Elsinore writer says Ian Charleson would have been 'delighted but embarrassed' by biopic
Ian Charleson would have been "delighted but embarrassed" to have a film made about his life.
That was the verdict of Stephen Beresford, the screenwriter of Elsinore, during Deadline's TIFF Studio panel interview in Toronto. Star Andrew Scott offered his own version. Charleson would have been "thrilled", he said.
Beresford appeared alongside Scott and Billie Piper for the panel conversation about the film, published on 15 September. The film is directed by Simon Stone from Beresford's script and tells the true story of Charleson, the British actor.
Scott plays Charleson in the film, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Olivia Colman co-stars alongside him, Variety previously reported. The story centres on Charleson's celebrated run as Hamlet while he was succumbing to AIDS.
Charleson is best known to film audiences for playing Olympic runner Eric Liddell, the star of Chariots of Fire, according to Variety. He died of AIDS less than two months after his final stage performance, The Hollywood Reporter reported.
Elsinore is handled in the United States by Focus Features, the company in charge of its American cinema release. It held its first screening on Saturday, 12 September at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.
What makes this stand out for festival audiences is the stage-to-screen link. The Hamlet at the heart of the story is one of theatre's most famous roles, and the film revisits a performance that has lived on in reputation since Charleson's death.
