One of the Cold War’s most consequential political partnerships was between Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher, which historians say spanned nearly 30 years, starting long before he was elected U.S. president and she became Britain’s prime minister.
But for veteran British actress Lesley-Anne Down, stepping into “Lady Thatcher’s” shoes in the hit movie “Reagan” – just re-released to theaters across America in an expanded “Director’s Cut” featuring 10 minutes of new footage – was a profound and exhausting experience.
“I have absolutely no idea how Margaret Thatcher did it for 11 years,” Down told “Reagan” producer Mark Joseph on “The Mark Joseph Show.” “Doing her for two days almost killed me.”
Down says she finished filming physically and emotionally drained, humbled by the intensity required simply to portray a woman whose drive and discipline helped shape an entire era.
Becoming the Iron Lady
Unlike many historical performances, Down wasn’t trying to recreate Thatcher’s entire life.
Her challenge was more subtle.
“I had to create the feeling of the woman,” she explained.
Rather than studying Meryl Streep’s Oscar-winning performance in “The Iron Lady,” Down deliberately avoided it. (“There was no way to outdo Meryl,” she said with a laugh.) Instead, she immersed herself in actual archival footage, studying Margaret Thatcher’s speeches, expressions, smile, posture and vocal rhythms.
Every movement mattered.
“I watched everything I possibly could.”
Working through fear
Even after decades in front of the camera, Down admits this particular role frightened her.
“I just kept thinking, ‘How am I going to do this?’” she recalled.
The solution wasn’t confidence. It was preparation.
She rehearsed every gesture, every pause and every line until the performance no longer felt like an imitation.
“I had to get it to the point where I didn’t have to work on it anymore,” she said.
A new respect for Thatcher
Like many Britons of her generation, Down, who is 72, says her opinion of Thatcher changed dramatically over time.
“When I was young, I was leftwing,” she said. Looking back now, however, she sees Margaret Thatcher very differently. “I don’t think we realized how lucky we were to have her.”
Down points to Thatcher’s remarkable résumé before entering politics – a chemist educated at Oxford, later a barrister – before rising through a Parliament dominated almost entirely by men.
“She was a miracle woman,” said Down, who believes Thatcher’s determination and leadership remain extraordinary.
Chemistry With Reagan actor Dennis Quaid
Down also credits veteran actor Dennis Quaid with creating an unusually collaborative atmosphere on the “Reagan” set. And although they had never worked together before, she says the two actors immediately found a rhythm, saying “I felt we had a simpatico.”
She especially appreciated Quaid’s relaxed approach between takes, comparing him to Sir Anthony Hopkins.
Hopkins, she recalled, would joke moments before filming emotionally demanding scenes, then instantly transform when the cameras rolled.
“Dennis was like that,” she said.
For Down, the absence of ego made the work stronger.
The roles that never happened
Looking back on a career spanning more than five decades, Down laughs that some of her biggest stories involve movies she never made.
She declined two James Bond films because she wanted to be known as “an actress,” not simply a Bond girl. Later, a difficult custody battle forced her to pass on major productions, including “The Thorn Birds” and “The Bourne Identity” television miniseries.
“I wasn’t going to leave my child,” she said.
She has never regretted those decisions.
Strength through adversity
Down believes the strongest people aren’t born that way. They’re shaped by hardship.
“I think strength comes from adversity,” she reflected during the interview, speaking openly about surviving difficult chapters in her own life – experiences she says ultimately made her more resilient.
One lesson, however ironic, has stayed with her through every challenge: “The only constant in life is inconstancy.” It’s advice she has passed on to her children for years.
Reagan and Thatcher
While filming, Down found herself reflecting on the partnership between Reagan and Thatcher.
She believes history often remembers only their policies while overlooking something equally important.
“They cared about their people,” she said. Down hopes audiences leave “Reagan” recognizing the total sincerity of their commitment to the countries they served.
She also admired the mutual respect between the two leaders, describing them as a formidable partnership whose friendship helped shape one of the defining periods of the twentieth century.
Looking back
Down has worked alongside acting legends including Laurence Olivier, John Gielgud, Anthony Hopkins and Harrison Ford.
Yet, portraying Margaret Thatcher stands apart, she says.
Not because it required the most screen time, but because it demanded complete immersion in the life of a woman whose strength still feels almost impossible to comprehend.
As the actress portraying Britain’s first female prime minister, Lesley-Anne Down reminds us that some of history’s most influential leaders leave a powerful impression long after the cameras stop rolling.
