Dominic West on Playing Prince Charles on The Crown & Learning to Breakdance Like Him
TLDRDominic West discusses his role as pre-king Charles in season five of The Crown, now available on Netflix. He shares insights into the challenges of portraying a real-life figure during a difficult period, and amusingly reveals that his son also appears in the show as Prince William. West talks about meeting the late Queen and an adventurous trip to the South Pole with Prince Harry, and humorously touches on Prince Charles's unique breakdancing skills.
Takeaways
- 🎬 Dominic West plays a pre-king Charles in Season 5 of 'The Crown', available on Netflix.
- 👑 West is the fourth actor to portray King Charles on 'The Crown', considering the roles of Charles as a child.
- 📺 West's own son plays Prince William in the series, landing the role due to a casting need for a blue-eyed blonde boy.
- 🚲 Despite acting as royalty, West's son aspires to be a football (soccer) player rather than an actor.
- 💎 There's discussion about Dominic West being 'too handsome' to play King Charles, a compliment he modestly acknowledges.
- 😧 Season 5 of 'The Crown' depicts a particularly low and embarrassing point in Prince Charles's life.
- 👨🎓 West met the late Queen Elizabeth II in 2013 during a charity event, which also included Prince Harry.
- 🚨 Prince Harry showcased his artistic skills by sculpting artistic latrines out of snow during a South Pole charity walk.
- 💃 A unique anecdote shared involves Prince Charles breakdancing at a youth center, a rare sight highlighted in the show.
- 🕺 Dominic West found it challenging to replicate Prince Charles's 'arrhythmic' dancing style, emphasizing how hard it is to dance out of rhythm.
Q & A
Who is the guest being interviewed in the transcript?
-The guest being interviewed is Dominic West, who played Jimmy McNulty in The Wire and later portrayed Prince Charles in season five of The Crown.
What is Dominic West's son's role in season five of The Crown?
-Dominic West's son plays the role of Prince William in season five of The Crown.
What was the reason Dominic West's son was chosen for the role of Prince William?
-Dominic West's son was chosen for the role because the casting director was looking for a blue-eyed, blonde boy who was 13 and starting boarding school, and West suggested his son fit the description perfectly.
What is the public's perception of Dominic West's casting as Prince Charles?
-The public has commented that Dominic West is too handsome to play Prince Charles, with some even comparing him more to Prince Charming than Charles.
Which period of Prince Charles's life does season five of The Crown depict?
-Season five of The Crown depicts what is considered the lowest point of Prince Charles's life.
What was the nature of the trip that Dominic West and Prince Harry went on together?
-Dominic West and Prince Harry went on a trip to the South Pole to support three teams of wounded soldiers and veterans.
What unique skill did Prince Harry display during the South Pole trip?
-Prince Harry displayed a unique skill in sculpting artistic latrines out of snow during the South Pole trip.
How did Dominic West prepare for the role of Prince Charles, especially the breakdancing scene?
-Dominic West had to learn how to dance like Prince Charles, which involved a lot of practice and breaking down the movements. The challenge was in dancing out of rhythm, as Prince Charles's dancing was described as arrhythmic.
What type of dancing is Prince Charles known for?
-Prince Charles is known for Scottish dancing and taking part in traditional dances when visiting villages or traveling abroad.
What was the public's reaction to the video of Prince Charles breakdancing?
-The public found the video of Prince Charles breakdancing bizarre and amusing, with many expressing that it would have been a highly popular video if it had been on YouTube.
What was the atmosphere like when Dominic West met the late Queen?
-Dominic West described the atmosphere as positive, mentioning that the Queen looked super happy to meet him during their encounter in 2013.
Outlines
🎬 Dominic West as Pre-King Charles in 'The Crown'
Dominic West discusses his role as Prince Charles in season five of 'The Crown', highlighting his transition from playing Detective Jimmy McNulty in 'The Wire' to the royal character. He mentions his son's involvement in the show as Prince William and shares anecdotes about meeting the late Queen in 2013, as well as his participation in a charity walk to the South Pole with Prince Harry. West also talks about the challenge of portraying Charles's breakdancing, based on actual footage of the Prince, and the importance of capturing the unique, rhythm-less style of his dance moves.
💃 The Challenge of Emulating Prince Charles' Dance Moves
In this segment, Dominic West delves deeper into the intricacies of portraying Prince Charles's distinctive dance style, particularly his breakdancing. He describes the process of learning the dance, which lacked a consistent rhythm and was a blend of late 70s disco and traditional Scottish reels. West humorously acknowledges the difficulty of dancing out of time to accurately reflect Charles's dancing abilities and shares the public's amusement at seeing the royal breakdance. The discussion also touches on the Prince's passion for dancing and how it is depicted in the show, providing insight into the character's multifaceted personality.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Dominic West
💡The Wire
💡The Crown
💡Prince Charles
💡Buckingham Palace
💡Breakdancing
💡South Pole
💡Prince's Trust
💡Scottish Dancing
💡Veterans
💡Acting
Highlights
Dominic West plays the role of pre-king Charles in season five of The Crown, now available on Netflix.
Dominic West is the fourth actor to portray Prince Charles in The Crown.
Dominic West's son also appears in season five of The Crown, playing Prince William.
The casting director sought a blue-eyed blonde boy of 13 for the role of Prince William, and Dominic West suggested his own son.
Dominic West's son aspires to be a football (soccer) player rather than an actor.
Dominic West acknowledges the challenge of playing King Charles during his life's low point.
The actor mentions meeting the late Queen in 2013 and jokes about his frosted tips hairstyle.
Dominic West participated in a walk to the South Pole with Prince Harry to support wounded soldiers.
Prince Harry's artistic side was revealed through his sculpting of snow latrines during the South Pole walk.
Dominic West describes Prince Charles's dancing abilities and his participation in traditional dances.
Prince Charles's breakdancing footage is mentioned as a surprising and bizarre moment.
Dominic West had to learn how to breakdance like Prince Charles, which was challenging due to the lack of rhythm.
The actor humorously suggests that Prince Charles should not dance again after seeing the breakdancing video.
Dominic West comments on Prince Charles's passion for Scottish dancing and its similarity to Electric Slide.
The interview ends with a call for Dominic West to receive American citizenship and a reminder that season five of The Crown is streaming on Netflix.