Jeremy Irons is fascinated by dysfunctional dynasties. He is telling me about his new film, Ridley Scott’s opulent two-and-a half hour long House of Gucci, in which he plays the dapper patriarch Rodolfo Gucci, and its parallels with contemporary clans in turmoil. “Here we are, a family that has everything — the Guccis thought they were royalty in Italy and they were in a sense, leading the most important industry,” begins the actor, 73, in his mischievous baritone voice that is recognisable from a huge range of films, from The French Lieutenant’s Woman to The Man in the Iron Mask. “Then somebody comes along and through their deep unhappiness creates chaos — and someone gets killed. It is a story we have seen in many guises. Look at the TV show Succession, The Murdochs, our royal family — there are elements of the Gucci story in all of their trajectories.”
He has compared Lady Gaga’s character Patrizia Reggiani, the woman who marries Rodolfo’s son Maurizio and eventually arranged his murder, to Meghan, Duchess of Sussex. “I sometimes think Meghan is a bit of a Patrizia. She’s moving into a different way of life, a different class, a different nationality and trying to do her best and it is not working, which I think is a huge shame for our monarchy. That’s a parallel story.” But he won’t be drawn on that too much, merely saying that what happened with to the Guccis “is not an uncommon story”.
This story is from the November 29, 2021 edition of Evening Standard.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the November 29, 2021 edition of Evening Standard.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Can Premier League win over fans for a Stateside adventure?
SADIQ KHAN pushing for re-election after promising to bring the Super Bowl to London; the Football Supporters’ Association promising a “full blown, two feet off the ground, studs to the knee tackle” should a single Premier League match head the other way.
SPURS IGNORE WARNINGS AS THEY SELF-DESTRUCT
TOTTENHAM have been more open and lost by bigger margins this season, but last night’s defeat has to go down as their most alarming display under Ange Postecoglou.
Steidten 'ban' gives Moyes space to focus on rescuing season that risks fizzling out
SINCE arriving at West Ham last summer, technical director Tim Steidten has been a very visible presence at London Stadium on match days.
Odegaard: It's okay to dream, but don't lose your focus
Skipper warns team-mates to guard against complacency
Now saviour Harris is aiming to add sparkle to workmanlike Lions
SINCE Neil Harris was parachuted back into Millwall on a rescue mission in February, only promotion favourites Ipswich have taken more points in the Championship.
I know it sounds wild, but you can't beat Toulouse without scoring a lot of points
DANNY WILSON has devised a \"wild\" plan to outscore global superpower Toulouse in Sunday's Champions Cup semi-final.
London stock market drops out of the top 20 destinations for IPOs
LONDON has today fallen out of the top 20 global IPO destinations of 2024, having raised only as much money as Kazakhstan’s stock market, the Standard can reveal.
Patchy but Dua still produces pop gems
LANDING at exactly the right time to boost the spirits of a nation of bored-senseless lockdowners, Dua Lipa’s second album, Future Nostalgia, didn’t just transform her into the pandemic’s answer to Vera Lynn, it elevated her to the big leagues.
Could Baby Reindeer change TV forever?
NOBODY saw this coming. Not Netflix, not its stars, not the public. Baby Reindeer was quietly released last month only to explode. thrilling and appalling viewers everywhere, and becoming one of the most talked about shows in years.
I was spat at in the street because I spoke about the Hamas rapes of October 7
LAST week, shocked at how I had to dress in order to safely walk around where I live, I posted a picture of myself to Instagram. I posted the picture because I wanted to vent — rather than fight — to do something about the madness that goes by the name of the city we live in right now.