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Sheffield Telegraph : « Wilding comes in from the cold »

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SHEFFIELD TELEGRAPH – In the TV epic fantasy series she played feisty Wilding Ygritte with a broad Northern accent but her natural voice reflects her background from an aristocratic Scottish family, a public school education and drama school training. She has come to Sheffield to appear in the regional premiere of Contractions, a play by Mike Bartlett in which an employee undergoes a grilling from her manager because she has started a relationship with a colleague.

The actor says what immediately drew her to the project was the quality of writing by the Olivier Award-winner and creator of TV hit Doctor Foster – “and then hearing that Contractions was being put on up here in Sheffield, I’ve always longed to work at the Crucible.

It is brilliantly funny but also appalling at the same time. It’s quite rare to come across in one sentence something so far-fetched and yet plausible. It’s a brilliant intense piece, reading it you don’t come up for air.” Her experience of the office environment has not been as brutal as that experienced by her character, Emma. “I’ve done reception work in London in between jobs in order to balance auditions but the spotlight never shone on me to this extent. After this, there’s no way I am ever going to set foot in an office,” she laughs.

It is unlikely Rose Leslie will need to resort to that, however, with her Game of Thrones profile. “When I auditioned for season two it was not as established as it is now and in no way the phenomenon it has become,” she explains. “Which is good because in hindsight I would have been petrified at the audition.” And then the role turned out to be a physical experience. “Iceland was a cold and rough terrain, there was a lot of running and climbing up ice walls. It was a different type of intensity from something like this.

Eventually Ygritte got an arrow through the heart. “I was killed by a wee lad at the end of season four when there was a big penultimate battle scene. I was always aware that she would perish because I had read the books before I started. I am still recognised because of the ginger hair but the fact I died a few years ago people are beginning to say, who is that chick?

That may be a touch disingenuous given the fact that the celebrity media remain fascinated by her real-life relationship with co-star Kit Harington, aka Jon Snow. “But in the past it’s always been an awesome experience because a lot of the fans if they do come up are very loyal and passionate and wanting to talk about the show and I think that’s an accolade to Game of Thrones as a whole.” (source)

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Rose interviewed by Forge on ‘Contractions’

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FORGE – Known to thousands as the fiery Ygritte of Game of Thrones fame, Rose Leslie is much more approachable in reality. Friendly and engaging, she is keen to “have a proper scope around Sheffield” as soon as possible. As I catch her between lunch and a scheduled call from BBC Breakfast, she describes the play as an exciting shift in her career.

I haven’t done theatre for a very long time, but in drama school we did a lot of classical texts. From my experience, this is the most camera-esque theatre acting I’ve done, because there’s so little movement, there’s no physicality. We’re on a disc that we never penetrate, and every minor detail gets picked up, so in that way it does mesh with my experience of camera-work. It’s such an intimate space and an intimate play – it’s very intense”.

The play’s relentless 50 minutes of escalating drama is nothing if not intense, and Rose’s character, Emma, comes under immense pressure as her privacy is increasingly attacked. During her rise to fame, I’m intrigued to find out whether Rose has faced similar pressures from the public eye. “Gosh!”, she exclaims, “Can you imagine, to that extreme? It would be utterly terrible!”. Reassuringly, Rose confirms that she’s never been forced into such an extreme situation, but believes this is because “I’ve been incredibly fortunate with the jobs I’ve worked in and the people I’ve worked with. I feel lucky that I’ve had the older generations to fight for me; they’ve made me realise that it’s OK to speak up”.

Continue reading Rose interviewed by Forge on ‘Contractions’

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‘BBC Breakfast’ Interview

Today (June 10), Rose was interviewed on BBC Breakfast to talk about the play Contractions in which she has one of the lead role, Emma. You can also see a clip of the rehearsals in the video below :

 

She was spotted later leaving the BBC Breakfast Studios in Manchester, be sure to check the photos in the gallery here :

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Candids > Leaving BBC Breakfast Studios [+ 24]

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‘The Telegraph’ Interview

THE TELEGRAPH – Rose Leslie has a phobia of velvet. This is a remarkably strange coincidence as I happen to be sitting on a small sofa, in a brightly lit corridor of her agent’s office in central London, on which the only thing other than me is a giant purple velvet cushion. Truly, I’ve never seen such a large velvet object. It is resplendent in its velvetness. It seems to have been designed specifically to taunt Rose Leslie and confront her with her fears in the most extreme manner possible – almost like aversion therapy.

No, no don’t worry!” Leslie says but I can see her actually shudder as I stroke it. “Honestly, it’s fine,” she insists politely. “It’s just the touch of it I don’t like. The sound it makes.” I put the cushion on the floor and she visibly relaxes, sitting cross-legged on the sofa in her jeans and trainers.

Luckily, the 29-year-old actress has never played a part which requires her to wear velvet robes. Her breakthrough after graduating from LAMDA was playing Gwen, the self-improving housemaid in the first series of Downton Abbey. More recently she has been on our screens as DS Emma Lane alongside Idris Elba in Luther. But the role for which she is most famous is Ygritte, the flame-haired wildling lover of Jon Snow in HBO’s hit series Game of Thrones. Leslie was swathed in furs and stitched-together animal pelts for much of the shoot which kept her warm as she filmed in Iceland.

It was the winter months,” she says, “so we only had from 10am to 2.30pm to film before we’d lose light. We were in the middle of a glacier. It’s a really, really stunning place and we saw the Northern Lights, which was extraordinary. I’ve never before been somewhere so vast and magic. And I’m Scottish, so I have an affinity with cold, crisp days.

When the light went, the cast would all traipse back to their hotel in the pitch black and pass the time playing card games. Did she ever wish she was cast as one of the characters who got to film in warmer climates? Daenerys, for instance, who is played by Emilia Clarke and got to waft around sunny locations in Morocco and Malta? Leslie laughs. “Have you seen my skin?” She stretches out thin, white arms. “Can you imagine what I would be like in Malta or Morocco?

But there was another reason she enjoyed filming in Iceland – namely Kit Harington, who plays Jon Snow and with whom Leslie’s character had a steamy romantic union. After much speculation, the couple have now confirmed they are dating in real life. Harington said in a recent interview: “If you’re already attracted to someone, and then they play your love interest, it becomes very easy to fall in love.”

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‘The Evening Standard’ Interview

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THE EVENING STANDARD – Rose Leslie has spoken about her relationship with Game Of Thrones co-star Kit Harington for the first time — joking that he “hung her out to dry” when he revealed on TV that she had known about his character’s fate all along.

The couple, both 29, fell in love on the set of the show. Harington plays Jon Snow and Leslie played Ygritte until she was killed off in 2014. The pair kept their relationship under wraps until last month, but they had another secret to keep, too — the fate of Jon Snow, who was left for dead at the end of the last series after being stabbed. It prompted intense speculation and producers ordered Harington not to tell a soul that Jon Snow would be brought back to life. His fate was revealed in the second episode of the new series this month.

Afterwards Harington revealed to US chat show host Jimmy Kimmel that he had told his parents and girlfriend the secret — which came as a surprise to Leslie, who had been officially denying all knowledge for the past year.

She told the Standard: “I’m such a moron. I had been spewing this lie for over a year … It just regurgitated out of me to the point where it was almost effortless.

“I was completely oblivious to the fact that Kit hung me out to dry! It was so funny when I found out. So, yes that was me being unaware and not being able to pick up the ball beforehand. He should have said, ‘By the way, I’m going to speak to Jimmy about it.’ But I did find it quite funny.”

Leslie, who lives in north London, also said she had managed to avoid the intense interest in their relationship, explaining: “I’m a dinosaur when it comes to social media. I don’t have any personal accounts, so I don’t really know if there’s much attention. I’m aware because of the shows and there is some element of hype behind it. But I genuinely, genuinely don’t try to engage on that front. I try to keep myself relatively private. I don’t really look for anything so it’s not really there in my periphery.”

Leslie was speaking as she launched Sky Box Sets Club, which lets fans talk about their favourite shows — including Game Of Thrones. “It’s similar to a book club,” she said. “It will give people a platform to interact with one another.

Leslie is soon to appear in two films — Sticky Notes with Ray Liotta and Morgan with Kate Mara. She said: “My guiding principle is to challenge myself. I will always look for the quality of the script — it doesn’t matter if it’s theatre, TV or film.” (source)

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‘Glamour Magazine’ Interview

GLAMOUR MAGAZINE – We’re really sad not to see you in the new series of Game of Thrones – what are your favourite memories from being on set?
I was so fortunate; in the years that I was in Thrones we were able to shoot in Iceland. I think some of my favourite memories would have to be isolated, out there, surrounded by nothing but snow and ice. I just remember thinking [Iceland] is what I’d imagine the moon to be like. It was so vast.

You’re known to be sporty, but how did you find the more physical scenes? Could you handle it or did you find it tough?
I like to think that I can run, but I remember once running up and down through different terrains while on set in Iceland and I face planted. The director then decided to get a stunt double in just so that [Ygritte] looked like she knew how to handle all the different terrains. So yes, that was fairly difficult. But it hindsight it was relatively easy so it’s rather embarrassing that I fell over.

What do you do when a new episode of Game of Thrones comes out? Do you have any viewing rituals?
I geek out with my sister. I live with my younger sister and we are obsessed with it to the point where we get very, very excited every Monday night. Our ritual consists of popcorn and curling up on the sofa. You also have to make sure you’re comfortable.

Obviously the big ‘is he? Isn’t he?’ Jon Snow question has finally been answered; Did you know all along or was it a surprise for you, too?
It was! I was kind of just with everybody else: very happy to see him open his eyes and be awake. I was hoping, and I had an incling that that might be the case, but no, I wasn’t sure.

We can’t imagine how fun shooting must have been. Pleeeeeease tell us: What does a Game of Thrones night out look like?
I certainly remember the nights out when we were in shooting in Belfast and Iceland. That was, well… we’re talking about a bunch of actors [laughs]. Yes, there were some nights in the hotel bar, but it was all very causal. Also, my stamina is appalling so it was fairly bog standard.

You’ve tread the boards having done film, TV and stage work. What’s your favourite to do and why?
I was very fortunate to have gone to drama school in London for three years, and that was classical training in the sense that a lot of it was dominated by stage work, so I would love to go back to stage. But having said that, if you’re fortunate enough as an actor to get a job and if it’s a script that you respond to, you have to just go with your gut instinct and not think about what medium it is.

So Sky Box Sets Club is all about helping people geek out about their favourite shows… Is there any series that you’ve binge-watched recently? And why do you love it?
That’s got to be True Detectives. I absolutely loved watching it and it kind of had a heightened effect on me, as well. I was actually in Louisiana in New Orleans when I watched the first season, so that was a wonderful experience, also very frightening. I also loved the second season. And believe it or not, I’m also going to have to say Game of Thrones.

We’re big into books here at GLAMOUR. Do you read much and if so, what are you reading at the moment?
I do like to read! I’m currently reading Girl on a Train [by Paula Hawkins].

You’ve already had an amazing career, what have you got lined up next?
I’m doing a bit of theatre, I’m doing a Mike Bartlett play called Contractions. I’m very, very happy and lucky to be going back to the stage.

(source)

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‘Digital Spy’ Interview

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DIGITAL SPYIt’s been two years since she was part of the Game of Thrones cast – and now Rose Leslie is as desperate to avoid spoilers as the rest of us. Kit Harington recently confessed that Leslie – his former co-star and now off-screen girlfriend – was one of the few people who knew that his character Jon Snow would come back to life.

But the actress told Digital Spy that she still tries to avoid GoT spoilers, wherever possible. « I’m now the one saying ‘I don’t want to know!’ – I’ve been loving the season so far and I don’t want to know, » she laughed. « So now I’m with the rest of the world, watching it on the night, and being completely immersed… and not wanting anything to ruin my enjoyment! »

But it’s not just that – Leslie admitted that she struggles with « filtering everything » when she does know something she shouldn’t. « I actually get physical abuse from my family if I say something. I get a punch in the arm! It’s ‘Pipe down – I don’t want to hear!’ – so I’ve realised now that I have to keep a lid on it if I happen to know something. » (source)

Luther

Its latest series earned lead actor Idris Elba a BAFTA nomination – but there’s still no official word on a fifth series of Luther. Rose Leslie – who joined the grisly cop thriller last year as DS Emma Lane – told Digital Spy that she’s in the dark about the show’s future.

« But I do feel that the doors were left open in the way that it ended, » the Game of Thrones actress said. « I adored being a part of that show. I think that it’s just so brilliant. The writing is incredibly gritty and raw – and if you are a Londoner watching it, it’s even more harrowing.

« I’ve just adored it from the beginning. So yeah, I would be back at the drop of a hat, if it were to go again. » Of course, a film spinoff from the BBC One series has long been rumoured – though star Elba has said that there’ll be « a little more » of the show on television before any leap to the big-screen. « I’d be all over that! » Leslie said of a potential Luther movie. « Fingers crossed. » (source)

Sky Box Sets Club

Leslie was speaking to DS as part of a campaign for Sky Box Sets Club – helping Brits share their passion for addictively good Box Sets. « It’s Sky realising that everybody loves talking about their favourite box-sets – whether that’s with your family or friends, or even on Twitter, » she explained.

« So as a result, they have decided to set up a club, and it’s rather similar to a book club. It’s providing a platform for people to interact, and to share or bond over their favourite scenes, or particular moments that stood out to them. I think it’s a fabulous thing for people to relive the scenes that really matter to them. »

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BBC Radio 2 Interview : Rose will return on stage to star in Mike Bartlett’s ‘Contractions’


As part of the promotion for the Sky Box Sets Club, Rose was invited today at the BBC Radio 2 studios to talk about it. She was also asked about her time on Luther, Game of Thrones, her favorite box sets, and her next project. Rose has indeed announced that she would return on stage to play in a revival of Mike Bartlett’s ‘Contractions’, who was last performed at the Royal Court Theatre in 2008. The play will run from June 23 to July 16 and one performance will take place at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield. (source)

You can listen to the whole interview below :

 Pictures of Rose at the BBC Radio Studios have also been added to the gallery :

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TV & Radio Appearances > Others > 2016 — BBC Radio 2 [+3]

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‘The Evening Standard’ Interview

THE EVENING STANDARD – Rose Leslie and Kit Harington played lovers in Game of Thrones and are dating in real life – but the actress isn’t keen to work with the actor again.

Leslie, 29 – who played Ygritte alongside Harington’s Jon Snow – said she is a big believer in having your own individual projects and not being associated with another person.

Speaking to Standard Online about teaming up on screen she said: “I think we leave it at that. We had such a fabulous time working together on Thrones.

“I think it’s important to do your own projects that mean a lot to you individually rather than be associated with someone else. I’m a big believer in doing your own thing.”

Leslie recently revealed that she was unaware that Harington would be returning to the show after his character died at the end of series five.

The actress said she was “ecstatic” after Harington finally revealed all, but joked that she is “going to have to have words” with him for keeping it a secret for so long.Speaking about her Thrones alter ego – who was killed by an arrow and subsequently burned by Snow after dying in his arms – she said she would not like to see her resurrected.

I’m now a little pile of ash,” she said. “The writers are being incredibly loyal to the books and the way it’s developed Jon Snow needs to be on his own and take charge of his own life. I think it’s a good thing that she died.” (source)

‘Sky News’ Interview
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‘Sky News’ Interview

Rose talked about the launch of Sky Box Sets Club on Sky News this morning. You can watch the interview posted by Sky News on twitter in three parts by clickling on the following links :

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

One of the hosts has posted old and new pictures of her with Rose :

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Finally, Rose will also be interviewed on BBC Radio 2 tomorrow afternoon between 2pm and 4 pm.