Churchill, a new film about Great Britain’s most celebrated Prime Minister, looks specifically at Winston Churchill’s (Brian Cox) leadership during World War II, and how his wife, Clementine Churchill (Miranda Richardson) inspired him and kept him sane.

The stars of the new movie, Richardson and Cox, recently sat down with uInterview to discuss their roles and their relationship off the screen in an exclusive video interview.

While many movies, shows, and books, have told the story of Churchill’s public persona – he was known, and feared, by many as ‘The British Bulldog’ – few have showed the more vulnerable, private life that he held with his wife. Churchill takes a closer examination at this relationship.

“They have a tremendous friendship, on top of everything else that you would hope from a marriage. She was kind of a mother to this big baby,” Richardson told uInterview exclusively about her character, Clementine. “He had never known his mother, she was terrified of her mother. But it was something she could do and do very well because she knew when to come in and advise.”

“There is an amazing story about the Graham Sutherland portrait that they had made of Churchill,” Cox continued off of his co-star’s thought. “It’s a portrait where Churchill is in the bottom third and the rest is dominated [by the background]. When that portrait was unveiled, there is a video of [Clementine] watching Winston’s reaction. She is gimlet eyed, watching his reaction and when the picture is revealed … he kind of bats, ‘Oh, a victim of modern art.’ That painting was given to the family and she, and I believe it was she, had it burned.”

Like their characters on screen, Cox and Richardson shared a mutual affection for each other. Never having worked together, the two actors could only admire one another from afar. Once they began to film Churchill though, the chemistry was clear.

Said Cox, “[The chemistry] was kind of instant. I’d long admired Miranda and when I knew she was coming on board I couldn’t have been happier.”

Richardson agreed. “Likewise. I’ve said to Brian, and he feels, that we work fairly similarly. We are both very instinctive. We don’t muck about, we’re kind of like, ‘lets see what this feels like.'”

For those who enjoy the work Cox and Richardson produce together, get excited, there may be more.

When speaking about working together in the future, Richardson said, “We hope to do it again.”

To which Cox responded, simply but assuredly, “Yes!”

Churchill hits theaters Friday, June 2.

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Q: What's the key to the relationship between Churchill and Clementine? -

Miranda Richardson - "They have a tremendous friendship on top of everything else that you would hope from a marriage. She was kind of a mother to this big baby. He had never known his mother. She was terrified of her mother. But it was something she could do and do very well because she knew when to come in and advise. In the old fashioned sense, she was a proper help meat to him."

Brian Cox - "I think that's incredibly accurate, I think the friendship is the key. And also, it's the distance. They went through so much together because it wasn't an easy ride for Churchill. I mean, he was very successful, very early but it was followed by him not being liked. He wasn't as well liked as people subsequently realized about him, as the hero of the second World War, but he wasn't always well liked. She was his rock, his absolute rock. And she was the one, it was Clementine, that protected the legacy. There is an amazing story about the Graham Sutherland portrait that they had made of Churchill. It's a portrait where Churchill is in the bottom third and the rest is dominated. When that portrait was unveiled, there is a video of her watching Winston's reaction. And she is gimlet eyed watching his reaction and when the picture is revealed – because she has seen it, and she doesn't like it – he's seen it and he kind of bats, 'Oh, a victim of modern art.' That painting was given to the family and she, and I believe it was she, had it burned."

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Q: What's your favorite scene in the film? -

Miranda Richardson - "I love the one on the stairs, near the end, which is like a real reconciliation and an understanding of the support they have for each other. It's a very small scene, really. But it just says every thing."

Brian Cox - "I like the beach scene as well. I mean there are so many. Well, just to work with this person, it's a privilege."

Miranda Richardson - "Well! We hope to do it again."

Brian Cox - "Yes!"

User
Q: How did you build up chemistry for these roles? -

Miranda Richardson - "We had about thirty seconds, it's there."

Brian Cox- "It was kind of instant. I'd long admired Miranda and when I knew she was coming on board I couldn't have been happier. Because I just love her acting."

Miranda Richardson - "Likewise. I've said to Brian, and he feels, that we work fairly similarly. We are both very instinctive. We don't muck about, we're kind of like, 'lets see what this feels like.'

Brian Cox - "It's kind of 'get it, got it, good,' acting.