Rose Leslie Talks About Being a New Mom While Filming 'The Time Traveler’s Wife'
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Downton Abbey fans have so much to look forward to right now. In addition to the long-promised movie sequel, which is set to premiere this spring, former Abbey-ers Rose Leslie and Theo James are teaming up for a new project that promises to bring romance, drama, and maybe even a few period costumes in the form of a new adaptation of Audrey Niffenegger's The Time Traveler’s Wife.
The show is being adapted by Sherlock co-creator Steven Moffat and directed by Game of Thrones head David Nutter.
"This is a story of loss but it’s not a tragedy. It's about a time traveler but it’s not science fiction. Despite Clare and Henry’s time scrambled relationship, this is the tale of a grand, ordinary love - but not necessarily in that order. This is a dream project for me," Moffat said in a statement.
"I have always loved Audrey Niffenegger’s extraordinary, moving novel and it has inspired me many times, so to be adapting it for television is the thrill of a lifetime. Working with David Nutter is a joy and an honour already, and with Rose Leslie and Theo James as Clare and Henry, and Natasha Lopez and Desmin Borges as Charisse and Gomez, this is going to be the love story we need right now."
When does The Time Traveler's Wife debut?
In April, the show shared its first trailer (below) along with the news of its official premiere date: Sunday, May 15.
What's it about?
Leslie, who played upwardly mobile housemaid Gwen Dawson on Downton (fans may also recognize her Ygritte from HBO's mega-hit Game of Thrones) is set to star as Clare, a young woman whose life is interspersed with visits from a mysterious man with tales of the future, only to realize that he is not only destined to be the love of her life, but also a time-traveler.
Playing opposite her in what feels like a perfect overlap for Downton and Outlander fans, will be James (aka, the ill-fated Mr. Pamuk who brought so many tribulations to Downton Abbey, not to mention the heart-throb Sidney Parker of Sanditon) as Henry, a man afflicted with the uncontrollable ability to travel through time as he tries to find a way to the woman he loves across the shifting sea of time.
The nature of the show meant a lot of complexity in both the production and for the actors—Leslie's character ranges from 16 to 70 throughout the show.
"There were so many nuances in each line," she told Harper's Bazaar UK. "Theo and I realised pretty early on that if you didn’t like what either of us were doing, it’s an issue, as the camera is either on versions of him or versions of me."
"Rose and Theo were extraordinarily disciplined, and were word-perfect from the first take," Moffat told the publication. "They are so precise in their performance.
The show as revealed character photos
In February, HBO released some new photos that gives us a first look at Leslie and James in character, as well as actors Natasha Lopez and Desmin Borges as Clare's friends Charisse and Gomez. Check them out below:
Rose Leslie gave birth just 10 weeks before filming started
"Going into Time Traveler’s, I felt mentally prepared. I was champing at the bit to do this gig, do it well, and felt I could balance it with our child," she told Harper's Bazaar UK. "But I remember finding it very brutal, being wrenched away from him. There were parts of me that doubted whether I would be able to see it through for six months. It was so tough."
Leslie, who grew up in her family's ancestral castle in Scotland (she's a descendant of King Charles II) moved with her husband Kit Harington and their son to Tribeca just before filming started. "It’s mind-boggling to me that women who come back to work after giving birth don’t feel supported," she told Bazaar, explaining that the shows producers made allowances for her schedule as a new mom. "How can your employer expect you to sustain the mental capacity, the energy and the drive to do it with clout otherwise?"
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