By Hanna Rantala
LONDON, Oct 7 (Reuters) - Actor Andrew Scott says the biographical drama "Elsinore", which opened the 2026 London Film Festival on Wednesday, is an ode to living fully in the face of tragedy.
Scott, a stage and screen actor of "Fleabag", "Ripley" and "All of Us Strangers" fame, both stars in and produced the movie. "Elsinore" tells the true story of Scottish actor Ian Charleson, best known for his starring role in "Chariots of Fire", and is set in late 1989.
Daniel Day-Lewis has just walked off the stage in the middle of a performance of "Hamlet" and Charleson, frustrated with the film roles on offer, sees an opportunity to return to meaningful work. But as he prepares to take on the demanding titular stage role, Charleson's health begins to deteriorate after he is diagnosed with AIDS.
Directed by Simon Stone and written by Stephen Beresford, "Elsinore" centres on Charleson's final months as he defies his debilitating condition and doctors' orders to put on a triumphant performance of "Hamlet".
"It was a very big undertaking," Scott said on the red carpet near the National Theatre, where most of the film takes place. "I think the biggest thing for me was to understand that he was a man who had a great zest for life, and who was very funny and kind of charming and sexy and a wonderful person who was deeply loved and to remember how he lived as much as how he died."
Scott's performance has won wide critical acclaim and Oscar buzz. The actor said he could feel he was making something "very special" while shooting the movie.
"It's a completely wonderful part, incredible screenplay, amazing cast, and you get to do so much stuff in it. I definitely realised it was a part that doesn't come around very often."
Olivia Colman portrays pioneering doctor Margaret Johnson, whose efforts to treat stigmatized patients at the height of the AIDS crisis are highlighted in the film.
"She was a hero, as were all the families, nurses, other doctors and friends who refused to be poisoned by the paranoia. I want them to be remembered, too," Colman said.
This year's London Film Festival runs through October 18, with the lineup featuring a host of high-profile titles including John Malkovich and Sam Rockwell-led "Wild Horse Nine", Luca Guadagnino's "Artificial" starring Andrew Garfield as OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Robert Pattinson's "Primetime", classical music drama "Behemoth!" featuring Pedro Pascal and Danny Boyle's the Sun newspaper drama "Ink".
(Reporting by Hanna Rantala; Editing by Jamie Freed)
