Billie Piper is no stranger to nosy journalists. The 41-year-old British actor got her start as a pop singer when she was just 15 years old, and has been in the limelight ever since. (She retired from singing in 2003, and went on to star as Rose Tyler in Doctor Who, as well as ITV2’s Secret Diary of a Call Girl.) But now, in her latest Netflix movie, Scoop, Piper finds herself playing a character who sympathizes with the paparazzi, aka the people who have made a living out of following famous people around.

“I have more understanding, more insights, of what it takes to get a story,” Piper told Decider in a recent Zoom interview. But she does not, she said, have a newfound appreciation for Daily Mail-esque journalism. The reporting depicted in Scoop—a dramatic retelling of Prince Andrew’s infamous 2019 BBC interview, in which he callously brushed off his longtime friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein—is, Piper feels, “a different tact. People of that sort of profile, that status, that power, and privilege, in relation to something like this, need to be held accountable. As opposed to someone like Britney Spears on a Friday night—I think that they’re two different things.”

In Scoop, Piper stars as Sam McAlister, the producer who secured the interview with Prince Andrew for BBC’s Newsnight. The movie—which was directed by Philip Martin and written by Peter Moffat—depicts McAlister as an outsider among her stuffy peers. They dismiss her as a salacious gossipmonger. Yet it’s Sam’s frank attitude and dogged instincts that land the interview with Prince Andrew (played by Rufus Sewell) for respected BBC journalist Emily Maitlis (Gillian Anderson), which ultimately led to the prince resigning from all public roles. The real McAlister’s memoir inspired the script, and she was heavily involved in the film’s production.

“I was lucky, I had sort of unlimited access,” Piper said. “It was wonderful to have her on set.” Piper spoke to Decider about becoming McAlister, paparazzi journalism, I Hate Suzie Season 3, and her thoughts on the new Amy Winehouse biopic.

DECIDER: I know the real Sam McAlister was very involved in the film. What were those conversations with her like?

BILLIE PIPER: I worked very closely with her as soon as I showed interest, really. I met with her, we hung out and had some martinis—her signature drink! We sat with her a number of times, throughout the rehearsal period. And then she came to set. I was lucky, I had sort of unlimited access. And she was always willing to assist. She was so seemingly in awe of the work, that she was just willing it to go well. She’s so good-natured, it was wonderful to have her on set. It wasn’t intimidating.

Were there certain mannerisms of hers that you tried to emulate in your performance?

Yeah. I asked for videos of her walking, she’s got a very specific walk. She chews gum pretty much everywhere, which is fun. I love that it’s quite rebellious! She has a very specific way of talking. I spent some time with the dialect coach working that out—she is from a working class background, but she has been to university, and then spent her life amongst middle class people hustling in London. I think she worked out quite quickly that, to get ahead, the accent would have to slightly shift. That was certainly my experience when I moved to London. I think things are different now, and you can just be yourself—but that wasn’t the case then.

That makes for quite a specific accent. She’s so RP [Received Pronunciation, a prestigious British accent], but then she’s quite sibilant, so she’s very “s”-y. This sounds disparaging, but it’s not—she’s has flat and then round vowel sounds. You wouldn’t notice them unless you studied it and were trying to imitate it. But she has certain rhythm to the way she speaks. All of those things were the things I focused in on, whilst finding a way to make her my own. She wasn’t so public facing, so I didn’t have to do the level of accuracy that Gillian [Anderson] and Rufus [Sewell] had to do.

You also look great in the movie—I love the scene on the bus when you have your sunglasses and your leopard print shoes. Did you and Sam work with the costuming team to create her look?

Well, that’s what she wears every day of her life! [Laughs.] You never see her out of that. There’s a variation or a twist on it, maybe you, depending on the paycheck. Suddenly there’s a new bit of Fendi. But she does this thing where she buys clothes High Street and then accessories designer—very much designer. We just ripped that off, really. She gave us specific points on what brands she would wear, and when she got those. She was very helpful. I wanted to be as true to her aesthetic as possible. In real life, we don’t really look alike—our features are very, very different. We did a lot of makeup tests, changing my skin tone, and things like that. It was a lot it was a lot of prep work. Props to the makeup, hair, and costume departments, because for this, it had to be perfect. 

The wig was perfect, too! I didn’t even realize it wasn’t your hair.

The wig was crucial to get right. Because if the wig isn’t right, then you’re immediately taken out of what you’re watching. I quite often give up, if I feel there’s someone wearing a wig. It’s just pointless.

You’re playing a character who sympathizes with, and sometimes even engages in paparazzi journalism. I wonder how you felt about that, as someone who’s been in the public eye for so long and has dealt with your fair share of annoying journalists?

Sam is going to feel very differently toward these people than I do, because my experience is very different. So we will not be necessarily aligned on those things, but that doesn’t mean we can’t be friends. That stuff can be too divisive. And also, she hasn’t experienced it. She might now experience it! [Laughs.] Then we’ll ask her and see what she thinks.

Her whole approach is that you need as much as possible—to explore all links, and all types of journalistic styles, tabloids versus broadsheets. She doesn’t want to rule things out, and that ultimately makes for something more rounded. Often those publications that she goes to and champions are the publications that her parents would read. They’re more populous. They’re more mainstream. I don’t think she wants to rule that out, to constantly go for something more highbrow. She’s more inclusive in that way. I think that’s what sets her aside. It’s short-sighted for people to ignore that huge part of the British population.

Did playing this role give you any new appreciation for journalists, even maybe the ones that work at The Daily Mail?

Not really. I have more understanding, more insights, of what it takes to get a story. What it takes to get something like that onto our screen. It’s a different type of journalism, I would say, because the subject matter is really important, really sensitive and very troubling and upsetting. It’s a different tact. People of that sort of profile, that status, that power, and privilege, in relation to something like this, need to be held accountable. As opposed to someone like Britney Spears on a Friday night—I think that they’re two different things.

Tell me about working with Gillian Anderson. This was your first project together, right?

Yeah, we we’d met before at a convention, but this is the first time we’ve work together. And it was great. I really love her. I think she’s wonderful. Very easy to work with—she’s so brilliant, and so brilliant in this. I’ve always admired her as an actor. But I she does this skill very, very well—this transforming into incredibly famous figures. It’s a real skill set.

You’re both icons of sci-fi series from the ’90s and early 2000s, with fans that support you to this day— The X-Files and Doctor Who. I wonder if the two of you found any connection there having that in common?

I think we have this unspoken thing, which is like we’re these sci-fi shows. [Laughs.] That’s really the extent of it. I think we’ve connected over things like being mothers and being women in this industry, more than the sci-fi connection.

What was it like filming that big interview scene, between Gillian and Rufus, at the end of the film?

It was very affecting. When I watched that happen, I felt very emotional. And I think it’s because of the how real it felt in some way—it felt like I was witnessing it in real time. That made me a bit emotional about the content—it reminded me that I was doing a job that I felt that was important. Also, watching two incredible actors just absolutely nailed it. You can’t help but be moved by that level of performance. If two people are really committed and really present, and very much there live in front of you—and it’s happening beginning to end so it’s not broken out by technical takes—it was pretty emotionally punchy.

You recently co-created and starred in the drama series I Hate Suzie—is any chance of the Season 3? I’d love to see more of Suzie Pickles.

I mean, I’d love to do [a season that takes place] later in a female life. So, when she’s a bit older— see what comes of that, and what material comes out of the passing of time.

How much time, if you had to give an estimate?

[Laughs.]  I don’t know. I couldn’t even speak to it, to be honest. The truth is my co-creator and writer, Lucy [Prebble]—she also happens to be one of my besties—she’s just had a kid. So, she’s doing and coping with all of that. I wouldn’t want to do that without her, really.

I have to ask, since David Tennant recently returned for a few episode of Doctor Who, is there any chance Rose might have a guest appearance? Would you be interested if the opportunity arose?

I’d be interested, for sure. I’d love that.

I don’t know if you saw the trailer for the new Amy Winehouse biopic, but I know that you guys knew each other when you were younger. I would have loved to see you play Amy Winehouse, was that something you would have ever been interested in?

My god, imagine that. I mean, she was younger than me. I don’t think I could do that. Because it would be too upsetting, I think. I’ll be really interested to see how this film plays out. I think the actress is very good. And she’s also very lovely. I’m keen to see what it does, what it says, and how people respond. Because it feels… it feels quite soon. But if it’s great, then good for them. I’m definitely going to watch it.

Are there any other movies or shows you’ve been watching recently enjoying recently?

Well, they’re really like guilty pleasures. Big Mood—that’s something I’ve been watching, which is amazing. Love is Blind. [Laughs.] Woof, sorry. I’ve been rewatching, the Andy Warhol documentary as well. It’s on Netflix in the UK, but I can’t seem to find it here.

And I’ve been watching Network (1976) over and over. It’s really interesting to watch it now, given how on fire the world feels—how they were saying so many of the same things that we’re hearing now, and experiencing now. It’s quite interesting in that way. I read the script online the other day—I didn’t realize it was a play. God, it’s so theatrical. And the performances are so big, and I love that—I’m really up for a big performance. I don’t love minimalist performances. I find it frustrating. It was amazing to read.

We need the Network remake starring Billie Piper!

We do! I’d love that. Oh my god. Can you imagine? That’s what I want to do next. I want to play Faye [Dunaway]’s role.

This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.