Gillian Anderson talks about her moment at Madame Tussauds on the set of ‘The Crown’

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Playing famous characters comes with a myriad of challenges, and Gillian Anderson was tougher than most when she faced British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in the new season of “The Crown” without special effects.

Thatcher enters the Netflix television series which portrays the British royal family as they move into the 1980s, when the polarizing leader of the Conservative Party was at the height of his power.

Anderson said he didn’t use dentures, not even teeth, but relied on body language and vocal idiosyncrasies to capture Thatcher’s look.

“It was about holding my mouth the right way,” Anderson said. “Then he had very specific ways in terms of how he tilts his head and how he leans forward.

“You start putting those things together and at some point you end up in the realm of Margaret Thatcher,” Anderson said.

Thatcher was Britain’s first female prime minister, and her 11-year term was the longest of the 20th century. He died at the age of 87 in 2013.

The new season of “The Crown”, released Sunday on Netflix, covers the escalation of the conflict in Northern Ireland and the Falklands War. He will also describe the unhappy marriage of Prince Charles and Princess Diana, who will be played by Emma Corrin.

Anderson said the first time she ran into Corrin, when both actors were in costume, “it was a bit like a Madame Tussauds moment.”

Anderson, who grew up in both the UK and the US and is best known for television “The X Files”, had a lot of material to work with to catch Thatcher.

“A lot of people have played her to cheer her on in the past, so it’s always a little daunting,” he said, referring to the likes of Meryl Streep, Oscar winner for “The Iron Lady”.

“Plus she’s definitely a character and people had very strong opinions about her either way. There is so much wealth of character and history that you can bite into as an actor, ”Anderson said.