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 ...

07/10/2026

Dalet Flex LTS Delivers Smarter Media Operations from Ingest to Distribution

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...

06/09/2026

Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA World Cup 2026 in Germany with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos

June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...

25/08/2026

Open, Sustainable, Predictable: What Utah Scientific Is Bringing to IBC 2026

Open, Sustainable, Predictable: What Utah Scientific Is Bringing to IBC 2026 As broadcast leaders prepare to gather at the RAI Amsterdam for IBC 2026, the main ...

25/08/2026

The Big Shift: Inside NC State's Phased Move From SDI to SMPTE ST 2110

NC State's Matthew Byrd breaks down how an IP-based infrastructure is delivering greater flexibility and scalability for Wolfpack productions...

25/08/2026

Monumental Sports Network Adds DAZN as Distribution Partner for Monumental+ in the DMV

Deal expands the DTC reach in-market of Capitals, Wizards, Mystics games and oth...

25/08/2026

Jacksonville Jaguars Carlos Caceres on Producing Shows at an Ever-Evolving EverBank Stadium

The two-year renovation period will create a stadium of the future for the NFL f...

25/08/2026

Behind The Mic: Genie Bouchard Joins ESPN for 2026 US Open; NBC Sports Names College Football Announce Hosts

Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, includ...

25/08/2026

LD Systems Installs L-Acoustics A Series at Shell Energy Stadium in Houston

Shell Energy Stadium in Houston has installed a new L-Acoustics A Series loudspeaker system, designed and installed by LD Systems, a Clair Global brand. The 20,...

25/08/2026

FloCollege Expands Distribution and Adds Features for 2026-27 Season

FloCollege is expanding its distribution and product offerings for the 2026-27 season, covering more than 20 NCAA partner conferences across Division I, II, and...

25/08/2026

TNA Wrestling and REVOLT Announce Content Partnership

TNA Wrestling and REVOLT have announced a content partnership bringing exclusive TNA Xplosion matches and content from TNA's library to REVOLT. Our indust...

25/08/2026

Gracenote: FAST Sports Programming Growth Outpaces Channel Growth

Gracenote, Nielsen's content intelligence business, has released its Q3 2026 Data Hub analysis showing that FAST sports programming is growing at more than ...

25/08/2026

Amagi Appoints Thomas dHrouville Head of Sales for France, Benelux, and Nordics

Amagi has appointed Thomas d'H rouville as Head of Sales for France, Benelux, and Nordics. Based in Paris, he will lead Amagi's growth strategy across t...

25/08/2026

IPC Appoints CCATech as Channel Partner in Brazil

IPC has appointed CCATech as its channel partner in Brazil, expanding the company's presence in Latin America. CCATech was founded in 2023 by Carlos Abrah o...

25/08/2026

FanConnect Introduces FC4 Multi-Output Media Player

FanConnect has announced the FC4, a multi-output media player designed to drive mid-sized video walls, multi-screen concession stands, and multi-display digital...

25/08/2026

JWX Launches JWX Content Hub for Publisher Video Distribution and Monetization

JWX has launched JWX Content Hub, a platform for publisher video that combines content transformation, social distribution, audience engagement, and monetizatio...

25/08/2026

Techex Appoints Stuart Almond as Chief Revenue Officer

Techex has appointed Stuart Almond as Chief Revenue Officer. Almond brings more than 25 years of experience across technology, media, and telecommunications, ha...

25/08/2026

IBC 2026: Grass Valley to Showcase Unified SDI, IP, and Software Infrastructure

Grass Valley will demonstrate infrastructure connecting SDI, SMPTE ST 2110, MXL, and software-based processing at IBC2026 (Booth 9.A01, RAI Amsterdam, September...

25/08/2026

Taking Control: How Professional Sports Teams Are Building Their In-Market Future as the RSN Model Fractures

Franchises are taking greater ownership of production, distribution, and the fan...

25/08/2026

The PRO Tour Takes Golf Broadcasts Wireless With BMG's REMI-Driven Production Model

The first-year circuit for former professional athletes leans on LiveU, Starlink...

25/08/2026

UNIVERSAL FILM AND FOCUS FEATURES RENEW EXCLUSIVE PARTNERSHIP WITH SUNDANCE INSTITUTE TO SUPPORT RISING FILMMAKERS

Announcing the 2026 Sundance Institute Breakthrough | Focus Features Fellows L...

25/08/2026

Soundgas third John Paul Jones auction now live

Auction Part 3 running until 9 September 2026 Soundgas have announced that the latest stage of their John Paul Jones Gear Auction is now live, and that bids...

25/08/2026

MONO Music Conference programme announced

Over 60 award-winning artists, songwriters, producers, engineers The MONO Music Conference (formerly Music Expo SF), San Francisco's premier event for m...

25/08/2026

Groove Synthesis update the 3rd Wave

All three versions receive firmware upgrade Groove Synthesis have just launched a free firmware update that kits the 3rd Wave out with two major new feature...

25/08/2026

Clear-Com FreeSpeak Cell Field Trial Demonstrates Cellular Intercom Capabilities...

eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({...

25/08/2026

BMG Taps LiveU For REMI Coverage of Golf's Pro Tour

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

25/08/2026

Rate of Subscription Fee Hikes Drops for Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

25/08/2026

Law&Crime Reconvenes Court TV on Amagi CLOUDPORT

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

25/08/2026

Akta Tech To Showcase AI-First Video Platform At IBC 2026

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

25/08/2026

Major Live Sports Events Bolster Broadcast Viewing in Q2 2026

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

25/08/2026

Lingopal debuts real-time AI translation advances for mul...

Lingopal, the AI-powered live translation and localization specialist, is unveiling new platform capabilities at IBC2026 (11 14 September, RAI Amsterdam), helpi...

25/08/2026

TV5MONDE combines AI and editorial expertise with Bminty...

Bminty is supporting TV5MONDE in the evolution of its editorial processes through a new AI-assisted press information generation solution. Combining the Louise ...

25/08/2026

Two Cultures. Millions Reached. One Berklee Connection.

Two Cultures. Millions Reached. One Berklee Connection. Meet Annie Dickinson and Zhengxi Zhang-the couple who turned their creative partnership into music car...

25/08/2026

Law and Crime Moves Court TV to Amagi CLOUDPORT for Unifi...

Amagi, the media industry cloud platform for unified broadcast, streaming, and monetization, today announced that Law&Crime has migrated its Court TV channel, s...

25/08/2026

Broadcast Solutions demonstrates world-class technology a...

Broadcast Solutions, a leading systems integrator and provider of innovative solutions for the broadcast and media industry, is showcasing the breadth of its ca...

25/08/2026

Leader boosts Test and Measurement capabilities for Denma...

Thatcham, UK 25 August 2026: Test & measurement innovator, Leader Electronics, has announced that leading broadcast rental company Minitech has purchased a Le...

25/08/2026

Appear and TVTEL power centralised VAR signal transport i...

Appear's X20 Platform enables visually lossless video contribution with sub-frame latency and full path redundancy for TVTEL's centralised VAR operation...

25/08/2026

Big Blue Marble to showcase next-generation 5G Broadcast...

World-first demonstration combines 5G Broadcast and Media over QUIC for seamless, ultra-low-latency hybrid media delivery Big Blue Marble will showcase new dev...

25/08/2026

MNC Software Unveils Unified Software Suite at IBC2026 to...

MNC Software, a global leader in network management and operational support systems tailored to the broadcast and media industry, will showcase its complete sof...

25/08/2026

VAB: Ads in Local News Boost Sales and Brand Perception

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

25/08/2026

ESPN to Bump Up Streaming Subscription Prices

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

25/08/2026

HPA Opens Call for Award Entries

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

25/08/2026

CNN Returns to Air After Technical Difficulties

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

25/08/2026

Calrec to Showcase DMF Capabilities at IBC 2026

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

25/08/2026

Imagine Communications to Showcase AI and MCP Strategy at...

Company to Demonstrate Practical AI Applications That Add Value Today and Longer-Term Path Toward Agentic AI At IBC2026 (Sept. 11 14, RAI Amsterdam, Stand #1.B...

25/08/2026

KRK Kreate Series Standardizes Monitoring at Miamis WDNA...

Serving South Florida with a unique blend of jazz, Latin jazz, salsa, reggae, blues, and culturally reflective programming, WDNA 88.9FM operates as both a tradi...

25/08/2026

GlobalM Brings GMX Broadcast Platform to Oracle Cloud Inf...

GlobalM announced that it is integrating its GMX software-defined media platform with Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI), bringing together Oracle's global c...

25/08/2026

Anthony Boyle leads cast of thrilling new Sky Original Charmer

Siena Kelly, Connor Swindells and Sophie Wilde join Boyle in the eight-part series from Working Title Television and Story Films, directed by Emmy and BAFTA nom...

25/08/2026

Ella Purnell makes a killer comeback in Sweetpea Season 2: Teaser Trailer Revealed for Sky and STARZ Original

The critically acclaimed thriller will return to Sky in NovemberTuesday 25 Augus...

25/08/2026

Scottish Rugby Expands Managed Coach Communications Partnership With Riedel

Wuppertal August 25, 2026 Scottish Rugby Expands Managed Coach Communications Partnership With RiedelRiedel Communications today announced the continued expan...