Ellie Bamber says capturing Kate Moss in Moss & Freud meant more than copying the supermodel’s look, voice, or famous mannerisms. For the actress, the key to unlocking Moss was understanding her laugh, which she described as unusually specific and central to building the character. Bamber stars as Moss in the film, which marks the first time the fashion icon has been depicted onscreen in this way.
Bamber has spent years building a steady career in British film and television before gaining wider international recognition. She appeared in projects including Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, Nocturnal Animals, and The Trial of Christine Keeler, and later won over audiences as Princess Bea in the hit adaptation Red, White & Royal Blue. Now, with Moss & Freud, she takes on what she calls the most intimidating role of her career: portraying one of the world’s most photographed women.
Directed by James Lucas, Moss & Freud focuses on the friendship between Moss and the late artist Lucian Freud, played by Derek Jacobi. The film explores the period when Freud painted Moss in the nude, a portrait that later sold for millions. Bamber said she was initially “terrified” by the challenge, but found Moss’s confidence empowering to inhabit. She also said the role revealed a deeper vulnerability beneath Moss’s public poise and style.
The actress described the preparation as extensive. She worked with a movement coach to study Moss’s physicality, analyzed archive footage to understand how her walk and gestures changed over time, and trained with a vocal coach to match her speech patterns from the specific era depicted in the film. She also emphasized the importance of getting Moss’s laugh right, saying it helped unlock the rest of the performance. To better understand the model’s body language, Bamber consulted with Moss’s longtime friend James Brown, who could identify small habits and details that helped bring authenticity to the role.
Bamber said meeting Moss in person happened unexpectedly at a party hosted by designer Jasper Conran, making the experience feel organic rather than formal. She later met Moss again to ask questions and spend time observing her. The actress said she was struck by Moss’s talent as a storyteller and by how magnetic she was in a room. Bamber also suggested the film highlights an important but little-seen chapter in Moss’s life, framing the relationship with Freud as meaningful rather than romantic speculation.
Beyond Moss & Freud, Bamber discussed a busy slate of upcoming work and said she enjoys moving across genres. She pointed to projects such as Red, White & Royal Wedding, Animal Friends, Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol, and The Face of Horror as examples of the varied roles she is now pursuing. For Bamber, the appeal of acting lies not only in the final result, but in the process of making each project and the chance to learn from different collaborators and creative worlds.
