones and Downton Abbey, Leslie is also Jon Snow’s real-life better half.

Not going to lie—FaceTime is brilliant,” she said of her relationship with GoT comeback kid Kit Harington. “I think it will always be tricky if you happen to fall in love with somebody who’s in the same profession, whether you’re actors, doctors, or lawyers,” Leslie added, wearing a frock by Lafayette 148. “Heléne Yorke [Masters of Sex] plays my girlfriend on the show. We hit it off, so it was easy to slot into her body language. Their relationship starts out so solid, but it becomes, like any relationship, a bit tumultuous as the season progresses.” (source)

‘The Good Fight’ World Premiere
Filed in Gallery Interviews Public Appearances Videos

‘The Good Fight’ World Premiere

Rose has attended The Good Fight red carpet premiere today (February 8) with the rest of the cast – you can find below some interviews she gave on the internet as well as 73 pictures from the red carpet and the after-party. Enjoy !

Gallery Links
2017 Appearances > Feb 8 | The Good Fight Red Carpet Premiere [+ 73]