British actress Natalie Dormer (“The Tudors” and “Game of Thrones”) chatted about starring in the new movie “Audrey’s Children,” which will be released in theaters on March 28th.
Theodore Roosevelt once said: “Keep your eyes on the stars, and your feet on the ground.” A woman that embodies this wise quote is actress Natalie Dormer.
“Audrey’s Children” is based on a true story, and is set in Philadelphia in 1969. Ami Canaan Mann directed from the screenplay by Julia Fisher Farbman. It was subsequently produced by Julia Fisher Farbman, Bradley Gallo, and Michael Helfant.
Dormer stars alongside Jimmi Simpson (who plays Dr. Dan D’Angio) and Clancy Brown (who plays Dr. C. Everett Koop).
Synopsis of ‘Audrey’s Children’
British physician, Dr. Audrey Evans (Natalie Dormer), is newly recruited to a world-renowned children’s hospital and battles sexism, medical conventions, and the subterfuge of her peers to develop revolutionary treatments, purchase the first Ronald McDonald House for families of patients and, ultimately, impact the lives of millions of children around the world.
Dormer on making ‘Audrey’s Children’
“My experience doing ‘Audrey’s Children’ was incredible,” Dormer exclaimed. “It was absolutely amazing. When are we ever going to play such inspirational characters again, right?”
Dormer on true feminism being ‘equality’
Dormer noted that true feminism is “equality,” and that consists of the right to make our own choices. Audrey’s choice was not to be described as either a man or a woman. “Describe me as a doctor,” Dormer explained.
Dormer on the spontaneity of gender parity
Dormer expressed, “It’s a real joy when you find a project where that gender parity is just happening naturally because these are the best people for the job.”
Lessons learned from this screenplay
On the lessons learned from this screenplay, Dormer reflected, “It taught me that you can get out of bed in the morning, and you can make a difference if you want to. There is no excuse!”
“Audrey is just so inspiring as a firebrand, and as a revolutionary personality, and she shows us that things can be done better, so let’s do it better and don’t take ‘no’ for an answer,” she elaborated.
“Also, not being arrogant about it, just being confident, assertive, and persistent, and having faith. To commit your life to children and families in need… what an incredible human being Audrey was to do that,” Dormer underscored.
“Audrey is a very unique personality, and she’s not without humor and not without self-deprecation. Also, the animals were real; the animals were true,” she explained.
“To play that flare of a personality, and to get to meet and portray someone who truly deserves to have their story told was really a once-in-a-career opportunity,” Dormer added.
Dormer on the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Dormer spoke about the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP).
“Being in CHOP, and meeting the children, the families, the staff and the doctors and the nurses — there are no people that are more inspiring,” Dormer acknowledged.
“They are human beings of profound substance and compassion. As far as I’m concerned, pediatric oncologists, doctors, and nurses are just absolute heroes of our society,” she exclaimed.
Dormer compared her role as Anne Boleyn in ‘The Tudors’ vs. Dr. Audrey Evans in ‘Audrey’s Children’
Dormer compared and contrasted her role as Anne Boleyn in “The Tudors” vs. playing Dr. Audrey Evans in “‘Audrey’s Children.”
“As a matter of fact, ‘The Tudors’ would be the closest for me to portraying a real person that you feel a responsibility towards,” Dormer said.
Dormer continued, “The last time I felt that responsibility was Anne Boleyn because she was a genuine reformer, and it gets missed out in so many of the stories that get told about Henry VIII and his wives.”
“Anne was a genuine Protestant who believed that religion should be democratized, and it should be given to the lay man on the street to have his own personal relationship with God,” Dormer explained.
“Anne Boleyn was a revolutionary and she believed in the Protestant Revolution, and I fought very hard during ‘The Tudors.’ She had a faith, there you go, and Audrey Evans also had a very strong Christian faith. They both believed that they had a calling,” Dormer elaborated.
Dormer furnishes her definition of success
On her definition of the word success, Dormer remarked, “Success means to do good work, especially on a project like this.”
“So, to me, being successful is the feeling that you did good work,” Dormer concluded.
To learn more about “Audrey’s Children,” check out its official website, and its Instagram page.
