In 2011, Madonna directed the box-office bomb W.E., a loosely historical (not really) look at the lives of Wallis Simpson and abdicated King Edward VIII, aka the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. Madonna got some of it right – the superficial stuff about Wallis’s clothes and jewelry, and she also cast the film correctly – Andrea Riseborough looks so much like Wallis, and James D’Arcy had that milky-posh look of Edward. Still, the film was not good and it’s not any kind of real history of the couple or their politics (which tended towards fascistic). I would be completely on board for a real, authentic historical drama about Wallis and Edward and their marriage and all of that. And we might get it, at some point. With Cate Blanchett as Wallis?! I could see that too.
With Meghan having moved back to Los Angeles, Hollywood is preparing to dramatise the story of another U.S. divorcee who lured her husband away from the Royal Family. Author Anna Pasternak has sold the film rights to her biography of Wallis Simpson, The American Duchess, to Tinseltown production company The Gotham Group. Cate Blanchett is to be approached about playing the Duchess of Windsor.
‘It’s rather thrilling as they made me a really generous offer,’ says Anna, the great-niece of Doctor Zhivago author Boris Pasternak. ‘Personally, I think Damian Lewis would be wonderful as Wallis’s husband.’
The Duke of Windsor caused the 1936 abdication crisis when he gave up the throne to marry Wallis.
‘Now Meghan has moved back to Hollywood, never has it been timelier to consider the fate of the original American duchess,’ Pasternak says. ‘As both could attest, life has always been difficult for women marrying into the Royal Family.’
Wallis was a million times more scandalous (and problematic) than Meghan ever was. Wallis was banging other dudes while she was “seeing” Edward, and one of her lovers was a Nazi! Maybe that was a smear on Wallis after the fact, but there is evidence that she was (pre-war) lovers with a Nazi official named Joachim von Ribbentrop in London, and that she passed along information to help the Nazis. All Meghan ever did was eat some avocados and exist as a biracial woman.
Anyway, this post is truly some vintage tea mixed with a dreamcasting situation. Plus I just like looking at Wallis’s lowkey wedding gown! I think Cate Blanchett is a good choice for Wallis (as was Andrea, frankly). I don’t really think Damian Lewis would be the best choice for Edward though? Damian is too sexy to play Edward. They need someone more *pinched* and posh. Tobias Menzies, maybe? Remember The King’s Speech, where Colin Firth brilliantly played King George VI? Firth wasn’t the first choice for that role – originally, they wanted Paul Bettany. Bettany would be a good Edward too.
Photos courtesy of WENN, Avalon Red.
What bothers me in some comments sections in the media that Meghan And Harry non-fans say they are “just like” the Windsors. They aren’t in many many ways.
Same!
It’s extremely insulting.
Wallis and Edward were literally Nazis who sold out their country for racism and glory. They’re disgusting and this whitewashing and aggrandizement when there are Nazis openly walking the streets and serving in the police departments and military and as president seems hopelessly and grossly cynical and tone-deaf. Harry and Meghan are nothing like them. It’s gross.
Ridiculously far from the truth.
Hmm I think Cate is plausible. Rachel Brosnahan and Marion Cottilard can also resemble Wallis.
I was thinking Marion Cotillard as well! But also agree with RB.. either of them would be a great fit and look the part.
I guess you could say Wallis performed a service for Great Britain-she got the spineless, Nazi loving Edward off the throne.
Cate B. could play the hell out of Wallis.
➕💯 Jerusha. I’d never thought about it like that, but there is strong truth in your statement. I’d like to see a film that finally depicts the Windsor’s life as it was and not this fantasy love story of the century. I’m there for almost any role Blanchett plays. And, finally, I am sick of the RR trying to make Meghan into Wallis. What do they have in common other than being American, divorced, and marrying a British Royal? It’s like saying Obama and Trump are just alike because they were both elected president!
Kaiser, something very important is missing from your W.E review: Oscar Isaac is in it and he is (unsurprisingly) ridiculously attractive. He’s the reason I watched this film several times.
Oscar Isaac is always worth watching – he’s ridiculously attractive as well as talented.
Omg, me too!!
And the jewelry
I feel like Cate Blanchett is too old to play Wallis, who was in her 30’s when she met Edward. I guess it’s better than JLaw or Margot Robbie, who I’m sure would be the next two choices.
This is not really a real problem because Wallis Simpson has always looked been more older than her real aged. Then by the time she starts frequent Edward she is in her mid-thirties.
Cate Blanchett is only 50 years old but she is still beautiful and looks more younger than Wallis during her young aged.
You’re right – Wallis Simpson had a very ‘chiseled’ look to her, all hard angles, wide jaw and because she was so thin her age really showed.
There are photos of her as a younger woman during the time she was married to her first husband Winfield Spencer (who was abusive to her). I think that first horrible marriage aged her.
KB is an excellent choice to play WS. The costumes alone will make it worth seeing….
I usually try to skip over the excerpts from the Daily Flail and just read your commentary. I read the first line today about the horrors of Megan being a divorcee and luring her husband from his family. Vom, vom, vom. Will stick to skipping over the excerpts.
Also Tobias Menzies is too old to play Edward at that age (checks Wikipedia for his age, eh, nevermind he’s not too old). I liked him okay as Phillip in The Crown but I couldn’t stop thinking how well he would play present day Charles.
I just love CB. She’s beautiful
Damian Lewis is def too sexy to play Edward. I think that James D’Arcy was really good casting for W.E. but I could def see Laurence Fox as Edward. He’s got that upper-class, equine look.
Laurence Fox is also a mega asshat like Edward was so perfect casting.
@ digital unicorn : I’m reading a book about Wallis and Edward (“ Wallis In Love”), it seems Edward was indeed an a**hat and also was desperate to avoid being king, wanting to be passed over in the line of succession even before he met Wallis. That reminded me of Harry who spoke of leaving the royal life years before he met Meghan. Both women were blamed for being “the cause” of the men leaving royal life but that just seems too simplistic to me. It seems like both men had wanted to leave for a long time.
Edward was really the cause from what I read.. He was totally besotted with Wallis. He did not want to compromise and keep her as mistress, he wanted to marry her.
I love Wallis’s wedding dress, she had style and had a jewellery collection that would have put TQ’s bling to shame.
Out of the 2 of them, Wallis was the most interesting – she was everything he wasn’t. She was intelligent, charming and witty. He was a boor, spoilt and not very bright.
She was a horrible person but she did have exquisite taste – and she is credited with the original idea for the iconic Zip Necklace by Van Cleef & Arpels.
Her jewelry collection was amazing – and quite avantgarde. Wonderful art deco pieces by Cartier, etc as well as smaller but really celebrated jewelers such as Suzanne Belperron.
I keep saying that Pippa, the Duchess of Cambridge’s sister, looks just like her. Wish someoe would agree with me
Sarah I am your someone! I think she looks exactly like Wallis Simpson .
Thanks, Xpression. And that is without the hairdo and dark lipstick.
I’m lucky enough to own a DVD copy of a TV series done in 1978 called Edward and Mrs. Simpson starring Edward Fox and Cynthia Harris. It covers the time from just before they met when he was still romancing Thelma Furness up to the time he abdicated, the press finally found out about Wallis and she had to be rushed out of the UK to France. It’s extraordinarily well done and the physical resemblance to the real life characters is amazing. I’m a bit of an Edward/Wallis fanatic and have a whole library shelf full of books on them. As elegant and stylish as she was, she had all the integrity of a pit viper and quite deliberately spun the web Edward (or David as she called him) got caught in. She would have been quite happy being his mistress and didn’t really want the responsibility of being Queen, just the perqs.
There were two made for TV films I remember:
One with Faye Dunaway and RIchard Chamberlain
The other with Jane Seymour and Anthony Andrews
Loved that series!
I’ve read the books and did see several TV specials about Wallis and Edward. I do think she wanted the best of two worlds: an affair with Edward (who kept giving her jewelry and an upscale social life) and the respectability of her marriage to Simpson. I really think she was realistic about the effect a marriage would have (as opposed to Edward who thought things would be fine and he could go back to living in England).
Cate B. As Wallis would be great. I honestly can’t think of a present day actor who could portray Edward. He would need that posh upper-class arrogance plus an underlying narcissism that was such a part of Edward’s character.
As much as I like Jared Harris, I didn’t think he was the actor to portray the king in “The Crown” as he was too robust physically. It will be interesting to see who will play Edward.
Add floor length white dress that Wallace is wearing is so very much Kean Katie’s style! The buttons! The bad fitting! There word bust!!