Emerging as a bright new star, British actress Viola Prettejohn has swiftly captured attention with her dynamic portrayal of Myrtle Haplisch in science fiction drama “The Nevers” and as a young Queen Elizabeth in Netflix’s critically acclaimed “The Crown.” Gracing the February 2024 digital cover of DSCENE Magazine, Prettejohn recounts her extraordinary ascent from her initial roles to her impactful presence in these iconic series. Her nuanced performance in “The Crown,” following the legacy of Claire Foy, Olivia Colman, and Imelda Staunton, signifies a remarkable beginning in her career, showcasing an innate talent.
EXCLUSIVE
Featured in DSCENE Magazine’s February 2024 cover story, Viola Prettejohn resonates with elegance in a stunning photoshoot by Klara Waldberg, styled by Abigail White, assisted by Rachel Doyle. Beauty is work of makeup artist Maya Man and hair stylist Davide Barbieri. Engaging in an intimate and insightful dialogue with Katarina Doric, DSCENE’s editor, Prettejohn talks about the intricacies and gratifications of embodying characters of historical significance, her evolution as an actress, and her journey in the arts.
The actress shares reflective accounts of her time on set, discussing how her roles have influenced her personal identity and style, and unveils her aspirations for future endeavors in both acting and possibly other areas of the creative industry.
Playing the younger Princess Elizabeth in ‘The Crown’ is a significant role, following the performances of Claire Foy, Olivia Colman, and Imelda Staunton. How did you prepare to portray this iconic figure, and what aspects of her life did you find most compelling to explore? – I tried to approach the role as fresh as possible actually. I think because there’s already so much pressure when portraying someone as well known and beloved as the Queen, I didn’t want to feel weighed down or burdened by copious amounts of research. The thing I worked on most was making sure I got the voice right as I felt that that’s a part of Elizabeth that’s almost entirely unique to her. Other than that, what I most wanted to capture was this unseen side of the character and therefore having that freedom and spontaneity going onto set was really important to me.
What were some of the most challenging aspects of playing Princess Elizabeth, and what personal insights did you gain from this experience? – The most challenging was probably not letting the enormity of the real-life figure and the production itself get to me whilst we were filming. Walking onto these incredibly elaborate sets with hundreds of supporting artists could be pretty overwhelming so my main focus was just trying to forget about all that and zone in on the job at hand. I think it was really valuable as a first experience playing a real person, learning what it takes to work on the voice and mannerisms is something I’m definitely going to take forward going into the rest of my career.
Can you share a memorable experience or anecdote from the sets of ‘The Crown’? – We spent two days in the Phoenix Arts Club in Soho filming the dancing scenes and those days had such a feeling of joy to them. We were working with the most incredible professional dancers and musicians who just brought such an amazing energy especially given it was so hot and sweaty in that basement club and you were never entirely certain what time of day it was! But aside from that, any days where Beau and I had scenes together were my favourites – particularly that final scene with us walking down the Mall. The dynamic of the sisters is so key to not only that episode but the series as a whole and when we got to fully develop and explore that, that was when I felt the most fulfilled.
I think it’s more been the things that haven’t gone my way or that have been difficult that have shaped me and made me more resilient.
You’ve had a diverse career with roles in ‘The Nevers,’ ‘Counterpart,’ and ‘The Witcher.’ How has your journey through these varied projects shaped you as an actress? – I think it’s more been the things that haven’t gone my way or that have been difficult that have shaped me and made me more resilient. On those early jobs a lot of the time I was still just figuring out how a film set works and how to best conserve my energy, especially on ‘The Nevers’ which were very long shoots. I also think working from that age made me grow up quite quickly as I had the responsibility of making sure I was doing the best job I could do, there’s a lot of people working on these kinds of productions and you never want to feel like a weak link.
In ‘The Nevers,’ you played Myrtle Haplisch, a character with a unique challenge of not being able to speak understandably. How did you approach this unique role, and what did you learn from that experience? – Myrtle was such a mammoth challenge in pre-production as we had to translate all her lines and decide which language we wanted to use in which contexts and which translations flowed together best. It was just a hell of a lot of work! But again I think it taught me the value of really putting the time into these characters and the satisfaction when that work pays off. I can’t say I’m rushing to play a character who can’t speak again any time soon though!
I’ve always really admired actors who abandon all beauty on camera and let the ugliness come out, actors who are completely fearless for example Willem Dafoe.
What attracts you to a particular role, and how do you decide which projects to pursue? – Anything that seems like a challenge or is someone who feels very far removed from who I am. Also sometimes just reading the script and seeing all the crazy things you’d get to do pushes you to really want a role, that definitely happened with my recent job ‘Generation Z’.
Who are some of your biggest inspirations in the acting world, and how have they influenced your approach to your craft? – I’ve always really admired actors who abandon all beauty on camera and let the ugliness come out, actors who are completely fearless for example Willem Dafoe – the roles he chooses vary so greatly and are so physical and all consuming. I’m still learning to fully shed all insecurities and let go but by watching performances like his it really drives you to push yourself further.
As a young and talented actress, what are some dream roles or types of projects you aspire to be a part of in the future? – I’m really just excited for the unknown! I don’t know why but recently I’ve been really hankering to play a sort of bubblegum pop princess type character, can’t think of any reason why but it’s been playing on my mind for some reason. But aside from that I’m just looking forward to next year and everything it will bring.
What advice would you give to aspiring actors who look up to your work and wish to follow a similar path in the industry? – I don’t think I’m massively the right person to be asking advice from honestly but I suppose I’d just say try not to stress about it all too much and just make sure you keep the joy in performing, people will notice.
Photographer: Klara Waldberg – @klarawaldbergphotos
Styling: Abigail White – @abigailrosewhite
Make-up artist: Maya Man – @mayamanartist
Hair stylist: Davide Barbieri at A-Frame agency using Leonor Greyl – @davidebarbieri_
Styling Assistant Rachel Doyle
Interview Katarina Doric – @katarina.djoric
The Crown, Season Six, Part 2 is available on Netflix now.
