Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Hasta la vista, baby: Branagh brings back Boris in This England'

23/01/2023

Hasta la vista, baby: Branagh brings back Boris in This England' Prosthetics and a very good, very bad hairpiece': Kenneth Branagh's Boris Johnson transformation is something to behold in This England'.

by Cornelia Le Roux

23-01-2023 23:48

in Entertainment

Boris Johnson, left, and actor Kenneth Branagh playing the role of the former UK prime minister in This England'. Images: ADRIAN DENNIS / AFP and Showmax/ Supplied

Boris Johnson may have stepped down as British prime minister with the cheeky words Hasta la vista, baby! after he was ousted as Tory leader, but he has returned in a different on-screen guise. Now streaming on Showmax, This England stars the 2022 Oscar winner Sir Kenneth Branagh (Belfast, Dunkirk) as Johnson with the help of heavy facial prosthetics, a barelling hunch and a very good, very bad hairpiece!

--

According to Mail Online, a total of 42 complex prosthetic faces was especially made for Branagh. Makeup artist Vanessa White is quoted as stating:

There are so many pieces The only thing you see of Ken is his eyes and his chin, the rest is fake We had to tape him in, literally tape up the back of his neck, his head.

Kenneth Branagh, winner of the Writing (Original Screenplay) award for Belfast', poses backstage during the 94th Annual Academy Awards at Dolby Theatre on 27 March 2022 in Hollywood, California. Image: Mike Coppola/Getty Images/AFP ALSO READ: Oscars 2022: Complete list of winners from Hollywood's biggest night

--

This England': Boris a life-changing part' for Branagh Co-written and directed by BAFTA winner Michael Winterbottom (The Trip, In This World), This England blends dramatisation with real documentary footage of the tumultuous first wave of COVID-19 in Britain that engulfed Johnson during his first months as prime minister.

As per Radio Times, Branagh confessed that playing Johnson in the Sky series was a life-changing part for him.

Star-studded cast and rave reviews

In their five-star review, The Evening Standard calls This England, splendid television, history distilled on screen, saying, Watch it and weep .

Times (UK) has already praised Kenneth Branagh's barrelling, air-punching, at times uncanny Boris Johnson impression, while bloated with pouchy prosthetics and fat pads as well as the series' heart-breaking authenticity .

As Gabriel Silver, Sky's director of drama, described it: This England is a broad and deep factual drama about those tasked to shepherd a nation through the crisis - exposing humanity at its most scared, neglectful, ingenious, desperate, and hopeful

--

The rest of the cast includes Ophelia Lovibond (Minx) co-stars as Johnson's wife, Carrie Symonds, with award winner Andrew Buchan (Broadchurch, Industry, Andrew Parker Bowles in The Crown) as Matt Hancock. Emmy nominee Charles Dance (The Crown's Lord Mountbatten and Tywin Lannister in Game of Thrones) steps in as newspaper editor Max Hastings in episode 1.

Ophelia Lovibond and Kenneth Branagh in a scene from This England'. Image: Supplied This England': Much bigger than Boris Johnson much bigger than the actor Winterbottom approached Branagh about the project in late 2020. Despite the show's scope, Johnson is central to the story, and the challenge to portray this hugely divisive public figure without taking sides, became one of Branagh's biggest challenges.

As the actor himself put it:

It doesn't matter whether we do or not, because people who love or hate Boris Johnson will probably find that this corresponds to exactly what they feel about him.

For some, it will glorify him; for others it will have libelled him. They'll see what they see. But certainly, in the doing of it, the goal was decidedly not to bring any additional spin or commentary on something that was much, much bigger than Boris Johnson certainly a zillion times bigger than any actor.

ALSO READ: British PM Boris Johnson tests positive for COVID-19

Kenneth Branagh as former UK prime minister Boris Johnson in This England'. Image: Supplied ALSO READ: SA group gives 120 000 meals to NHS and the vulnerable - but now they need our help

The pandemic world Branagh had the following to say about the vulnerable state of the world that inspired the gripping pandemic drama series,

In that early part of the pandemic, which was such a vulnerable moment for the world, we didn't know quite what was coming, how fast it was coming, how deadly it was, what the real existential threat was to our lives or to our economic futures.

Everyone felt that most people were doing the very best they could Although subsequently you might argue about whether that best was good enough, against the rush of events, much of it was reactive.

It was more about the cataclysmic effect of the rapidity, the ferocious rapidity at which things moved. We really weren't ready for the volatility, for the changing information and seeing that impact across the country, Branagh added

ALSO READ: 1.1m people infected with Covid-19 in England, daily cases top 60,000 for first time

From Branagh to Boris: Masterful combination of acting and makeup Just like Brendan Fraser, who transformed into the morbidly obese English teacher Charlie in The Whale with the heavy use of prosthetics, Branagh's physical transformation into Johnson took a combination of acting and extensive makeup.

Although they're of similar height, the actor explained that Johnson is a stockier individual than me, a sort of swift and, some would say, lumbering rugger forward. We all saw him take out that young schoolboy playing street rugby in Japan That's a sort of extreme example of a man who leans forward, who barrels rather. That's the impression you have he leads with the shoulders, head down.

Boris Jo
LINK: https://www.thesouthafrican.com/culture/entertainment/this-england-ken...
See more stories from thesouthafrican

Most recent headlines

05/01/2027

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be demoed at CES 2026

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...

01/06/2026

Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026

January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026 Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...

02/05/2026

Dalet Flex LTS Delivers Smarter Search, Faster Editing, and an AI-Ready Foundation for Modern Media

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...

01/05/2026

NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to Integrate Dolby's Full Suite of Premium Picture and Sound Innovations

January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...

01/04/2026

DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION

January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...

25/03/2026

Gray Media to Simulcast 2026 Atlanta Braves Home Opener

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

25/03/2026

2026 NAB Show Exhibitor Insight: Appear

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

25/03/2026

Deepfakes Vulnerable to AI Fingerprint Hacks, Study Finds

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

25/03/2026

SipMX launches at NAB Show 2026 to democratize media orch...

SipRadius, specialists in secure, low-latency media transport, will drive innovation and interoperability still further with the launch of the SipMX Alliance at...

25/03/2026

QuickLink to Showcase StudioPro Video Production Ecosyste...

QuickLink, a leading provider of award-winning video production and remote contribution solutions, will showcase its award-winning StudioPro ecosystem at The 2...

25/03/2026

Alfalite returns to NAB Show alongside FOR-A showcasing L...

Alfalite, the only European manufacturer of LED screens, will once again be present at NAB Show, the leading global event for the broadcast, media and entertain...

25/03/2026

First Time Exhibitor IPC Introduces One Link Keypanels fo...

PC, a leading provider of integrated communication solutions, will make its NAB 2026 Show debut in Booth C 3341. The company will highlight the newly branded On...

25/03/2026

LTN showcases satellite-to-IP migration solutions for cha...

Open video transport network simplifies satellite transition with new partnerships and global reach as spectrum auction nears LTN will demonstrate how its purp...

25/03/2026

Leader to present full suite of advanced Test and Measure...

Test & measurement innovator, Leader Electronics, will present the full range of Leader, PHABRIX and LeaderPhabrix T&M solutions at the NAB Show, which takes pl...

25/03/2026

MNC Software Appoints Heartland Video Systems as North Am...

MNC Software, a global leader in network management and operational support systems tailored to the broadcast and media industry, today announced the appointmen...

25/03/2026

Samsung Launches Shoppable TV Experience with Amazon

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

25/03/2026

Gray Media to Simulcast 2026 Atlanta Braves to Home Opener

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

25/03/2026

Starfish highlights flexible TS Splicer releases and new Monitoring Dashboard at NAB Show

Starfish highlights flexible TS Splicer releases and new Monitoring Dashboard at...

25/03/2026

XLNTSOUND Elevates Video Production with Blackmagic Design

XLNTSOUND Elevates Video Production with Blackmagic Design Brie Clayton March 24, 2026 0 Comments Audio company upgrades workflow with Blackmagic Cine...

25/03/2026

First Time Exhibitor IPC Introduces One Link Keypanels for One Connect Intercom Platform at NAB 2026

First Time Exhibitor IPC Introduces One Link Keypanels for One Connect Intercom ...

25/03/2026

Blowing Off Steam: How Power-Flexible AI Factories Can Stabilize the Global Energy Grid

At the half-time whistle of the UEFA EURO 2020 round of 16 football match betwee...

24/03/2026

Utah Scientific to Showcase a Variety of Hybrid SDI/IP Innovations at the 2026 NAB Show

Utah Scientific to Showcase a Variety of Hybrid SDI/IP Innovations at the 2026 N...

24/03/2026

NAB 2026: Mediaproxy Highlights Enhancements to its LogServer suite at NAB Show 2026

Mediaproxy will showcase an updated version of its LogPlayer interface at NAB Sh...

24/03/2026

Canada's Cgep de Jonquire and Calrec Take Five With a TV Studio Upgrade

C gep de Jonqui re, a public college in Qu bec, has upgraded its TV studio complex with five Calrec Brio consoles and a Dante IP network. The installation was c...

24/03/2026

American Association of Professional Baseball Expands Broadcast Partnerships with RYZ, Bally Sports Live, NLSE, FTF Sports, and SLVR

The American Association of Professional Baseball (AAPB) has announced new and r...

24/03/2026

Ateme KYRION Enabled NT's Nationwide Contribution Network During Southeast Asian Games 2025

National Telecom Public Company Limited (NT) used Ateme's KYRION platform fo...

24/03/2026

FDJ United Upgrades Lottery Production with Grass Valley UHD Cameras

Grass Valley has expanded its relationship with ImSoPROD, the TV production entity of FDJ United, with the deployment of LDX C98 compact cameras across its nati...

24/03/2026

Scripps Sports Launches Free Streaming Channel Scripps Sports Network on March 24

The E.W. Scripps Company is launching Scripps Sports Network (SSN), a free, ad-s...

24/03/2026

SVG Sit-Down: NEP Platform VP Dan Murphy on Software-Driven Production and the Future of Live Sports Workflows

NEP Group has launched NEP Platform, a new software orchestration system that un...

24/03/2026

Daktronics Installs New Video Display and Ribbon Boards at Chase Field

Daktronics has partnered with the Arizona Diamondbacks to design, manufacture and install a new LED video display and three ribbon boards at Chase Field in Phoe...

24/03/2026

Grass Valley Upgrades University of Pittsburgh Athletics to ST 2110 IP Production Infrastructure

Grass Valley has completed an upgrade of University of Pittsburgh Athletics'...

24/03/2026

Daktronics to Upgrade LED Displays at Wrigley Field

Daktronics is upgrading eight LED displays at Wrigley Field in Chicago, totaling more than 8,300 square feet, using the Daktronics Renew product line. The upgra...

24/03/2026

ASG Appoints Kevin Poole as Senior Project and Support Manager

Advanced Systems Group has appointed Kevin Poole as Senior Project and Support Manager within the ASG Workflow and Tools practice. The position is newly created...

24/03/2026

SVG New Sponsor Spotlight: Verimatrix's Juan Martinez on Safeguarding Live Sports Content

In an increasingly streaming-centric world, protecting high-value live sports co...

24/03/2026

The Countdown Is On! Prep for Vegas with SVG's SportsTech@NABShow Blog

Mediaproxy will showcase an updated version of its LogPlayer interface at NAB Show, April 19-22 in Las Vegas, booth W1423. The update includes AI tools, native ...

24/03/2026

The Creator Economy's Growing Impact: Building the Modern Production Studio With Second Rodeo Productions' CEO Scott Brown

The production studio has worked with content juggernauts such as MrBeast, The R...

24/03/2026

MLB Local Media To Keynote Regional Sports Production Summit, June 29-30, Denver

The event will also feature a State of the Industry address from sports-media veteran and strategic advisor Patrick Crakes....

24/03/2026

Victory+ Launches NWSL Sunday Night Soccer Franchise

Victory , a free sports streaming service owned by A Parent Media Co. (APMC), has launched its NWSL Sunday Night Soccer franchise. The platform says the launch ...

24/03/2026

FAST Sports: Contrary to Some Data, Sports Does Have a Future on FAST

Sports content in free streaming is still relatively scant, but it's growing, right along with its monetization capabilities Streaming-tech company Wurl re...

24/03/2026

New Doc Sports Heaven: The Birth of ESPN' Produced by ESPN Historian Mike Soltys Arriving April 6

Directed by Greg DeHart, the doc will feature Sports Broadcasting Hall of Famers...

24/03/2026

Tubi Unveils Plans for Creator-Driven Formula 1 Altcasts in Partnership With Apple TV

For the first time ever, Tubi - Fox's free streaming service - is working w...

24/03/2026

What Does 19% Year-Over-Year Growth Sound Like? For Canadian Artists, It Sounds Like a Career

As the music industry gathers for Canada's Juno Awards, the local edition of...

24/03/2026

Meet SongDNA, a New Beta Feature That Reveals the Creative Connections Behind Your Favorite Tracks

Behind every great song is a complex web of people, stories, and inspirations th...

24/03/2026

The Big Picture' Co-Host Sean Fennessey on Spielberg and the Art of the Interview

Few filmmakers have shaped popular cinema as profoundly as Steven Spielberg. So ...

24/03/2026

ALM/Busy Circuits announce the Quaid Gigaslope & FMco

Latest Eurorack modules revealed ALM/Busy Circuits have just introduced another two Eurorack modules, delivering a powerful new modulator that builds on the...

24/03/2026

Akai Pro unveil the MPC Sample

Smallest, most affordable MPC to date Akai Pro have just introduced their most accessible standalone sampler to date, making the iconic MPC experience avail...

24/03/2026

Electro-Harmonix release Oceans Abyss editor

Create & manage presets on Windows & macOS Electro-Harmonix have announced that their free Mac/Windows application now allows users of their Oceans Abyss re...

24/03/2026

Rohde & Schwarz amplifiers enable high-field immunity testing expansion at IB Lenhardt Lab

Rohde & Schwarz amplifiers enable high-field immunity testing expansion at IB Le...

24/03/2026

NFVF CALL FOR PROPOSALS: FEMALE FILMMAKER PROJECT FACILITATING COMPANY 2026

The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) invites eligible Tier 1 and 2 South African production companies to submit proposals to serve as the Facilitating ...

24/03/2026

L3Harris Ramps Up Production for Counter-Unmanned Systems

L3Harris ramps up production of its VAMPIRE C-UxS system....