Sam McKnight, Princess Diana’s former stylist, has revealed on Pretty Curious, Jonathan Van Ness’ podcast, why he avoids watching portrayals of the late Princess on screen. “There is so much wrong in those depictions,” he told JVN. Out of the many insights given by McKnight, this article will concentrate on how close Diana and Sam are.
He said, ” it was difficult to watch fictional dramatizations of her onscreen.”
McKnight has seen Princess Diana depicted in several on-screen productions, including Netflix’s popular series The Crown and the 2021 film Spencer. He admitted that while many people might not notice the discrepancies, the errors are glaring to him because he knew Diana personally. “To most people, they’re not mistakes because they’re only going on what their perception is,” said McKnight. “But because I knew the real person, it just looks like pantomime to me.”
Princess Diana was depicted by Emma Corrin and later Elizabeth Debicki in The Crown. Both were critically acclaimed, with Corrin winning a Golden Globe Award and Debicki earning two Emmy nominations and a Golden Globe Award as well. Nonetheless, McKnight opines that these interpretations have failed at capturing who exactly Diana was.
In the last few seasons, McKnight liked how Debicki played her role so much. He also said that Debicki was probably the closest to who Diana is in real life and even added, “Elizabeth Debicki, I feel that they kind of got it right, you know. It was as close [as the show got].”He adds that while Emma Corrin offered a glimpse into what Princess Diana might have been like, “The wigs weren’t so great.”
McKnight’s first meeting with Princess Diana was during a British Vogue photoshoot in 1990. He fondly remembered their encounter as him being disarming, charming and funny. She had introduced herself very cheerfully: She “stuck her hand out with a big smile and [said], ‘Hi, I’m Diana. What are we gonna do?’ “This warm and engaging first impression left a lasting impact on McKnight.
During the shoot, McKnight and Diana talked about what she wanted to do to her hair. She was ready for something new, and he suggested an audacious change. “At the end of the day, after we’d done the shoot, she said, ‘What would you do with my hair if I said, ‘Do anything?’” McKnight recalled. His proposal involved cutting off her perm so they could start fresh with a more sleek style. Agreeing with him, Diana left after he made this alteration.
The beginning of a seven-year working relationship between McKnight and Diana was marked by this new hairstyle, which also became iconic. The media’s portrayal of her has been largely influenced by the knowledge McKnight possesses about her style and personality.
She passed away in a car accident on August 31st, 1997, in Paris, France, at the age of 36. However, even after her early death, Diana’s life still holds sway over people worldwide and as such, it remains important to give accurate depictions of her life and character to those who know her well.
According to McKnight’s thoughts, real-life figures are difficult to depict in movies. Even though actors and film makers always try their best to capture the true personalities of these iconic people, their friends’ personal experiences and memories can point out discrepancies within these portrayals. The complexity of turning real lives into fiction is captured in McKnight’s frank criticism; hence, he underscores the need for upholding such treasured individuals true essence.
