HERE’S an exclusive behind the scenes clip from Oscar-winning film The King’s
Speech.
Stars of the film including COLIN FIRTH, HELENA BONHAM CARTER and
GEOFFREY RUSH give their commentary on the story behind the
incredible movie.
Firth explained: “We’ve tended to refer to this as the ‘B plot’ in history.”
The flick sees King George VI, the father of Queen Elizabeth II, reluctantly
ascend to the throne after his brother Edward abdicates to marry American
divorcee Wallis Simpson.
And the lead actor continued: “If (their affair) is the ‘A plot’, the one we
all know about; the romance, or the scandal… what is not addressed very
often is what was happening in the wings, which was the poor chap who had to
take it on as a result.”
In the box office smash, George (known as Bertie) is unwilling because he
suffers from a debilitating stammer which prevents him from even telling his
daughters bedtime stories, let alone fulfilling his royal duties. After a
particularly awkward speech, broadcast across the entire British Empire, his
wife Elizabeth (Bonham Carter) seeks the help of a maverick Australian
therapist named Lionel Logue (Rush).
And in our clip, director TOM HOOPER described: “Bertie suffered
from this terrible stammer, he obviously hoped as the younger brother he was
never going to have to be king and therefore he could probably get away with
this affliction. But then because of the abdication crisis, he has to take
on that role at the moment in history when radio has come in as a mass
medium.”
The film cleaned up at the Academy Awards this year with 12 nominations and 4
Oscar wins, including a first-time gong for Firth.