Hi Elizabeth (and Lindy),

Ryan Murphy is interested in meeting with you about Feud. He said he is happy to coordinate with you while you're in New York, and work around your screening schedule for Tribeca/fittings for the Met.

Your contract with Netflix is a nonissue, so if you want to do it you can go for it.

Let me know and I'll liaise with his people.

Best,

Jack Whigham
Co-Head, Motion Picture Talent

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Hard pass.

E.

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Do you care to elaborate?

I don't think I need to make clear to you what a fantastic opportunity this would be, both for you and for me (and frankly for Lindy). He's a powerhouse. I understand if it just doesn't interest you, but please do me (and by extension, Ryan's people) more courtesy than "hard pass."

Jack Whigham
Co-Head, Motion Picture Talent

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Jack, I do not think I need to explain to you why I'm not interested in playing Princess Diana, ever, let alone for a notorious drama queen.

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I understand you have a relationship with her children, but if it were me I'd rather someone with empathy and understanding (like yourself) take this on rather than know it's in the hands of another actress. But if it makes you uncomfortable, we can pass.

I'll say you're busy, but flattered. Sound good?

Jack Whigham
Co-Head, Motion Picture Talent

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Let me make some things clear:

I am neither busy nor flattered where this project is concerned. I could only be more insulted if he accosted me himself on the street, begging me to do it, and even then I'd at least be impressed with his willingness to look like the attention whore he is.

On that note, I'm disgusted that this project exists, period. It is not a question of who ultimately plays the part, because I am far from the only empathetic person out there in my demographic who deeply admired Princess Diana and would I'm sure be compassionate in a portrayal of her – it is that, on the eve of the 20th anniversary of her very untimely death, a classless attention seeker like Ryan Murphy is going around peddling a supposedly 'sympathetic' portrait of the devolution of her marriage (not to mention her life). There is no 'really cool way' to do this (his words, not mine), and I find it patronising that he's claiming to approach it with 'love and understanding and kindness' (again, his words) when the very existence of this project at this point in time flies in the face of those words. Where is the love and understanding and kindness for her family? Her family that once again includes small children, I might add. It is deplorable.

I am a fan of much of Mr Murphy's work, and creatively respect him. HOWEVER: let us not pretend for one moment that he is looking to cast someone like me not just for my talent and my name but for the inevitable questions about how it felt to play someone I not only looked up to but who is the deceased mother of two close friends of mine. Not really sure why, but the royal family sells like crazy in the States, and it'd be naïve to think he would not use that to his advantage in casting me and having me promote the show. I do not think it's a stretch to imagine a day when we would be asked about the coincidence of my private and professional lives in this project, providing an opportunity for Mr Murphy to look like a valiant and caring defender of Diana's legacy via having her sons' friend play her, and admonish the very same parasitic press he courts for diminishing the supposedly honourable story he alleges to tell.

In the meantime, do not presume to know what other people would think of someone portraying their dead mother. I don't even know what they would think, nor do I plan to be the one to bring it up, I just know that it's not a bridge I wish to personally cross, ever. To me it feels deeply disrespectful.

I've looped in Celine, so she knows how I feel and that RM is interested. I can also loop in Kensington Palace if you'd like.

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Bit harsh about Ryan himself, El.

Will you at least take a meeting with him? If this is how you really feel, and can articulate it as much, it'd almost be doing me a favor to give him the courtesy of a meeting and turn him down yourself. Might even give him some perspective he doesn't have.

Jack Whigham
Co-Head, Motion Picture Talent

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Honestly Jack, I know you mean well, but no.

I'm not in the business of educating drama queens looking to glamourise the last years of the mother of my friends. I usually give people the benefit of the doubt, but I'm not really looking to be convinced of his good intentions, it feels very dirty to me by nature.

You can tell him you fought for the meeting and that I was deeply disinterested, I don't mind you saying that. I understand that you need to protect your interests too, and that I'm uniquely opposed to this much more adamantly than most people are about anything. But I'm not meeting with that human leech.

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Now is probably a good time to remind you all that it was only two years ago that the entire contents of my office's email server was made available to the entire Internet. Elizabeth, please watch your keyboard about one of the most sought-after multihyphenates in the industry right now, I'd appreciate it.

Just to add my two pennies: my assistant has already been fielding calls with regard to this. It appears Mr Murphy made a comment about meeting with many 'famous established British actresses' in addition to unknowns. It also appears Elizabeth has been on many 'dream cast' or 'fan cast' lists to play Diana, including those made by some reasonably reputable publications (People, E!, IndieWire). Even if RM had not shown actual interest, there would have already been this sort of whispering, and I think it makes Elizabeth's concerns, though harsh with regard to Mr Murphy, all the more valid.

Not for nothing, there is of course a chance he will be at the Met next week.

Sent from my iPhone

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Re the Met: is that a joke?

Regardless – Jack, I know it was harsh. It has to be. This is a hard line for me. No conversation could possibly change this, because my concerns are fundamental, not on principle.

Throw him a bone, tell him I really liked OJ.

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You're a piece of work, Alton, but I'm not ashamed to say I laughed. I liked OJ too. Though to be fair, your good friends the Kardashians thought the portrayal of their dead father in that was sympathetic (though more to your point – not sure how the Simpson kids, Browns & Goldmans feel).

But, regardless: consider it done.

And in case it wasn't clear from the above – I get it. Friends are our family, etc. etc. and you do not have to defend your wanting to protect yours to me. I don't really agree about Ryan, but we can agree to disagree on that. Please know that, as ever, I can keep your confidence on this, and both understand and respect why you feel as you do. Your friends are lucky to have you.

Jack Whigham
Co-Head, Motion Picture Talent

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Well since you bring the commoners into this... point taken.

If he wants to email me personally and privately (NOT approach me at the Met or some shite – Celine, protect me), and agrees in writing not to disclose that we communicated about this project, he is welcome to reach out. I'm not looking to be convinced, but he is welcome to make a case and I'm happy to (POLITELY, Celine, I promise) formally decline it myself.

Including Oliver to cover all bases.

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Seems you all have this under control, although Elizabeth I would echo Jack in saying your interpretation of Ryan is quite harsh. I understand this is personal for you, and I know you're too smart to need reminding, but nonetheless please be careful to whom you say those sorts of things, he's well-liked if annoyingly ubiquitous.

It's overkill but nonetheless prudent to seek an NDA if this is that important to you. Oliver, I can help you with language and then we can conference with Jack.

And unprofessional as it may be I never quite get tired of Elizabeth calling the Kardashians commoners. Do carry on.