The actor who missed out on seeing Princess Margaret’s drum solo at Mick Jagger’s house
Sometimes, life can imitate art in the strangest of ways, and for Lesley Manville, a strange opportunity arose while working on the hit television show The Crown that would have perhaps offered a surprising insight into the royal family. The actor has built a career through working with some of the most influential directors of all time, working with Paul Thomas Anderson, Mike Leigh and Luca Guadagnino, while also becoming a series regular on the Emmy award-winning show about the gory details at the heart of the British monarchy. However, after playing Princess Margaret on the show, Manville crossed paths with her in a completely unexpected way through their mutual friendship with David Bowie.
David Bowie is infamous for his bizarre celebrity connections and friendships that run through every strand of the entertainment industry, known for his eclectic social circles and legendary star-studded parties. He was a larger-than-life figure who seemed to be the life of every party, which Manville later described when sharing her friendship with the singer.
Manville was once married to Gary Oldman, who was famously a close friend of Bowie and a fierce fan of his work. Through this connection, Manville became familiar with him, describing how this led to a bizarre opportunity that she regretted not being able to take up.
“My husband at the time knew David Bowie. I’d just had my son, and [Bowie] said, ‘Look, come over to my villa for a holiday whilst you’ve got the new baby and everything.’ I was staying in Mustique at David Bowie’s house and I then had to come home because I wasn’t well,” she explained.
“[Bowie] then rang me,” she confirmed, “and said, ‘It’s such a shame you had to go home.’ The night that I left, they’d been invited around to Mick Jagger’s, and Princess Margaret was there playing the drums! So I would have absolutely adored to have met her and seen her playing the drums. Yeah, but it didn’t happen I’m afraid because I got poorly and had to come home, which is rather annoying.”
This would undeniably become one of those memories that you kick yourself at whenever it crosses your mind, as there aren’t many singers more iconic than Mick Jagger, and the unexpected crossover with Princess Margaret is one that would have helped inform her later performance in The Crown.
The show famously requires extensive research because each character is based on a real-life historical figure, with most of the characters still alive today. It has been praised for its excellent writing and for bringing together some of the most renowned British actors working today. The team works together to create a sweeping portrait of a family shrouded in mystery and intrigue.
Members of the royal family have expressed vague interest in the series, with some of them expressing that the storylines are surprisingly accurate, revealing some fairly intimate details about their relationships with each other. While Manville was surely detailed in her research and approach to this role, many actors would love the opportunity to study their characters in real life.
