Can't Get Enough of Alicent? Watch Olivia Cooke Scheme Her Way to the Top in This Period Gem
This project was the perfect preparation for the role of Alicent Hightower.
While you eagerly await the third season of House of the Dragon, here's a wonderful opportunity to get to know one of its stars, Olivia Cooke, better.
Before she became Alicent Hightower, Olivia Cooke portrayed the complex and ambitious Rebecca Sharp in the 2018 miniseries Vanity Fair.
What Is 'Vanity Fair' About?
Against the backdrop of the Napoleonic Wars, the story follows Rebecca Sharp, a clever and daring orphan and the daughter of a self-destructive artist and a French dancer.
Becky finds herself at the bottom of the social ladder and is willing to do anything to escape poverty and rise into high society.
With her keen intellect, acting talent, and striking appearance, she masterfully manipulates both men and women, turning her life into a strategic game for status and wealth.
2018's 'Vanity Fair' Is Different From the 2004 Version Starring Reese Witherspoon
While the brilliant yet somewhat superficial 2004 adaptation starring Reese Witherspoon was a product of its time – an era of glamour and glossy cinema – the 2018 version is far sharper and more socially edgy.
Created by showrunner Gwyneth Hughes and director James Strong, the new version deliberately eschews rose-tinted glamour. Here, Becky is not just a scheming careerist but a complex individual operating on the fringe of morality.
The series neither condemns nor excuses her but rather invites viewers to understand the intricacies of her actions for themselves.
Becky Sharp Is One of the Best Roles in Olivia Cooke's Career
For Olivia Cooke, who had already attracted attention for her role in the indie drama Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, her work on Vanity Fair was pivotal.
The actress admitted that she immediately fell in love with the script because of its contemporary appeal. Cooke's Becky Sharp is multifaceted and devoid of definitive characteristics – she embodies inner strength, cynicism, unhealed pain, and the thrill of a gamble.
This role was the perfect preparation for her portrayal of Alicent Hightower, another complex woman forced to wage a sophisticated struggle for survival in a male-dominated world.
What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'Vanity Fair'?
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Vanity Fair has 89% from both critics and viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.
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On IMDb, the miniseries has a score of 7.2/10.
Where to Watch 'Vanity Fair'?
Vanity Fair is available to stream on Prime Video.
