Ewan McGregor and Mary Elizabeth Winstead Talk 'A Gentleman in Moscow'
The story is about Count Alexander Rostov who is under house arrest in a grand Moscow hotel for the rest of his life after the Russian Revolution. 'I feel like there's a character that comes along every once in a while that you really connect with, and that was the case with me,' McGregor said. He read the pilot script and the book and knew he had to play the Count. 'I fell in love with him... I had what I needed to play him,' McGregor said, talking about the deep connection he has with the character.
Winstead who plays Anna said McGregor was so excited when he read the book. 'He was just...oh my God, it's so good,' she said. He was sharing bits of the book with her. 'He was giving me little hints that there might be something in it for me as well,' Winstead noted.
During the Q&A, Villarreal asked if they felt pressure from the book's fans. McGregor said he consciously decided not to. 'It's not useful to put that pressure on yourself...Amor's writing is so good that I knew who he was,' he said, talking about capturing the character as Towles saw him.
Shot in Manchester, the series has an amazing set that recreates the hotel which is key to the story. McGregor and Winstead said they tried to stay true to the book while making it new for a new audience.
'A Gentleman in Moscow' delivers a rich tapestry of human connection set against a historical backdrop as McGregor's compelling portrayal of Count Rostov and Winstead's engaging performance as Anna capture the hearts of viewers.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
San Francisco Chronicle
2 days ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
A fan paid Paul Simon $20 to play this song — and it worked
Paul Simon may not take requests, but for $20, he'll make an exception. During the final night of his five-show run at Walt Disney Concert Hall on Wednesday, July 16, the legendary singer-songwriter paused his acoustic set when a fan shouted out a request for 'Kodachrome,' the beloved 1973 track he hadn't performed live since 2019. 'I don't take requests,' Simon quipped from the stage. 'But I'll do some of it for 20 bucks.' The fan, unfettered, produced a $20 bill and offered it up. Simon, 83, walked over, took the cash, and delivered on his promise — strumming through the first verse and chorus of the nostalgic tune to cheers and laughter from the audience. The spontaneous moment was captured by concertgoers and quickly spread across social media. One fan posted, 'Holy smokes I can't believe that just happened,' alongside video of the interaction. The performance marked a lighthearted interlude in a series of otherwise intimate and contemplative shows. Simon's current tour — his first major outing in seven years — follows recent surgery for severe back pain and comes amid ongoing struggles with hearing loss. According to a Los Angeles Times review, his voice, guitar work and lyrical precision remain striking, particularly in performances of material from his 2023 album 'Seven Psalms.' Simon is scheduled to bring his 'A Quiet Celebration' tour to San Francisco's Davies Symphony Hall on July 19 and 21-22, before wrapping the tour in Vancouver and Seattle. The singer rose to fame in the 1960s as co-founder of the folk rock duo Simon & Garfunkel, with hits such as 'Mrs. Robinson' and 'The Sound of Silence,' before launching his solo career in the '70s. Simon's recent tour came as a surprise to many, after the musician indicated in 2018 that he was retiring from touring due to hearing loss. A year later, however, he performed a headlining set at San Francisco's Outside Lands festival. To assist with live performances, Simon has worked with his production team and Stanford Initiative to Cure Hearing Loss to adapt his stage setup with moving monitors to ensure optimal acoustics. For those hoping to hear a favorite deep cut, it seems a $20 bill might help. July 16, 2025 Set 1 'The Lord' 'Love Is Like a Braid' 'My Professional Opinion' 'Your Forgiveness' 'Trail of Volcanoes' 'The Sacred Harp' (with Edie Brickell) 'Wait' (with Edie Brickell) Set 2 'Graceland' 'Slip Slidin' Away' 'Train in the Distance' 'Homeward Bound' (Simon & Garfunkel) 'The Late Great Johnny Ace' 'St. Judy's Comet' 'Under African Skies' (with Edie Brickell) 'Rene and Georgette Magritte With Their Dog After the War' 'Rewrite' 'Spirit Voices' 'The Cool, Cool River' 'Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard' (with Edie Brickell) Encore 'Kodachrome' (abridged) 'Father and Daughter' '50 Ways to Leave Your Lover' 'The Boxer' (Simon & Garfunkel)
New York Post
4 days ago
- New York Post
Conor McGregor directly addresses nude leak ‘distraction' after Azealia Banks post
Conor McGregor has made a defiant response to rapper Azealia Banks, who seemingly shared several explicit photos of the Irish MMA fighter after accusing him of sexual harassment. 'Don't let them distract you with my [giant c—] while they rob our country blind!' McGregor posted on X Tuesday in an apparent response to Banks. Advertisement In an X post that has since been taken down by the platform, Banks included a pair of screenshots of messages allegedly from McGregor that include photos of him, fully naked, posing in front of a mirror. The screenshots are part of Banks' alleged DM chat with McGregor on X, with one message saying, 'lifting weights,' in reference to what appears to be a weight wrapped around his penis. The other message reads: 'Don't be a rat cos all rats get caught.' Advertisement 4 Conor McGregor posing on the scale at the UFC 229 weigh-in in October 2018. Zuffa LLC via Getty Images 'How you gonna send a bitch a some crooked d–k pics then threaten her not to tell,' Banks wrote on social media in response. '@TheNotoriousMMA n–a do you know who the f–k I am? This is HARAM.' She also added on X: 'Like how are you really going to sexually harass me with the potato farmer d–k then threaten me not to tell???? Honey…… ain't u trying to be the president of Ireland what is it giving fam? Use some f–ing sunscreen damn.' 4 Azealia Banks performing in London in September 2024. Getty Images Advertisement 4 Azealia Banks shows two pictures of Conor McGregor nude. X/@azealiaslacewig McGregor, the former welterweight and lightweight champion of the UFC, appears unbothered by the drama surrounding him. The 37-year-old announced in March he would be running for the Irish presidency on a primarily anti-immigration platform, although McGregor will reportedly be unlikely to get his name on the ballot for the Nov. 11 election. McGregor was also found guilty of sexual assault in November 2024, and he is appealing the ruling. Advertisement 4 Connor McGregor in Philadelphia on Jan. 22. GC Images Amid all of that, McGregor – who is engaged to his longtime partner Dee Devlin – was also photographed with a mystery woman over the weekend in Florida. McGregor has not fought since suffering a leg injury in 2021, although he has hinted at having interest in partaking in a UFC event being planned for the White House on July 4, 2026 in celebration of the 250th anniversary of Independence Day.
Miami Herald
5 days ago
- Miami Herald
Conor McGregor seen having fun in the South Florida sun. Fighter's fiancée was MIA
Another year around the sun for martial arts star Conor McGregor — and another eyebrow raising scandal, or two. The UFC fighter turned 37 on Monday, the day after being spotted by paps cozying up to a woman on the beach in Fort Lauderdale. The lady friend seen in the snaps, shared by Page Six, was definitely not McGregor's fiancée, Dee Devlin, the mother of his four kids. But answering questions from an inquisitive partner may be the least of the Irishman's issues at present. Also on Monday, via X, rapper Azealia Banks accused the athlete nicknamed Notorious of sending her 'unsolicited nudes,' and claims their digital dalliance has been going on for almost 10 years. (McGregor proposed to Devlin in 2020 after 12 years of dating.) Banks also posted since deleted NSFW photos allegedly showing 'the leprechaun' — whom she has apparently never met— in the raw. So what does Devlin think of all of this? We don't know, because she very intelligently set her Instagram account to private. Can you blame her, though? Controversies surround this guy on a fairly consistent basis, even in the Miami area. Back in March 2019, McGregor was arrested after being seen on surveillance video outside of the Fontainebleau Miami Beach Hotel snatching the cellphone of a fan who wanted a selfie, then smashing it. The sports star was charged with strong-arm robbery and criminal mischief. That case resulted in reduced charges, and a civil suit was ultimately dropped. And in June 2023, a woman claimed McGregor sexually assaulted her in the bathroom of a private club at the Kaseya Center downtown during Game 4 of the Miami Heat's Finals against the Denver Nuggets. That same night McGregor also was seen slugging Burnie, the beloved team mascot. The two time world champ (who has aspirations to run for president of Ireland) was ultimately cleared of any wrongdoing by the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office. 'The crime of sexual battery requires the state to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the victim did not consent to the sexual activity,' the SAO said after a months long investigation. 'Based on the witness statements and other evidence available in the case, the state would not be able to meet this burden in this case.'
