First Look at Naomi Watts’ Princess Diana Makeover
Naomi Watts has been transformed into Princess Diana.
The first photos from the set of "Caught in Flight" — a movie focusing on the last two years of the life of Diana, Princess of Wales, including her romance with heart surgeon Hasnat Khan — show British-born, Australian-raised Watts looking eerily similar to the royal, who died in a tragic car crash in 1997.
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Gone are 43-year-old Watts' long, shiny locks. Instead, she sports Diana's famous layered hairstyle — feathered across the front and hitting her shoulders in the back. Watts clearly did her homework on Prince Charles' first wife, exhibiting many of Diana's expressions and mannerisms, from her shy smile to her doe-eyed gaze.
One scene for the movie, which is being shot in England with Oliver Hirschbiegel as director, takes place in a graveyard with Watts' Diana consoling another woman.
At an event in London in May, Watts, who is best known for her roles in "King Kong" and "21 Grams," talked about portraying the icon. "I'm looking forward to it, but am absolutely terrified," she said. "It's going to be a tough one. It's a big beast to take on. I just try to do my best."
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Still, Watts, who spent the first 14 years of her life living in Great Britain, said she is honored to be playing the role of Princess Diana. "She's a very inspiring woman, and it's impressive how she changed the whole gearing of the traditions of the royal family and opened it up and brought a warmth to it," Watts said. "I just hope we make a good film and people can learn something new about her that's interesting."
When Watts was cast, Hirschbiegel commented about his leading lady, noting, "I am delighted to have such a truly exceptional actress who embodies the warmth, humanity, and empathy of such a global icon as Princess Diana."
The movie will hit theaters in 2013.