'Off-Campus' Star Revealed One Thing She Had to Learn to Play Kate Middleton on Screen
Kate Middleton's fairytale love story with Prince William and her ever-rising popularity has made her an ideal candidate for any royal romance films and series.
Before she took the world by storm as Hannah Wells in Off Campus, actress Ella Bright had portrayed a young Kate Middleton on screen in the sixth season of The Crown. Admittedly, while transforming into the Princess of Wales was a “daunting task” for the then-16-year-old, there was one particular aspect that she had to work extra hard on. And it was getting the beloved royal’s accent right.
Middleton is easily one of the most recognizable women on the planet, and although one might think that would have made Bright’s job easier, there was a slight complication to it. Although the English-American actress has a strong British accent, it was much different from Middleton’s. While Bright diligently did her homework on Middleton, she was also aided by a dialect coach on set. “It was a bit of a daunting task! Searching up interviews, trying to figure out how the accent works - there was a dialect coach on set, which was cool as I hadn’t experienced that before. Getting to perfect my posh British accent was very fun!” she told Island Magazine.
Bright had announced her excitement about playing Middleton in The Crown through an adorable post on Instagram. The four-photo carousel was headlined by a picture of the actress’s trailer door on set. The title card on the door read, “Young Kate Middleton". Bright excitedly wrote in the caption, “AHHHH!! Still in shock over this and so beyond grateful to have been given this opportunity, thank you😭❤️” The next few pictures featured some behind-the-scenes content, a poster of the Emmy-award-winning series, and a snap of her costume.
The royal family has been the subject of many films over the years. Likewise, several films have depicted Middleton and Prince William’s sweeping love story. Grey’s Anatomy star Camilla Luddington portrayed the royal in a 2011 Lifetime film, William & Kate: The Movie. Alice St. Clair played Middleton in the Hallmark version of her and William’s romance. Despite many portrayals, The Crown remains Middleton’s biggest break as a character on screen so far. After Bright, English actress Meg Bellamy took on the role of the princess during her college years at St. Andrews on the popular Netflix show.
Although the Princess of Wales has been the heroine of many royal romance films, she has not always been depicted in a kind light on screen. Just like her and William, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s love story has also been the subject of many films, especially since they left the royal family in 2020. And in films about the Sussexes, Middleton is not exactly shown in a flattering manner. One such role was played by Laura Mitchell in the Lifetime film, Harry & Meghan: A Royal Romance. As the future queen of England, Middleton continues to receive immense attention from across the globe, making her one of the most popular figures of the present time.
