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How historically accurate is the movie The King's Speech

In 2010, The King’s Speech won the Oscar for Best Picture and grossed over $414 million worldwide. It was an unlikely box office champion because it was based on a true story about King George VI of Britain (1895-1952) and an Australian speech therapist Lionel Logue (1880-1953). It shows how Logue helped the king overcome a crippling stammer and how this helped him lead his country during World War II. The movie was directed by Tom Hooper and written by David Seidler.

Critics have widely praised the editing, cinematography, directing, and acting. The movie was able to express the main characters' inner life by the clever use of lighting and other cinematic techniques. Colin Firth won an Oscar for his portrayal of George IV/ The King’s Speech was produced by a British company, and it was shot mainly in London. Among the supporting cast was Helen Bonham-Carter, who played Queen Elizabeth, the wife of the king. The movie was nominated for 12 academy awards, and it won four awards, including one for Best Picture.

Before the movie began filming, the writer, Seidler, found Logue's journal and incorporated elements from the journal into the movie. However, despite this, the historical accuracy of the movie has been questioned and even widely criticized.

When does the King's Speech take place?

The King's Speech takes place mainly in the 1930s at a critical juncture for Britain and its Empire. The nation and its various dependencies had still not recovered from the ravages of World War or the Great Depression. Internationally, Hitler was in power in Germany, and many feared, correctly, that there would be another World War. [1] The rather bleak mood of the time is captured very well by the director. At this critical point in its history, the British Royal Family faced its crisis.

After George V's death, he was succeeded by his eldest son, who became Edward VII in 1936. Edward VII's reign was both brief and controversial. Edward wanted to marry a divorced American, Wallis Simpson. Marrying a divorced was unacceptable to many in Britain at this time as the King was also head of the Church of England. Divorce was socially unacceptable, and the Anglican Bishops and others denounced the idea of the monarch marrying a divorced woman.

When Edward VII decided to marry Wallis Simpson, he was forced to abdicate his crown soon after his Coronation. This meant that his younger brother George or Bertie, as he was known, became king. [2] The depiction of these events in the movie has been fictionalized but is reasonably accurate.

However, there were some inaccuracies in the movie that troubled viewers. One of the scenes that caused the most controversy was when Sir Winston Churchill, the future leader of war-time Britain, supported the accession of George V. This scene misrepresented Churchill's view of Edward's abdication entirely. Churchill supported Edward VII (1894-1972) and believed that he should remain as king despite his marriage to Wallis Simpson. He was friendly with the abdicated king and remained a supporter. [3]

Unlike in the movie, Churchill did have grave doubts about the ability of George VI to carry out his Royal duties. He was not alone in the belief, and many others shared that view in the highest circles of the British government. Over time, he did come to accept the younger brother of Edward VII and came to respect him as an able monarch and leader . [4]

The King and his Stutter

The movie's central theme is the difficulties faced by George VI because of his stutter and how Logue was able to help him overcome his speech defect. This depiction is historically accurate, and the future George VI had a serious speech impediment. In the movie, Firth's character is shown as having a terrible stammer and that when he became nervous or anxious, he was almost unable to communicate. His stammer made public speaking almost impossible for the monarch.

The movie shows that his speech impediment was a result of his insecurity and shyness. [5] This was very much the case, and George VI did have a terrible stutter from childhood. The King’s Speech accurately shows the real problems caused by the future George VI and the entire Royal Family. In one scene at the opening of an exhibition celebrating the British Empire, George struggles with a speech and becomes visibly upset. The movie shows many senior officials and members of the Royal Family becoming gravely concerned about this. In the 1930a, when the movie is set, for the first-time, Royalty members were expected to speak in public and be effective communicators because of the growing importance of the mass media. [6]

The inability of George VI to publicly speak clearly was a real problem, and it was feared that it could damage the Royal Family and even undermine confidence in the government of the British Empire. The movie does somewhat exaggerate the importance of the king’s stutter, but it was a significant issue for the Royal Family.

When did Lionel Logue begin treating George VI?

Perhaps the biggest inaccuracy in the movie is that Logue was, in reality, able to help the King to overcome his stammer before the abdication crisis and his coronation rather than after these events. He first began to treat the second son of George V in the 1920s and continued to do so for many years. The movie shows that the treatment took place in the 1930s, and this was no doubt done for dramatic effect, but this is not strictly correct.

Cooper’s movie relates how George had been seeking help all his life for his stammer, and he tried every technique and treatment available for the time, which is true. The 2010 motion picture does really capture the sense of desperation and anxiety that the future George VI had over his speech impediment. He is shown as going in desperation to the Australian Logue, and this is also correct. The therapist is shown as using innovative techniques to help George overcome his stammer, which is right. The Australian was an early pioneer in speech and language therapy, and he was an innovator. [7] The film shows Rush trying to instill more confidence in the Royal. He adopts several strategies, but none are shown to work.

How did Logue treat George VI's speech impediment?

Eventually, he provokes the king, and in his anger, he can speak stutter-free. In reality, the speech and language therapist gave the monarch a series of daily vocal exercises, such as tongue twisters, that were designed to help him to relax. This helped the future king to relax, and this was key to the improvements in his speech. The motion picture does show that the treatment was not a total success, and the king continued to have a very slight stammer. This was indeed the case. However, the improvement in the speech of George VI was remarkable, which is accurately shown in the 2010 movie. It shows George having grave doubts about Logue and his treatment when he hears that he is not formally qualified as a therapist.

In real life, this did not cause a crisis in the relationship between the British sovereign and the Australian therapist. It is correct that Logue was not formally qualified because there was no education system for language therapy when he was young. Instead, he was self-taught and had traveled the world, studying the ideas of respected speech therapists. The movie leaves the viewers in no doubt that the king and the Royal Family owed the Australian a great debt, and this was the case, and when George VI died, his widow, the Queen, wrote to the therapist to thank him for all he had done for her husband. [8]

What was the relationship between King George VI and Lionel Logue?

The movie shows that the two men began to become real friends over time, despite their differences. This was the case, and it appears that both men liked each other and even enjoyed each other’s company. The relationship between the British king and the Australian is very realistically shown, and they remained friends until the early death of George VI. The movie shows that Logue was present when George made important Radio broadcasts to the British Public. This was the case, but Logue continued to coach the king to speak in public for many years.

In the movie, Logue is shown when George VI pronounced that Britain was at war with Germany in September 1939 during a radio address to the nation. This is not correct, but the Australian did provide the king with notes on things where he should pause and breathe, and these were a real help in the most important speech the monarch ever made. Logue continued to coach the king for many years until about 1944.

The therapist is shown as being very much at ease in the King's presence and treating him like any other client. This was not the case. Despite their genuine friendship, Logue would have been expected to have been somewhat formal and respect the Royal Person of the King at all times. In real life, Logue was not as easy-going and familiar with George VI as portrayed in the historical drama. [9]

Was George VI accurately portrayed in the King's Speech?

Colin Firth’s performance was widely praised. The British actor won the Academy Award for Best Actor. While Firth's performance was widely acclaimed, there were some concerns about how accurately he portrayed the monarch. In the main, Firth did manage to capture George VI and his character in the feature film. The British actor did correctly show that the monarch was a timid and insecure man who felt that he was not equal to his Royal duties, and this was something that greatly distressed him. [10]

His stammer may have been a result of his sense of inadequacy, but this cannot be known, for certain. Firth does show that the monarch did grow in stature after he was crowned as King. It leaves the viewer in no doubt that by the end of the movie, Firth, who has largely overcome his stammer, could lead his country in its hour of greatest danger. [11]

This was the case, and the monarch became widely respected for his leadership and his calm dignity. However, the script tended to be overly sympathetic to George and avoided his character's rather unpleasant aspects. He was alleged to have both fits of anger and alleged acts of domestic violence. Those allegations have not been confirmed.

Helena Bonham Carter's performance was praised, and she does capture the personality of Queen Elizabeth (1900-2002). She was a very supportive wife and dedicated to her husband. She did not want him to become king because she feared what it would do to him. Her family, as shown in the feature film. [12] Geoffrey Rush played the character of the speech and language therapist Logue, and he presented him as a larger-than-life figure who was charismatic, and this was indeed the case. It is generally agreed that Rush really captured the personality of the acclaimed speech and language therapist.

How realistic is the King's Speech?

Overall, the movie is historically accurate. It shows the modern viewer the importance of the King's treatment for his speech impediment. This movie also captures the real sense of anxiety in Britain in the 1930s, and it broadly captures the historical context of the Coronation of George VI. The relationship between Logue and the monarch is also largely accurate. However, this is a movie, and the need to entertain means some inaccuracies, especially concerning details such as the king's treatment. However, when compared to other historical dramas, the movie is very realistic.

Long-Forgotten Letter Reveals Truth Behind Colin Firth's Real-Life Role in 'The King's Speech'

A previously unknown letter from King George VI to his speech therapist is being auctioned on April 29

A long-forgotten letter from King George VI to his speech therapist has revealed more about the true story behind Colin Firth ’s Oscar-winning role in The King’s Speech .

Written at Windsor Castle on May 17, 1937 — just five days after the English monarch’s coronation — the letter details King George’s immense gratitude towards Lionel Logue for helping him to control his debilitating stammer.

“The Queen and I have just viewed the film of our Coronation, & I could not wait to send you a few lines to thank you again for your hard work in helping me prepare for the great day,” Queen Elizabeth ‘s father says in the letter, which is scheduled to be auctioned on April 29.

“The success was due to your expert supervision and unfailing patience with me over recent months, & I truly don’t know how I could have done it without you,” the letter continued.

Australian Logue (played by Geoffrey Rush in the hit 2010 movie) first helped the King to control his stammer in 1926 when he was the Duke of York.

As detailed in the movie — which also features The Crown star Helena Bonham Carter — Logue’s use of a number of revolutionary methods ultimately helped George to conquer both his stammer and his fear of speaking in public.

Thanks to this and George’s determination, the King was able to expertly read out his 1937 coronation speech on BBC radio, with the entire British Empire tuning in to listen.

“I want you to know how grateful I am, not only for your invaluable help with my speech, but for your devoted friendship & encouragement,” adds George in the letter.

“You know how anxious I was to get my responses right in the Abbey, the poor rehearsal adding greatly to my anxiety,” he added. “My mind was finally set at ease tonight. Not a moment’s hesitation or mistake!”

Yet this doesn’t mean the coronation went off entirely hitch-free either: the King’s letter goes on to reveal just how nervous he was on the eve of the coronation, and how he almost suffered just as many problems with the pen he used to sign his oath.

“The ink got all over my fingers,” says the King. “Fortunately, one can hardly make it out.”

Alongside the letter, King George also sent Logue a silver-gilt cigarette case to thank him for his help. Bearing George’s royal cipher, this is also part of the auction lot, which will take place at Woolley & Wallis in Salisbury, England. The starting price is $5,000.

“We believe this letter is the only example written to Logue by George VI, which has not been retained by the Logue family,” explains Rupert Slingsby from Woolley & Wallis.

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“Whilst our vendor realized the historical significance of the items, I don’t think he appreciated quite how valuable they could be to British collectors,” he adds.

“Before The King’s Speech , most people were unaware of the difficulties that George VI encountered with his stammer, but the enduring and endearing friendship between the King and Lionel Logue that emerged from that is especially evident in this new letter.”

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The real story behind 'The King's Speech'

Doggedness and serendipity set up a small film's big success.

By Gloria Goodale Staff writer

February 16, 2011 | Los Angeles

This year's top Oscar-nominated film, " The King's Speech ," bursts with narrative resonance – both in the story it tells and in the one behind the film's creation.

The true-life tale of Prince Albert, who overcame a lifelong stammer on his way to becoming King George VI , seems built to appeal both to Americans' love of self-reinvention and also Britons' complex blend of nostalgia and ambivalence where their royals are concerned. The movie brims with the universal appeal of a fairy-tale ending – both in terms of its plot and also in that it is a $12 million film that has garnered 12 Oscar nods.

As a quintessential triumphant underdog yarn, the story is pure Americana, says Steve Thompson , founder of MindFrame Theaters, an independent art-house cinema in Dubuque , Iowa .

"[King George] is a man with problems, just like us, so we relate to him," he says.

But in depicting a royal who puts duty above his personal pain, this version of history is "also pure British Empire," says Wade Major, who teaches the film and social justice program at Mount St. Mary's College in Los Angeles . It reinforces all the best values Britons attribute to themselves while it also humanizes the very notion of royalty – both past and present, he says.

The film is also well timed. It arrives as the British public finds itself face to face with the memory of another, more recent royal figure – Diana, Princess of Wales , whose own painful story hovers over the impending marriage of her first son, Prince William.

This is a wrenching moment for the British, says Mark Logue , grandson of Lionel Logue , the Australian actor and speech therapist – played in the film by Geoffrey Rush – whose unconventional techniques helped the second in line to the British throne (played by Colin Firth ) gain his "voice."

The memory of Diana is everywhere, he says, speaking by phone from London . The film's story is a reminder of her appeal. "She was very human, with weaknesses and vulnerability, and the public had a great appetite for that," he says.

This film has been enthusiastically embraced by the British, points out Professor Major, who says that it underlines a shift in national attitudes. "The British want the royals to adapt; they do not want a replay of what happened with Diana," he adds.

Perhaps if the king's story had been told earlier, Diana's life story might have had a different outcome, notes Mr. Logue. But Queen Elizabeth (played by Helena Bonham Carter ) refused to give screenwriter David Seidler her blessing to make a film about events of those days during her lifetime. And so, says Logue, "now becomes the perfect time, because people here are thinking about royalty in a new way." Everyone finally realizes that the monarchy has to change with the times, something Diana tried to do, but with little support from the British royal family, he says.

This deference to the former queen's desires drapes the making of the film with its own Cinderella story.

The king's travails are intensely personal for Mr. Seidler, who suffered from a childhood stutter himself after a wartime evacuation from England . He was keenly aware that the man who never expected to wear the British crown had labored mightily to overcome the same affliction.

"The king was my hero," he says simply, and a lifelong urge to tell the king's story was born almost as soon as he became aware of their shared challenge. When he acquiesced to the queen's request to delay telling her husband's story until her passing, he did not realize just how much patience that might require – the queen mother, as she was affectionately known after her daughter became queen, died in 2002 at age 101.

Seidler labored to shape the unconventional relationship between Logue and "Bertie," as his intimates called the prince, drafting both a play and a screenplay.

His own fairy-tale ending began shaping up when the mother of acclaimed director Tom Hooper attended the single staged reading of the play. She then persuaded her son that this should be his next project.

But even with a big-name director behind the venture, "there were literally dozens of times that this project nearly collapsed," says Seidler. "It really is a miracle," he says, "that it finally happened."

The serendipitous details underscore just how tenuous the path to the multiple awards and nominations has been. The young assistant of an agent who became involved happened to live in Australia near Rush, and dropped the screenplay through his mail slot while she was home on holiday.

"Nothing happened for some six months," says Seidler, "so I decided it had been a bad move after all." But then Rush signed on to play the crucial role of Logue. The actor's commitment finally helped get the award-winning film made.

And now, after waiting nearly a lifetime to tell this story, Seidler has become, at age 73, the oldest writer signed to UTA, one of Hollywood's top talent agencies.

The film's success, however, has invited new challenges, says Major, who points out that biopics nearly always attract charges of historical inaccuracy . In this case, they range from suggestions that the film whitewashes Nazi sympathies on the part of the king all the way down to gripes about inaccuracies in selecting a kilt's tartan. Award season broadsides can hurt a film's chances, concedes Major. In 1989, for instance, allegations that the front-runner film, " Mississippi Burning ," did not do justice to the real events of the civil rights era "sank the film's chances," he says, adding that " Rain Man " subsequently overtook the historical drama for best film. What is so often overlooked in debates over historical accuracy in drama is the fact that these films are not documentaries. "They are spiritual representations of a time and the deeper lessons of history," Major says.

Deeply personal engagement is nearly always the key to successfully transmitting those lessons, says Mary Dalton , codirector of the Documentary Film project at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem , N.C. "There is a two-fold reason 'personal passion projects' are sometimes particularly memorable. First, the filmmaker's personal connection to a story can imbue it with indelible authenticity," she writes in an e-mail. Second, she notes, that same passion can sustain the commitment necessary to get a picture made in an industry where it can take years and years to take a project from concept to completion.

Yet these offbeat films that challenge official history or industry conventions are the lifeblood of truly creative filmmaking, says Gordon Coonfield , an associate professor of film and media at Villanova University in Philadelphia . But the entertainment industry's growing dependence on blockbusters make it deeply risk-averse, he points out.

"It's a vicious spiral downward," he says. "And it results in a decreased tolerance for creativity, for risk, for something different but potentially beautiful. As a consequence, great films go unmade and unwatched. Still, occasionally films like this one slip through and, hopefully, awaken something that the next sequel-to-a-formula [film] won't be able to put to sleep again."

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The King’s Speech True Historical Story

The King’s Speech is headed for Oscar glory but some have criticized its faulty history. Author Peter Conradi says the relationship between King George VI and his speech therapist was unusually close and important.

Peter Conradi

"The King's Speech," starring Colin Firth as the King - or Bertie as he was known to his intimates - appears destined to be rewarded by the Academy next February. (Laurie Sparham / The Weinstein Company)

The King’s Speech may get some historical details wrong , but it’s spot on when it comes to its central point: the closeness of the friendship between King George VI and his unconventional Australian speech therapist

On February 28, 1952, just over three weeks after King George VI of England died, at age 56, his grieving widow, Elizabeth, took out her fountain pen and some sheets of Buckingham Palace notepaper and began to write to an old friend. “I know perhaps better than anyone just how much you helped the king, not only with his speech, but through that his whole life & outlook on life," she wrote. "I shall always be deeply grateful to you for all you did for him."

The recipient of her letter was Lionel Logue, an Australian in his early 70s, who was also, as it turned out, close to the end of his life. Over the previous quarter of a century, this publican’s son from Adelaide, without a formal qualification to his name, had come to occupy an extraordinary position within the inner circle of King George, father of the present queen, not just as a speech therapist, but also as a friend.

The relationship between the two men is at the heart of the film The King’s Speech , which went on selected release at theaters in the U.S. over Thanksgiving weekend and will be shown elsewhere in the country over the coming weeks. After delighting critics at film festivals from Toronto to London, the film, starring Colin Firth as the king—or Bertie as he was always known to his intimates—and Geoffrey Rush as Logue, appears destined to be rewarded by the Academy in February.

Among the critics’ plaudits, however, there have been some notes of dissent—from, among others, Andrew Roberts, the respected British historian, writing last week here on The Daily Beast . Although gorgeously produced, he says, the film as history “is worthless because of its addiction to long-exploded myths.”

When the king made a speech on the evening of September 3, 1939, the day Britain declared war on Germany, he asked Logue to go through it with him first.

Roberts is right to point out that Tom Hooper, the director, has tinkered with some of the basic facts, such as having Winston Churchill back the abdication of Edward VIII, which put a reluctant Bertie onto the throne in December 1936, whereas Churchill instead spoke out in favor of Edward and his romance with Wallis Simpson. But then this never claimed to be a documentary.

When it comes to the debt owed by King George to Logue, though, Hooper's film is spot on—as became clear to me going through hundreds of diary entries, letters, and other documents that form the basis for the book The King’s Speech: How One Man Saved the British Monarchy , which I have written with Logue’s grandson, Mark, and is being published to coincide with the release of the film.

The two men first met in 1926, when Bertie went to consult Logue in the dingy set of rooms at the cheap end of Harley Street in the heart of Britain’s medical establishment that he had rented after arriving, virtually penniless, with his wife and three sons on the boat from Australia two years earlier.

Bertie was badly in need of help. He had began to stammer at the age of 8—the letter ‘k’ (as in king) proved a particular challenge—and his condition worsened after he was created Duke of York in 1920 and had to take on official engagements. A major speech in front of thousands of people at the British Empire exhibition in Wembley in May 1925—which forms the starting point of the film—proved a particular humiliation. And he soon faced the grueling prospect of a major six-month tour of New Zealand and Australia.

The duke had already seen his fill of “experts,” but no one had been able to cure him. He was persuaded to have one last try by his glamorous young wife, Elizabeth, better remembered today as the queen mother (played in the film by Helena Bonham Carter). "I can cure you," Logue declared after they had spent an hour and a half together. "But it will need a tremendous effort by you. Without that effort, it can't be done."

Bertie certainly put in the required effort—but this was no quick fix. Indeed, despite weekly sessions with Logue, coupled with a rigorous program of exercises, he continued to consult the Australian for the rest of life. In the process the two men became close—even though, judging by the tone of their letters, the real-life Logue was somewhat more deferential toward his pupil than his on-screen depiction.

Their relationship intensified after Bertie became king. His stammer, as Roberts asserts, may not have been as bad in reality as in the movie, but it remained a major preoccupation—otherwise why would he have had several one-to-one sessions with Logue in the run-up to his coronation in May 1937? And why would he have insisted on his therapist joining the royal family for Christmas lunch at Sandringham so he could help prepare a broadcast to the empire that afternoon—and in subsequent Christmases?

Logue’s own diary entries show how much of a strain the king still found public speaking. One rehearsal on May 6, six days before the coronation, went especially badly: According to Logue’s account, the king became almost hysterical, although the queen managed to calm him down, “He is a good fellow,” Logue wrote of the king, “and only wants careful handling.”

• Andrew Roberts: The King Who Couldn’t Speak When the king made a speech on the evening of September 3, 1939, the day Britain declared war on Germany, he asked Logue to go through it with him first. We know that because an annotated copy—showing Bertie where to pause and breathe—was among Logue’s papers.

Just over a year later, when the king was practicing his speech for that year's State Opening of Parliament, he greeted Logue grinning like a schoolboy. "Logue, I've got the jitters," he declared. "I woke up at 1 o'clock after dreaming I was in parliament with my mouth wide open and couldn't say a word." Although both men laughed heartily, it brought home to Logue that even now, after all the years they had spent working together, the king's speech impediment still weighed heavily on him.

And so it went on through the war years, until a few days before Christmas 1944, when the king finally felt confident enough to deliver his message without Logue by his side. The broadcast went well. Logue, listening at home in London, with friends, rang the king immediately afterward to congratulate him. “My job is over, sir,” he declared. “Not at all,” the king replied. “It is the preliminary work that counts, and that is where you are indispensable.”

Plus: Check out more of the latest entertainment, fashion, and culture coverage on Sexy Beast—photos, videos, features, and Tweets .

Peter Conradi is a journalist with The Sunday Times of London. Read more about the book at www-the-kings-speech.com

Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here .

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For A 'King's Speech,' Commoner Helps Find A Voice

Bob Mondello

Colin Firth stars as the shy, stammer-prone Albert, Duke of York — the future King George VI — with Helena Bonham Carter as his determinedly optimistic duchess, the former Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon and future Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. The Weinstein Co. hide caption

The King's Speech

Director: Tom Hooper
Genre: Drama
Running Time: 111 minutes

Rated R for some language

With: Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Helena Bonham Carter, Guy Pearce, Timothy Spall

(Recommended)

Watch Clips

'The Enemy'

Credit: The Weinstein Co.

'How 'Bout Bertie?'

'I Have A Voice'

We're introduced to the young Prince Albert (Colin Firth), who will someday be the father of Queen Elizabeth II, in 1925, at a British Empire Exhibition as he's about to address a packed Wembley Stadium crowd.

Make that as he's about to try to address the crowd. What actually comes out of his mouth is, "I have received ... a ... a ... ach ... a ..."

Before the invention of the microphone, a stuttering prince really needed to only stand up straight and look good in a uniform. But this is the age of radio, a medium that Albert's peremptory, domineering father, King George V (Michael Gambon), has been exploiting in well-received Christmas addresses to the nation. So the prince, who has stammered since childhood, is in despair.

Though a long line of experts has failed to make any headway, his wife (Helena Bonham Carter) persists in the optimistic view that someone, somewhere must be able to help her husband. When her search takes her to the basement office of an Australian speech therapist and failed actor named Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush), she realizes she has found someone who will at least take a novel approach.

Logue's notions about unlocking tongues with psychology are decidedly out of step with the era's conventional elocution theories. He insists on being in control, meeting even a royal patient in his office and on familiar terms. Calling Albert "Bertie," Logue tries to draw him out on the traumas that might have led him to have trouble speaking.

And while Albert resists, Logue soon has him singing tongue-twisters while dancing around his office, bellowing vowels out windows, swearing like a sailor and doing breathing exercises as his wife sits on his stomach. The prince's expression remains pinched, but you sense that he's actually starting to let his guard down, even have a bit of fun.

Geoffrey Rush plays unconventional speech therapist Lionel Logue, who uses psychology to get to the root of the king's stutter. The Weinstein Co. hide caption

Geoffrey Rush plays unconventional speech therapist Lionel Logue, who uses psychology to get to the root of the king's stutter.

Almost more remarkable, he's tentatively embracing a friendship with a commoner -- something he's evidently never had. And he begins making progress, step by incremental step.

Alas, that's not fast enough. King George V dies, and Albert's brother, Edward VIII, ascends to the throne -- just long enough to abdicate and marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson, without ever even having been officially crowned. And so reluctantly, in 1936, the terrified stutterer becomes King George VI, with a war looming that will not let him stay silent.

Director Tom Hooper, who crossed up sports-movie expectations in The Damned United, could here be said to cross up underdog-biopic expectations in what amounts to a high-toned, elegantly upholstered buddy flick. He bolsters his principals with first-class talent in the supporting roles: Derek Jacobi (himself a celebrated stammerer in I, Claudius ) as an archbishop who waxes indignant when the commoner Logue makes suggestions about the coronation ceremony; Guy Pearce playing Albert's brother Edward as a self-absorbed playboy prince; Timothy Spall, jowls wobbling as Winston Churchill.

The director films microphones in ways that make them seem threatening, castles in ways that make them seem almost homey, and royals in ways that make them endearing, and he ends up with a film that's smart, lush and a lot more amusing than you'd expect.

But it's the relationship between the two men that makes the film work: Geoffrey Rush's teacher cracking the quip, and Colin Firth so persuasive as the panicky king that by the time he gets to his crucial speech about going to war, you'll be panicking right along with him. (Recommended)

30 Facts About The Movie The King’s Speech

Written by Arlene Steelman

Modified & Updated: 19 May 2024

Reviewed by Sherman Smith

30-facts-about-the-movie-the-kings-speech

The King’s Speech is a critically acclaimed film that has captivated audiences since its release. Directed by Tom Hooper, this historical drama takes us on a journey through the life of King George VI, the father of Queen Elizabeth II, as he struggles with a debilitating stammer. The movie explores the unlikely friendship between the reluctant monarch and his eccentric speech therapist, Lionel Logue.

With its stellar cast, including Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, and Helena Bonham Carter , The King’s Speech has received numerous accolades, including four Academy Awards. Beyond the captivating performances, the film offers a compelling story filled with emotional depth and historical significance. In this article, we delve into 30 fascinating facts about the making of The King’s Speech, shedding light on its production, casting decisions, and its impact on audiences worldwide.

Key Takeaways:

The King’s Speech is a movie based on the true story of King George VI’s struggle with a speech impediment. It won four Academy Awards and highlighted the importance of effective communication and perseverance.
The film’s success sparked conversations about speech disorders and inspired audiences worldwide with its powerful portrayal of courage and determination.

Box Office Success

The King’s Speech was a critically acclaimed film that also performed well at the box office, grossing over $400 million worldwide.

Historical Accuracy

The movie portrays the true story of King George VI’s struggle with a speech impediment and his efforts to overcome it.

Oscar-Winning Performances

The film won four Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director for Tom Hooper, Best Actor for Colin Firth, and Best Original Screenplay.

Colin Firth’s Preparation

Colin Firth spent months working with a speech therapist to accurately portray King George VI’s stammer.

Geoffrey Rush’s Role

Geoffrey Rush played the role of Lionel Logue, the speech therapist who helped King George VI overcome his speech impediment.

Historical Significance

The movie sheds light on the importance of effective communication and how speech can impact leadership and self-confidence.

Multiple Nominations

The King’s Speech received a total of 12 nominations at the Academy Awards, the most of any film that year.

Supporting Cast

The film also features stellar performances from Helena Bonham Carter, who played Queen Elizabeth, and Guy Pearce , who portrayed King Edward VIII.

Royal Approval

The Queen Mother, who was King George VI’s wife, reportedly gave her endorsement for the film.

Accents and Dialects

The actors underwent extensive training to master the British accents and dialects of the time period.

Emotional Journey

The movie takes viewers on an emotional journey as they witness King George VI’s struggle and eventual triumph.

Historical Context

The film is set against the backdrop of the abdication crisis of 1936, when King Edward VIII gave up the throne to marry Wallis Simpson.

Collaboration

The King’s Speech was a collaborative effort between British and Australian filmmakers, showcasing the talent from both countries.

Real Speech Recordings

The filmmakers used actual recordings of King George VI’s speeches to ensure accuracy in the movie.

Costume Design

The film’s costume designer , Jenny Beavan, won an Academy Award for her work in recreating the fashion of the 1930s.

Film Locations

The King’s Speech was primarily filmed in England and Scotland, adding to the authenticity of the period setting .

Critical Acclaim

The movie was praised by critics for its performances, screenplay, and historical accuracy.

Audience Response

The King’s Speech resonated with audiences worldwide, connecting on a human level with its themes of perseverance and self-belief.

The movie has left a lasting impact on the film industry, inspiring others to tell stories of triumph over adversity.

International Success

The King’s Speech was not only a hit in English-speaking countries but also gained popularity in international markets .

The film’s score, composed by Alexandre Desplat, received critical acclaim and added depth to the storytelling.

Positive Reviews

The King’s Speech holds a high rating on review aggregator sites like Rotten Tomatoes, with praise for its performances and storytelling.

The movie received a rating of 12A in the United Kingdom, making it suitable for a wide range of audiences.

Cultural Impact

The King’s Speech sparked conversations about speech disorders and increased awareness of the challenges faced by those who stammer.

Educational Value

The film has been used as a teaching tool in various educational institutions to explore topics such as leadership, communication, and overcoming obstacles .

Film Adaptation

The movie is based on a stage play of the same name, which was also highly acclaimed.

International Accolades

In addition to the Academy Awards, The King’s Speech received numerous accolades from film festivals around the world.

Inspirational Story

The film serves as a reminder that anyone, regardless of their status or background, can overcome personal challenges and achieve greatness.

Historical Detail

The King’s Speech captures the essence of the time period, immersing viewers in the world of British royalty during a pivotal point in history.

Lasting Legacy

The King’s Speech will continue to be remembered as a powerful and touching portrayal of courage and determination.

In conclusion, The King’s Speech is a remarkable film that captivates audiences with its gripping story and exceptional performances. Through its portrayal of King George VI’s struggle to overcome his speech impediment, the movie showcases the power of determination and the importance of finding one’s voice. With a brilliant cast led by Colin Firth , Geoffrey Rush, and Helena Bonham Carter, The King’s Speech earned critical acclaim and numerous accolades, including four Academy Awards. The film’s masterful direction, compelling script, and stunning production design make it a must-watch for any movie enthusiast. Whether you’re a fan of historical dramas, inspiring stories, or top-notch acting, The King’s Speech is sure to captivate and leave a lasting impression.

1. Who directed The King’s Speech?

The King’s Speech was directed by Tom Hooper .

2. Is The King’s Speech based on a true story?

Yes, The King’s Speech is based on the true story of King George VI of the United Kingdom and his struggle with a speech impediment.

3. How many Academy Awards did The King’s Speech win?

The King’s Speech won four Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (Colin Firth), and Best Original Screenplay.

4. Who played King George VI in the movie?

Colin Firth portrayed King George VI in The King’s Speech.

5. What is the significance of the title “The King’s Speech”?

The title refers to the pivotal speech that King George VI delivers to inspire and rally the British people during World War II .

6. What impact did The King’s Speech have on raising awareness about speech impediments?

The movie shed light on the struggles faced by people with speech impediments and helped raise awareness about the importance of empathy and understanding towards individuals dealing with such challenges.

7. Was the stuttering portrayed accurately in the movie?

Geoffrey Rush worked closely with speech experts to accurately portray the challenges faced by those with speech impediments. The film’s depiction of stuttering was highly praised for its authenticity.

8. Are there any other notable performances in The King’s Speech?

In addition to Colin Firth’s memorable portrayal of King George VI, Geoffrey Rush’s performance as Lionel Logue, the speech therapist, and Helena Bonham Carter’s portrayal of Queen Elizabeth were also highly praised by audiences and critics alike.

9. What awards did The King’s Speech receive?

Aside from its Academy Awards, The King’s Speech also received numerous other accolades, including multiple BAFTA Awards, Golden Globe Awards, and Screen Actors Guild Awards.

10. Can I watch The King’s Speech online?

Yes, The King’s Speech is available for streaming on various platforms, including Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.

If you enjoyed learning about "The King's Speech," why not explore other captivating topics? Discover the powerful historical drama "The Passion of Joan of Arc," which tells the story of a French heroine. Delve into the fascinating world of the British monarchy with intriguing facts about the Queen Victoria Statue. And for a touching tale of perseverance, read about country music legend Mel Tillis, who overcame a speech impediment to achieve great success. Each of these subjects offers a unique and engaging perspective that will leave you informed and inspired.

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How The King's Speech Ignored King George VI's True Story

The dream of a Europe at peace was crushed in 1939, as Poland was invaded by Germany and then the Soviet Union. British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain was forced to turn back on his hopes of non-aggression and declare war. While few at this time could have predicted the imminent fall of France or the Blitz, both of which would cost thousands of British lives, memory of the last global war was still fresh for many. England lost the better part of a generation of young men in World War I, and the national wounds were still painful.

As the immortalized speeches of Winston Churchill were yet to come, in 1939 it fell upon King George VI to overcome his stutter and address the public. This state of affairs is perhaps best known today through its depiction in the 2010 film "The King's Speech." Although the film overall manages to translate the politics and tension of the time, it still suffers from the artistic liberties that many biographical movies tend to lean toward (via Collider ).

King George VI's speech improved far earlier than 1939

The film's narrative is mostly centered on the monarch's speech impediment, which he must learn to control after his brother abdicates the throne . As Daily History writes, his condition was potentially dangerous for the family's reputation, as public morale could falter if a member of the royal family failed to speak clearly. However, the film diverges from reality in how seriously he was affected by his stutter by 1939. While he did employ speech therapist Lionel Logue to help him, "Bertie" (short for Albert; his full name was Albert Frederick Arthur George Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, according to Biography ) was capable of giving a coherent speech by adulthood.

The film's account of Logue is accurate in regard to his teaching method, but his key to refining the King's speech was not profanity or inciting anger as depicted, but instead relaxation (via Harley Street ). Nor did the bulk of his instruction's success take place in 1939, as in actuality Logue had helped then-Prince Albert largely overcome his stutter by the late 1920s (via Los Angeles Times ). These differences serve to paint the king's character in a very different light than what history reflects, underscoring his capacity for self-improvement in favor of cinematic effect.

Truth and Fiction in ‘The King’s Speech’

Historians and critics charge that George VI was a nitwit and a Nazi appeaser

On the heels of its 12 Academy Award nominations , “The King’s Speech,” an inspiring story of King George VI and his triumph over stuttering, is being criticized for historical inaccuracies.

It’s as predictable as the Oscars themselves. A new front-runner often means some fresh round of attacks, and the charge of historical distortion is a perennial one.

In this case, intellectual gadfly Christopher Hitchens and the New York Review of Books’ Martin Filler are charging that the monarch in question was no better than a Nazi appeaser and, in Filler’s words, “a nitwit.” They paint a portrait of the wartime king that is far different from the shy family man essayed by Oscar nominee (and favorite) Colin Firth.

“‘The King's Speech’ …perpetrates a gross falsification of history,” Hitchens wrote on Slate on Monday, saying the king was not worthy of hagiography. Fillers says the king had an uncontrollable temper and even struck his wife.

But Hugo Vickers, a historian who consulted on the film and author of a biography on the Queen Mother, disagreed: “He was a humble man and a courageous man and he was called upon to do a job for which he had not been trained,” he told TheWrap.

He said the depiction of a man struggling to overcome a crippling speech impediment is accurate.

Photos of two blonde women with light-toned skin and an illustration of a thid woman with light-toned skin holding two swords and wearing a large cross.

The filmmakers themselves declined to comment, but have said publicly that the movie was carefully researched.

The appeasement charge stems from the king’s decision to pose with Neville Chamberlain on the balcony of Buckingham Palace after the prime minister negotiated the Munich Agreement with Hitler in 1938 (a fact that the movie skirts over).

Whether George VI’s evolving views of the threat of Nazism should be defined solely by that photo-op with Chamberlain are at the heart of the current debate. Historians and journalists sympathetic to the film say the criticism is overly simplistic.

When war came, King George VI and his wife bravely remained in London even as the blitzkrieg raged. It was his brother, Edward, they say, who was known to have Nazi sympathies, while the king eventually rallied the country – as the film depicts – to meet the threat of war.

And anyway, they add, the film is about stuttering, and not wartime politics.

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Filler goes further than the acerbic Hitchens, emphasizing George VI’s personal deficits as much as the king’s leadership deficiencies.

“‘The King’s Speech’ doesn’t dwell on George’s limited intellectual capacities, but many who dealt first-hand with him did,” Filler wrote in the New York Review of Books .

For journalists such as Harold Evans, who reminisces about a wartime George VI in his book “My Paper Chase: True Stories of Vanished Times,” Hitchens and Filler misinterpret the king’s legacy. He also maintains that Hitchens’ anti-monarchist beliefs have colored the social critic’s view of history.

“It is hard for Americans to understand the atmosphere in England in the thirties. Everyone had lost a cousin or had a relative killed in World War I. They were horrified that we’d go back to war again,” Evans told TheWrap.

“It’s not a film about appeasement. It’s a film about the struggle of a man to overcome a great handicap,” he added.

Or is it just about Oscar politics?

Among Oscar campaigners, the articles by Hitchens and Filler are suspiciously timed – coming directly after the Weinstein Company film dominated the Oscar nominations, which followed an upset win at the Producers Guild Awards on Saturday.

For months critics have harped that “The Social Network” gets the story of Facebook’s founding gravely wrong.

Complaints about Hollywood biopics playing fast and loose with the facts are a staple of Oscar races (and are often gleefully passed along by rival films’ camps), and this season is shaping up to be no different.

In the case of “Network,” critics have chirped that the David Fincher overstates the importance of Harvard eating clubs to Mark Zuckerberg and the seminal role a painful breakup played in the creation of Facebook.

Last week at a Digital Life Design conference in Munich, Sean Parker, the Napster co-founder and Facebook executive played by Justin Timberlake in the movie, “a complete work of fiction.”

In his Golden Globes acceptance speech, “Network” screenwriter Aaron Sorkin seemed to answer those critiques by saying he was using Zuckerberg as a metaphor.

In past years, Oscar candidates such as “A Beautiful Mind,” “Saving Private Ryan” and “The Queen” have been similarly bedevilled by charges of inaccuracy.

Nor are these the first times that the portrait of King George VI painted in “The King’s Speech” has been called into question.

Just days after the film began its limited release, Andrew Roberts in The Daily Beast , griped about the “…very many glaring and egregious inaccuracies and tired old myths that this otherwise charming film unquestioningly regurgitates.”

However, this latest set of slams are particularly trenchant.

In addition to griping about George VI’s wartime leadership, Filler and Hitchens contend that the movie misrepresents the relationship between Winston Churchill and the monarch. In the film, Churchill is depicted as pushing for the abdication of Edward VIII, so that the king can marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson.

In reality, Churchill fiercely opposed the decision, and his support for Edward VIII initially led to a frosty relationship with his successor.

Splitting hairs, say those who endorse the film’s version of history.

“If this were a documentary, rather than a theatrical release, I’d be the first to complain,” Evans said, adding, “I feel irritated by this attempt to make a political point with something that is an inspirational film.”

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The King's Speech

The story of King George VI , his unexpected ascension to the throne of the British Empire in 1936, and the speech therapist who helped the unsure monarch overcome his stammer.
Britain's Prince Albert must ascend the throne as King George VI , but he has a speech impediment. Knowing that the country needs her husband to be able to communicate effectively, Elizabeth hires Lionel Logue, an Australian actor and speech therapist, to help him overcome his stammer. An extraordinary friendship develops between the two men, as Logue uses unconventional means to teach the monarch how to speak with confidence. — Jwelch5742
Tasked with serving as the voice of freedom and leading a nation into conflict with Adolf Hitler 's Nazis, the future King of the United Kingdom, King George VI , must first address a chronic, debilitating condition. As Prince Albert of York struggles to overcome his stammering problem to no avail, his wife, the worried Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother , seeks help from unconventional London speech therapist Lional Logue . But to deal with the terrible speech impediment, Prince Albert must persevere through fear and humiliation to take on the burden of the monarchy. And with courage, determination, and unexpected friendship, the nation will eventually have a leader. — Nick Riganas
The true story of the journey of King George VI to the throne and his reign as he develops a friendship with a therapist who helps him overcome his speech impairment to help him in life and all of his duties in the British Monarch while he is king. — RECB3
Biopic about Britain's King George VI (father of present day Queen Elizabeth II) and his lifelong struggle to overcome his speech impediment. Suffering from a stammer from the age of four or five, the young Prince Albert dreaded any public speaking engagement. History records that his speech at the closing of the 1925 Commonwealth exhibition in London was difficult for both him and everyone listening that day. He tried many different therapies over many years, but it was only when he met Lionel Logue, a speech therapist, that he truly began to make progress. Logue did not have a medical degree, but had worked as an elocution coach in the theater and had worked with shell-shocked soldiers after World War I. Through a variety of techniques and much hard work, Albert learns to speak in such a way so as to make his impediment a minor problem and deliver a flawless speech heard around the world by radio when the U.K. declared war on Nazi Germany in 1939. The King and Logue remained life-long friends. — garykmcd
Prince Albert, Duke of York (later King George VI), "Bertie" (Colin Firth), the 2nd son of King George V, speaking at the close of the 1925 British Empire Exhibition at Wembley Stadium, with his wife Elizabeth (Helena Bonham Carter) by his side. His stammering speech unsettles the thousands of listeners in the audience. The prince tries several unsuccessful treatments and gives up, until the Duchess persuades him to see Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush), an Australian speech therapist in London. In their first session, Logue requests that they address each other by their Christian names, a breach of royal etiquette. Logue is unorthodox in his approach & Albert is not convinced it will be of any help. Logue makes a recording of Bertie with full music in background (so Bertie can't hear himself) & gives it to Bertie. In 1934, King George V (Michael Gambon) declares Bertie's older brother unfit for the throne & demands Bertie to improve his speech. He plays Logue's recording & finds himself speaking perfectly. He returns to Logue & he gently probes the psychological roots of the stammer. The Prince reveals some of the pressures of his childhood: his strict father; the repression of his natural left-handedness; a painful treatment with metal splints for his knock-knees; a nanny who favored his elder brother-David, the Prince of Wales--deliberately pinching Bertie at the daily presentations to their parents so he would cry and his parents would not want to see him, and--unbelievably--not feeding him adequately ("It took my parents three years to notice," says Bertie); and the early death in 1919 of his little brother Prince John. Logue & Bertie become friends. On 20 January 1936 George V dies, and David, the Prince of Wales (Guy Pearce) accedes to the throne as King Edward VIII, & wants to marry Wallis Simpson (Eve Best), an American divorcee, which would provoke a constitutional crisis. Bertie confronts David, who only accuses Bertie of having designs of his own & makes fun of his speech impediment. Even Logue suggests that Bertie can be King, & this causes a rift in their friendship as Bertie is not thinking in that way. When King Edward VIII does in fact abdicate to marry, Bertie becomes King George VI. Feeling overwhelmed by his accession, the new King realizes that he needs Logue's help and he and the Queen visit the Logues' residence to apologize. When the King insists that Logue be seated in the king's box during his coronation in Westminster Abbey, Dr Cosmo Gordon Lang, the Archbishop of Canterbury (Derek Jacobi), questions Logue's qualifications. This prompts another confrontation between the King and Logue, who explains he had begun by treating shell-shocked soldiers in the last war. When the King still isn't convinced about his own strengths, Logue sits in St. Edward's Chair and dismisses the Stone of Scone as a trifle, the King remonstrates with Logue for his disrespect. The King then realizes that he is as capable as those before him. Upon the September 1939 declaration of war with Germany, George VI summons Logue to Buckingham Palace to prepare for his radio speech to the country. As the King and Logue move through the palace to a tiny studio, Winston Churchill (Timothy Spall) reveals to the King that he, too, had once had a speech impediment but had found a way to use it to his advantage. The King delivers his speech as if to Logue, who coaches him through every moment. As Logue watches, the King steps onto the balcony of the palace with his family, where thousands of Londoners, gathered to hear the speech over loudspeakers, cheer and applaud him. A final title card explains that, during the many speeches King George VI gave during World War II, Logue was always present. It is also explained that Logue and the King remained friends, and that, "King George VI made Lionel Logue a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order in 1944. This high honor from a grateful King made Lionel part of the only order of chivalry that specifically rewards acts of personal service to the Monarch."

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The King's Speech

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Making a Speech

The King's Speech tells the story of King George VI (Bertie) who reluctantly assumed the throne after his brother abdicated. Plagued by a dreaded stutter and considered unfit to be king, he engages the help of an unorthodox speech therapist named Lionel Logue. Through a set of unexpected techniques, and as a result of an unlikely friendship, Bertie is able to find his voice and boldly lead the country through war.

A special schools' preview screening of The King's Speech , followed by a Q&A session with the film's director Tom Hooper and lead actor Colin Firth, was held in London in December 2010. This site features audio files from the event alongside a curriculum-linked study guide for English and Media at Key Stage 4 (11-16). Together, these resources offer engaging content to enrich study of this film and related topics.

(MUSIC STARTS)

TEXT: MOMENTUM PICTURES

QUEEN ELIZABETH: My husband is, um, well he’s required to speak publicly.

KING GEORGE VI: I have received…the (STAMMERS)…the…the

LIONEL LOGUE: Perhaps he should change jobs

QUEEN ELIZABETH: He can’t. And what if my husband were the Duke of York?

LIONEL LOGUE: Forgive me your…

QUEEN ELIZABETH: Royal Highness.

LIONEL LOGUE: Royal Highness.

TEXT: BASED ON THE INCREDIBLE TRUE STORY

QUEEN ELIZABETH: My husband has seen everyone, to no avail.

DR. BLANDINE BENTHAM: Annunciate!

LIONEL LOGUE: He hasn’t seen me.

LIONEL LOGUE: Who was your earliest memory?

KING GEORGE VI: I’m not here to discuss personal matters.

LIONEL LOGUE: Why are you here then?

KING GEORGE VI: (SHOUTS) Because I bloody well stammer!

LIONEL LOGUE: Do you know any jokes?

KING GEORGE VI: Timing isn’t my strong suit.

LIONEL LOGUE: (LAUGHS)

QUEEN ELIZABETH: Your methods are unorthodox and controversial.

(LIONEL LOGUE AND KING GEORGE VI SHAKE THEIR HEADS WHILE MAKING ‘AHHH’ SOUNDS)

LIONEL LOGUE: Up comes her Royal Highness

QUEEN ELIZABETH: It’s actually quite good fun.

TEXT: WHEN ABDICATION THREATENED THE THRONE

KING GEORGE VI: My brother is infatuated with a woman who has been married twice… Wallace Simpson.

TEXT: AND THE WORLD WENT TO WAR

(TELEVISION PLAYS A CLIP OF HITLER GIVING A SPEECH)

TEXT: A RELUCTANT PRINCE WOULD BECOME KING

KING GEORGE VI: (CRYING) I’m not a King! I’m a Naval Officer.

(SIRENS SOUND OUT IN THE STREET)

KING GEORGE VI: The nation believes that when I speak, I speak for them. Well I can’t speak.

LIONEL LOGUE: Why should I waste my time listening?

KING GEORGE VI: (SHOUTS) Because I have a voice!

LIONEL LOGUE: Yes you do.

TEXT: ACADEMY AWARD® NOMINEE // COLIN FIRTH

TEXT: ACADEMY AWARD® WINNER // GEOFFREY RUSH

TEXT: ACADEMY AWARD® NOMINEE // HELENA BONHAM CARTER

QUEEN ELIZABETH: It’s time

LIONEL LOGUE: Your first wartime speech

TEXT: SOME MEN ARE BORN GREAT

KING GEORGE VI: However this turns out I don’t know how to thank you for what you’ve done.

TEXT: OTHERS HAVE GREATNESS THRUST UPON THEM

TEXT: THE KING’S SPEECH

TEXT: REVIEWS

TEXT: CREDITS

END OF TRAILER

Stephen King's new story took him 45 years to write

Stephen King is out with a new collection of short stories.

As you might expect from the reigning King of Horror, some are terrifying. Some are creepy. Others are laugh-out-loud funny. And one of them took him 45 years to write.

The book is a collection of 12 stories, called You Like it Darker .

Over the course of his decades-long career as a writer, King has learned there's no taking a story too far.

"I found out – to sort of my delight and sort of my horror – that you can't really gross out the American public," King told NPR.

He spoke with All Things Considered host Mary Louise Kelly about the book, destiny and getting older.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Interview highlights

Mary Louise Kelly: I want to start by asking you about the story, The Answer Man . You began it when you were 30. You finished it when you were 75. What the heck happened?

Stephen King: Well, I lost it. What happens with me is I will write stories and they don't always get done. And the ones that don't get done go in a drawer and I forget all about them. And about five years ago, these people started to collect all the stuff that was finished and all this stuff that was unfinished and put it in an archive. They were going through everything – desk drawers, wastebaskets underneath the desk, every place. I'm not exactly a very organized person. My nephew John Leonard found this particular story, which was written in the U.N. Plaza Hotel back in the '70s, I think. And he said, "You know, this is pretty good. You really ought to finish this." And I read it and I said, "You know, I think I know how to finish it now." So I did.

Kelly: Well give people a taste. The first six or so pages that you had written back in the hotel, it becomes a 50-page story. What was it that you decided was worth returning to?

King: Well, I like the concept: This young man is driving along, and he's trying to figure out whether or not he should join his parents' white shoe law firm in Boston, or whether he should strike out on his own. And he finds this man on the road who calls himself the Answer Man. And he says, "I will answer three of your questions for $25, and you have 5 minutes to ask these questions." So I thought to myself, I'm going to write this story in three acts. One while the questioner is young, and one when he's middle aged, and one when he's old. The question that I ask myself is: "Do you want to know what happens in the future or not?"

Kelly: This story, like many of your stories, is about destiny – whether some things are meant to happen no matter what we do, no matter what choices we make. Do you believe that's true?

King: The answer is I don't know. When I write stories, I write to find out what I really think. And I don't think there's any real answer to that question.

Kelly: You do describe in the afterword of the book that going back in your seventies to complete a story you had begun as a young man gave you, and I'll quote your words, "The oddest sense of calling into a canyon of time." Can you explain what that means?

King: Well, you listen for the echo to come back. When I was a young man, I had a young man's ideas about The Answer Man . But now, as a man who has reached, let us say, a certain age, I'm forced to write from experience and just an idea of what it might be like to be an old man. So yeah, it felt to me like yelling and then waiting for the echo to come back all these years later.

Kelly: Are there subjects you shy away from, where you think about it and think, "You know what, that might be one step too creepy, too weird?"

King: I had one novel called Pet Cemetery that I wrote and put in a drawer because I thought, "Nobody will want to read this. This is just too awful." I wanted to write it to see what would happen, but I didn't think I would publish it. And I got into a contractual bind, and I needed to do a book with my old company. And so I did. And I found out – sort of to my delight and sort of to my horror – that you can't really gross out the American public. You can't go too far.

Kelly: It was a huge bestseller, as I recall.

King: Yeah, it's a bestseller and it was a movie. And yeah, the same thing is true with It , about the killer clown who preys on children

Kelly: Who still haunts my nightmares, I have to tell you. You've written how many books at this point?

King: I don't know.

King: Really? In our recent coverage of you, we've said everything from 50 to 70.

King: I think it's probably around 70, but I don't keep any count. I remember thinking as a kid that it would be a really fine lifetime to be able to write 100 novels.

Kelly: Oh my gosh. Well you sound like you're still having a lot of fun, so I hope you have quite a few more novels for us to come.

King: That'd be good.

Who is César Román? The real story behind ‘The Cachopo King’ in the Netflix true crime series

D uring the past few years we have seen a growth in the number of true crimes series hitting the screens - documentaries which delve into some of the most disturbing cases of recent years - truly horrendous crimes such as the Asunta case or the Netflix series Burning Body which looked at the love triangle which culminated in the murder of Barcelona municipal policeman Pedro Rodríguez by Rosa Peral and work colleague Albert López. Whether you agree with them or not, there appears to be a morbid fascination for these murder cases - the latest to premiere, looks at the infamous ‘King Cachopo’ case which will air Friday.

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César Román was already known to Spanish authorities for his allegiance to several far right political parties and committed countless acts of fraud, many of which came to light after his arrest. The entrepreneur had been a member of the extreme right Falange political party in the 1990s and used his affiliation to infiltrate the syndicate and gain sensitive information. He was also behind the creation of ‘Ahora Málaga’ (Málaga Now) - a magazine which published numerous interviews with political figures - all of them completely fabricated, false stories, figments of his vivid imagination. Unsurprisingly, the company went bust and Román vanished into thin air , leaving his employees without their due wages.

His next venture fared much better - so much so, that he gained notoriety, and a nickname, the ‘The Cachopo King’ . He opened a restaurant in central Madrid , specialized in cuisine from northern Spain , more specifically Asturias - his signature dish was the Cachopo , which soon became popular with customers and the word got around. He persuaded investors to plough money into his restaurant, selling them a tale about expanding his business to set up a chain of outlets. But soon his restaurants suffered a drop in footfall when customers realized he was sourcing cheap meat and ingredients.

Once again, ‘The Cachopo King’ simply disappeared , withdrawing 100,000 euros from his bank account and leaving his creditors high and dry.

The murder of Heydi Paz

Román was believed to be in a relationship with Heydi Paz Bulnes , a 25-year-old Honduran woman - 20 years younger than him, since April 2018. He hired her to become part of his bar staff at one of his restaurants. But by the summer, the relationship was over . Heydi had found someone else and told Román that he no longer wanted to see him . At the same time, more problems starting piling up for ‘The Cachopo King’ - he could no longer meet payments to his creditors and in July, he was forced to pull down the shutters of his four establishments.

On 23 July 2018, Heydi was reported missing by her mother . Human remains, a headless torso was discovered stuffed into a partially burned suitcase on 13 August in an industrial warehouse, owned by Román in the Usera district of Madrid. The body had been dismembered , a section of skin removed, limbs, breasts and head cut off. The body was identified as Heydi’s months later after extensive DNA tests.

César Román was arrested on 16 November . He had been working in a restaurant in Zaragoza under an alias. He had changed his physical appearance - shaved his head and grown a beard and also lied to his employers, telling them he was a Venezuelan chef named Rafael Rujano Contreras. In 2021, Román was sentenced to 15 years in prison charged with the murder and decapitation of Heydi Paz.

Until recently, Román has denied killing Heydi. In April 2024, he wrote a letter to the media confessing his part in the crime and asking Heydi’s family for forgiveness.

Román Parrado, who directed the three-part mini-series which airs Friday, explained that ‘The Cachopo King’ was a fantasist, a snake charmer who craved being the center of attention . “The documentary series tries to put the peacock center stage, with all of its feathers glimmering until one by one, they are removed and we see the real César Román and what really happened in this case”.

What is a Cachopo?

A Cachopo is a hearty Asturian specialty which consists of a large, finely sliced filet of beef , topped with cured ham and cheese which is coated in breadcrumbs, fried and then served topped with a red pepper and fries. High in calories, it’s cut into slices and will feed several people. It’s a relatively new phenomenon - the dish was practically unknown until recently, growing in popularity in many Asturian bars and restaurants.

Directed by Román Parrado and written by Noemí Redondo and Isabel Paniagua, the three-part docuseries Cooking Up Murder: Uncovering the Story of César Román airs on Netflix from Friday 24 May.

The series is split into three 50-minute episodes : Like a King , The King’s Speech and The Dethroned King .

Nicknamed the ‘Cachopo King’ for the success of the restaurant he opened before committing the crime, Román was sentenced to 15 in prison for murdering and dismembering Heidi Paz.

Biden delivers Morehouse commencement speech as some on campus express pro-Palestinian messages

ATLANTA — President Joe Biden delivered the commencement address at Morehouse College on Sunday morning, his most direct engagement with college students since the start of the Israel-Hamas war and a key opportunity for him to engage with a group of voters that data suggests is softening on him: young, Black men.

In his remarks, Biden ticked through his administration's policies that he said have aided Black Americans, including a record $16 billion in new aid for historically Black colleges and universities.

And, in a nod to the pro-Palestinian sentiment among Morehouse students and faculty, Biden reiterated his calls for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza, more humanitarian aid in the region and support for a two-state solution that would lead to the creation of a Palestinian state.

“We’ve been working on a deal as we speak. Working around the clock to lead an international effort to get more aid into Gaza, rebuild Gaza. I’m also working around the clock for more than just one cease-fire. I’m working to bring the region together. Working to build a lasting, durable peace,” he said.

As Biden spoke, roughly six students in the crowd sat turned away from him. Though Biden did not reference the action directly, his remarks touched on the “anger and frustration” felt by many Americans over the war, including by members of his own family.

“I know it breaks your heart. It breaks mine as well,” Biden said. “Leadership is about fighting through the most intractable problems. It’s about challenging anger, frustration and heartbreak. To find a solution. It’s about doing what you believe is right, even when it’s hard and lonely.”

Following the speech, Morehouse President David Thomas praised Biden for a “thought-provoking speech” he said was reflective of the president “listening.”

“You spoke to the hard issues confronting our nation and the world at this moment,” Thomas said before conferring an honorary doctorate degree onto Biden.

No significant, disruptive protests materialized, but some students and faculty members still expressed their support for Gaza during the ceremony.

Pro-Palestinian demonstrations began even before Biden took the stage Sunday morning. As graduates and faculty entered the ceremony, at least eight students and three staff members wore pro-Palestinian garb, some adorned in Palestinian flags and others wearing keffiyeh scarves.

An opening prayer by the Rev. Claybon Lea Jr. urged those in power to be “accountable for valuing human life” across the globe.

“Whether they live in Israel or Palestine, Ukraine or Russia, the Congo or Haiti, God give us men that will value life and call us to accountability. Give us men who require all of us to live the golden rule and even follow the edicts of that Palestinian Jew named Jesus,” Lea said as Biden sat inches behind him.

In the most direct call to action of the ceremony, valedictorian DeAngelo Jeremiah Fletcher concluded his remarks by calling for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza, framing his decision to speak on the conflict as a moral duty in line with the legacy of fellow Morehouse alumnus Martin Luther King Jr.

“It is important to recognize that both sides have suffered heavy casualties in the wake of Oct. 7,” Fletcher said. “From the comfort of our homes, we watch an unprecedented number of civilians mourn the loss of men, women and children while calling for a release of all hostages. For the first time in our lives, we’ve heard the global community sing one harmonious song that transcends language and culture. It is my stance as a Morehouse man named as a human being to call for an immediate and a permanent cease-fire in the Gaza Strip.”

As Biden took the stage, graduating students remained seated and silent, even as older alumni nearby cheered.

And during his remarks, faculty member Samuel Livingston held up the flag of the Democratic Republic of Congo, in an effort to bring attention to ongoing conflict in the region.

Sebastian Gordon, a graduating senior from Washington, D.C., was satisfied with Biden's remarks. “I know one concern that my class had was actions and words didn’t line up,” Gordon told NBC News. “I’m happy with his words that he said. I’m just going to continue to watch to make sure his actions line up with that.”

The protests during the commencement were largely peaceful, following instructions Thomas, the school president, gave to faculty and students across at least three meetings: The right to protest would be honored as long as they’re not disruptive.

Ahead of the commencement, Thomas told CNN that though he would not ask police to intervene should protests occur during Biden’s remarks, he would immediately bring the commencement to a halt.

“I have also made a decision that we will also not ask police to take individuals out of commencement in zip ties. If faced with the choice, I will cease the ceremonies on the spot if we were to reach that position,” Thomas said.

Even the most vocal student protesters at Morehouse predicted that protests during the commencement ceremony would likely not be disruptive, partially due to the volatility a police response would likely incite.

“I think that whatever happens on Sunday on the part of the people and the people who want to see some change is going to be peaceful,” sophomore Anwar Karim said. “I don’t see it erupting like it has at some of the other campuses, because we at HBCUs here are also just mindful of the fact of how interactions with police often go.”

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Friday that Biden spent several days working on the speech, tapping into a brain trust of senior advisers, including some Morehouse alums, to craft his message to the 415 Black men graduating from the school.

Biden previewed the tone of his remarks during a speech Thursday to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Supreme Court’s Brown v. Board of Education decision.

“Morehouse was founded after our nation’s Civil War to help prepare Black Americans who were formerly enslaved to enter the ministry, earn an education and usher them from slavery to freedom,” Biden said before announcing $16 billion in new investments for historically Black colleges and universities. “The founders of Morehouse understood something fundamental. Education is linked to freedom. Because to be free means to have something that no one can ever take away from you.”

Biden’s speech at Morehouse came against the backdrop of protests on college campuses nationwide over his handling over the war in Gaza, with many students and faculty members voicing opposition to the White House’s continued financial and military support for Israel. Some at Morehouse hoped Biden would speak directly to those concerns during his commencement remarks.

“I hope that we don’t get boilerplate language. I hope that we get something we haven’t heard before. I hope that his ethical, moral conscience trump any politics,” Morehouse professor Stephane Dunn said at a protest Friday.

Morehouse has also had pro-Palestinian protests on campus, though the HBCU did not see the same scale or escalation of demonstrations as some larger universities.

The school’s decision to host Biden as commencement speaker and award him an honorary doctorate degree almost immediately sparked protests among faculty and students, some continuing into the days leading up to the commencement ceremony.

“This is one big distraction on a day to celebrate the class of 2024 following Covid-19, but this is also an opportunity for students to make their voices heard during a time of increasing war and genocide in the Middle East,” Morehouse senior Calvin Bell said in reaction to Biden’s visit.

“We as students, faculty and alums who are standing on the right side of history do not stand with Biden,” Karim said. “We do not align ourselves with all of the clear and avid support that he’s had for a genocidal campaign on the part of the Israelis for the last over 200-plus days.”

Most recently, Morehouse faculty were split over the decision to award Biden an honorary doctorate degree at the ceremony. A letter circulated among staff members in protest of the decision got more that two dozen signatures in support, and the vote to award the degree passed 50-38, with roughly 12 faculty members abstaining.

The White House deployed its allies to Morehouse, both formally and informally, to assuage concerns and lower tensions over Biden’s visit.

Steve Benjamin, who heads the White House Office of Public Engagement, met with a small group of Morehouse students and faculty this month following a push from the school’s leadership for “direct engagement” from the White House.

During the meeting, some students expressed concerns about Biden overshadowing their graduation, while others implored Benjamin to ensure Biden’s speech doesn’t double as a campaign stump speech — frustrated with the idea of the commencement address being a vehicle for Biden to bolster support among Black voters.

That sentiment was shared by other Morehouse students critical of Biden’s visit.

“I don’t think it’s a coincidence that he only accepted the invitation after Trump was already in [Atlanta’s] West End, trying to make gains and failing to make gains with our students here,” Morehouse student Malik Poole said at a campus protest ahead of Biden’s visit. “And this is coming at a time where voters of color are fleeing from Biden at record pace.”

But still, Biden’s Morehouse visit came amid a concerted effort by his administration and campaign in the past week to sharpen his message to Black voters .

On Thursday, Biden met with plaintiffs and their family members from the historic Brown v. Board of Education case. The following day, he met with leaders of the Divine Nine, a group of historically Black sororities and fraternities, alongside Vice President Kamala Harris, a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority herself. During his trip to Georgia, Biden attended an event Saturday focused on engaging Black voters. And following his commencement address, Biden will close out the weekend by delivering the keynote address at the NAACP Freedom Fund dinner in Detroit, where he plans to tout his administration’s accomplishments for Black Americans.

As data suggests that Black voters — particularly young Black voters — are souring on Biden, some at Morehouse recognized the “opportunity” Biden had to make his case to members of that voting bloc during his address.

“If you want ... these students to vote in the fall for you, you have to give them something that shows that you are hearing them,” Dunn said. “That you are trying to do something we haven’t heard about. This is the opportunity.”

Nnamdi Egwuonwu is a 2024 NBC News campaign embed.

'This is Hitler's language': Biden slams Trump campaign post referencing 'unified Reich'

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden slammed a 30-second video shared to Donald Trump’s Truth Social account on Monday that referenced a “unified reich” while featuring what the former president would do if he won a second term in office.

Trump's video includes a narrator discussing “what’s next for America” with a Republican 2024 victory and presents a series of newspaper headlines and text describing his goals, such as closing the border and creating a booming economy. One piece of text in the since-deleted video said, “Industrial strength significantly increased … driven by the creation of a unified reich.”

Reich refers to a German empire and is associated with Adolf Hitler ’s Third Reich under Nazi Germany.

Karoline Leavitt, a Trump spokesperson, said in a statement that the video is not a campaign ad and was created by “a random account online and reposted by a staffer who clearly did not see the word, while the President was in court,” referencing Trump’s hush money trial.

But Biden condemned the “unified Reich” reference Tuesday, telling supporters at a campaign fundraiser in Boston, "This is Hitler’s language, not America’s."

Prep for the polls: See who is running for president and compare where they stand on key issues in our Voter Guide

He added that “it’s no surprise,” citing past reports that Trump, as president, told his chief of staff that Hitler “did some good things.”

Vice President Kamala Harris, addressing the Service Employees International Union convention in Philadelphia, also seized on the "unified Reich" post.

"The former president of the United States, − who praises dictators, who said there were very fine people on both sides in Charlottesville, let's not forget − took to social media and highlighted language from Nazi Germany. This kind of rhetoric is unsurprising coming from the former president, and it is appalling," Harris said.

Sarah Matthews, former Trump White House Deputy Press Secretary, wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that “Trump’s continued use of Nazi rhetoric is un-American and despicable. Yet too many Americans are brushing off the glaring red flags about what could happen if he returns to the White House.”

Trump had previously drawn backlash after saying immigrants are “poisoning the blood of our country” and describing his political opponents as “vermin,” reminding many of language used by dictators like Hitler and Italy's Benito Mussolini.

“Donald Trump is openly copying Hitler’s Nazi language about a 'unified reich' and warning about 'poisoning the blood' of America, and people are still acting like this is a normal election,” Keith Boykin, former White House aide to Bill Clinton and political commentator, wrote on X.

Trump did not respond to a question about the video after speaking with reporters at the New York courthouse where he is on criminal trial in a hush money case.

Watch CBS News

The story behind "The King's Speech"

June 12, 2011 / 8:47 PM EDT / CBS News

This story was first published Feb. 20, 2011. It was updated on June 12, 2011.

Last winter, "The King's Speech" dominated the Oscars when it took home four out of the 12 Academy Awards it was nominated for - including best picture, best director, best actor and best original screenplay.

The movie is based on the true story of George VI, the father of the present queen of England. George VI was a man who, in the 1930s, desperately did not want to be king. He was afflicted nearly all his life by a crippling stammer which stood to rob Britain of a commanding voice at the very moment that Hitler rose to threaten Europe.

The story struck a nerve with audiences and critics alike, as we reported last February, just before Colin Firth won his first Oscar for his critically-acclaimed portrayal of George VI.

The hidden letters Dig into the treasure trove of historic letters between a stuttering king and his commoner friend, speech therapist Lionel Logue.

When correspondent Scott Pelley asked Firth if he liked being king, Firth said, "I think it's hard to think of anything worse, really. I mean, I wouldn't change places with this man. And I would be very surprised if anybody watching the film would change places with this man."

"It's a perfect storm of catastrophic misfortunes for a man who does not want the limelight, who does not want to be heard publicly, who does not want to expose this humiliating impediment that he's spent his life battling," Firth explained. "He's actually fighting his own private war. He'd rather have been facing machine gun fire than have to face the microphone."

The microphone hung like a noose for the king, who was a stutterer from the age of 8. He was never meant to be king. But in 1936 his older brother gave up the throne to marry Wallace Simpson, a divorced American. Suddenly George VI and his wife Elizabeth reigned over an empire that was home to 25 percent of the world's population.

And like the George of over 1,000 years before, he had a dragon to slay: radio.

Extra: The real King George Extra: Colin Firth, King and Queen Extra: Firth's Oscar-nominated roles Extra: Firth's "bland" looks Pictures: Colin Firth on "60 Minutes"

"When I looked at images of him or I listened to him, you do see that physical struggle," Firth said of the king's public speeches. "His eyes close, and you see him try to gather himself. And it's heartbreaking."

Among those listening was a 7-year-old British boy who, like the king, had a wealth of words but could not get them out.

"I was a profound stutterer. I started stuttering just before my third birthday. I didn't rid myself of it until I was 16. But my parents would encourage me to listen to the king's speeches during the war. And I thought, 'Wow if he can do that, there is hope for me.' So he became my childhood hero," David Seidler, who wrote the movie, told Pelley.

Seidler had grown up with the story, but he didn't want to tell the tale until he had permission from the late king's widow, known as The Queen Mother.

Seidler had sent a letter to her. "And finally, an answer came and it said, 'Dear Mr. Seidler, please, not during my lifetime the memory of these events is still too painful.' If the Queen Mum says wait to an Englishman, an Englishman waits. But, I didn't think I'd have to wait that long," he explained.

Asked why, Seidler said, "Well, she was a very elderly lady. Twenty-five years later, just shy of her 102nd birthday, she finally left this realm."

After the Queen Mother's death in 2002, Seidler went to work. He found the theme of the story in the clash between his royal highness and an Australian commoner who became the king's salvation, an unknown speech therapist named Lionel Logue.

"The words that keep coming up when you hear about Lionel Logue are 'charisma' and 'confidence.' He would never say, 'I can fix your stuttering.' He would say, 'You can get a handle on your stuttering. I know you can succeed,'" Seidler said.

Geoffrey Rush plays Logue, an unorthodox therapist and a royal pain.

They say you can't make this stuff up, and in much of the film that's true. Seidler could not have imagined his work would lead to a discovery that would rewrite history. Researchers for the film tracked down Lionel Logue's grandson Mark, because the movie needed family photos to get the clothing right.

Mark Logue not only had pictures, he also had some diaries.

His grandfather's diaries were up in the attic in boxes that the family had nearly forgotten. When Logue hauled them down for the movie, he discovered more than 100 letters between the therapist and his king.

"'My dear Logue, thank you so much for sending me the books for my birthday, which are most acceptable.' That's so British isn't it. 'Yours very sincerely, Albert,'" Logue read from one of the letters.

"As you read through all these letters between your grandfather and the king, what did it tell you about the relationship between these two men?" Pelley asked.

"It's not the relationship between a doctor and his patient, it's a relationship between friends," Logue said.

We met Logue at the same address where his grandfather treated the king. And among the hundreds of pages of documents were Logue's first observations of George VI.

"Probably the most startling thing was the king's appointment card," Logue told Pelley. "It described in detail the king's stammer, which we hadn't seen anywhere else. And it also described in detail the intensity with the appointments."

The king saw Lionel Logue every day for an hour, including weekends.

"You know, he was so committed. I think he decided 'This is it. I have to overcome this stammer, and this is my chance,'" Mark Logue told Pelley.

In the film, the king throws himself into crazy therapies. But in truth, Logue didn't record his methods. The scenes are based on Seidler's experience and ideas of the actors.

"We threw in stuff that we knew. I mean, somebody had told me that the only way to release that muscle," actor Geoffrey Rush said of one of the speech exercises he did in the movie. "And of course, little did I realize that the particular lens they were using on that shot made me look like a Galapagos tortoise."

While the treatments spring from imagination, the actors read Logue's diaries and letters to bring realism to everything else.

"The line at the end, I found reading the diaries in bed one night, 'cause this is what I used to do every night, when Logue says 'You still stammered on the 'W'," Firth said.

The line was used in the movie.

"It shows that these men had a sense of humor. It showed that there was wit. It showed there was self mockery and it just showed a kind of buoyancy of spirit between them. The fact that he spoke on a desk standing upright in this little hidden room is something we found in the diaries as well," Firth told Pelley.

"In reality he had to stand up to speak, he had to have the window open," Firth said. "And he had to have his jacket off."

"And that wonderful, specific little eccentric observation that came from reality," Firth added.

One of the most remarkable things to come out of the Logue attic was a copy of what maybe the most important speech the king ever made - the speech that gave the movie its name. This was the moment when King George VI had to tell his people that for the second time in a generation they were at war with Germany. The stakes were enormous. The leader of the empire could not stumble over these words.

Mark Logue has the original copy of "the speech," typed out on Buckingham Palace stationary.

"What are all of these marks? All these vertical lines? What do they mean?" Pelley asked, looking over the documents.

"They're deliberate pauses so that the king would be able to sort of attack the next word without hesitation," Logue said. "He's replacing some words, he's crossing them out and suggesting another word that the king would find easier to pronounce."

"Here's a line that he's changed, 'We've tried to find a peaceful way out of the differences between my government.' He's changed that from, 'my government,' to, 'the differences between ourselves and those who would be our enemies,'" Pelley said.

"You know, I'm curious. Have either of you snuck into a theater and watched the film with a regular audience?" Pelley asked Firth and Rush.

"No, the only time I've ever snuck in to watch my own film I got quite nervous about it, because I just thought it be embarrassing to be seen doing that, so I pulled my collar up, and the hat down, over my eyes, and you know, snuck in as if I was going into a porn cinema, or something and went up the stairs, crept in, sidled in, to sit at the back, and I was the only person in the cinema. That's how well the film was doing," Firth remembered.

Now, it's a lot harder for Firth to go unnoticed. Recently he was immortalized with a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame and brought along his Italian wife Livia.

They've been married 14 years and have two sons. With "The King's Speech," we realized Firth is one of the most familiar actors that we know almost nothing about. So we took him back to his home town Alresford in Hampshire, outside London. He's the son of college professors, but Firth dropped out of high school to go to acting school.

"But you don't have a Hampshire accent," Pelley pointed out.

"No. My accent has changed over the years, as a matter of survival. So until I was about 10, 'I used to talk like that,'" Firth replied, mimicking the local accent. "I remember it might have been on this street, actually, where I think the conversation went something like, 'Oy, you want to fight?' And I said, 'No, I don't.' 'Why not?' 'Well, 'cause you'll win.' 'No, I won't.' 'Well, will I win then?' 'Well, you might not.' And so, you know, we went trying to process the logic. And I thought, 'Have we dealt with it now?"

"Do we still have to fight?" Pelley asked.

"Do we actually have to do the practical now? We've done the theory," Firth replied.

He wanted us to see his first stage. It turned out to be the yard of his elementary school where he told stories from his own imagination.

"And at lunch times on the field up here, the crowd would gather and demand the story. They'd all sit 'round and say, 'No, we want the next bit,'" Firth remembered.

Firth told Pelley he found his calling for acting at the age of 14.

Asked what happened then, he told Pelley, "I used to go to drama classes up the road here on Saturday mornings. And one day I just had this epiphany. It was I can do this. I want to do this."

He has done 42 films in 26 years, most of them the polar opposite of "The King's Speech," like "Mamma Mia!"

"How hard was it to get you to do the scene for the closing credits?" Pelley asked, referring to Firth doing a musical number in an outrageous, Abba-inspired outfit.

"I think that's the reason I did the film," Firth joked.

"You have no shame?" Pelley asked.

"I'm sorry. That's if one thing has come out of '60 Minutes' here, it's we have discovered, we've unveiled the fact that Colin Firth has no shame. I am such a drag queen. It's one of my primary driving forces in life. If you cannot dangle a spandex suit and a little bit of mascara in front of me and not just have me go weak at the knees," Firth joked.

From queen to king, Firth is an actor of amazing range who had his best shot at his first Oscar.

Like George VI himself, this movie wasn't meant to be king. "The King's Speech" was made for under $15 million. But now the movie, the director, the screenwriter David Seidler, who made it happen, and all the principal actors were nominated for Academy Awards. Geoffrey Rush had won once before.

"What advice to you have for this man who may very likely win the Oscar this year?" Pelley asked Rush.

"Well enjoy it. It isn't the end of anything because you will go on and do a couple more flops probably, you might even sneak into another film in which no one is in the house," Rush joked.

But on Oscar night, stammering King George had the last word. A lot of movies are based on true stories. But "The King's Speech" has reclaimed history.

King Charles’ new portrait elicits interesting reactions: ‘Looks like he’s bathing in blood’

Artist Jonathan Yeo and King Charles III stand on either side of a portrait of the king in the red uniform of Welsh Guards

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If the British royal family was looking for a public relations win after Princess Catherine’s Photoshop fails, the unveiling of King Charles’ newest royal portrait was not it.

“I’m sorry, but this portrait looks like he’s in hell,” one person posted in comments under artist Jonathan Yeo’s and the royal family’s joint Instagram post revealing and explaining the image.

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“Without sounding rude this is the worst royal portrait I’ve ever seen,” another added .

“It looks like he’s bathing in blood,” a third concluded .

The painting, which stands at an impressive 6½ by 8½ feet, was commissioned three years ago by the Worshipful Company of Drapers, a medieval guild of wool and cloth merchants that now focuses on philanthropy. The piece will hang at the gallery in Drapers’ Hall in downtown London, Yeo wrote.

King Charles sat for four sessions with the artist, a trustee at the National Portrait Gallery who has painted Queen Camilla when she was duchess of Cornwall as well as Charles’ father, the late Prince Philip, albeit in much more flattering tones. Charles had a creative say in the project, suggesting the artist include the butterfly landing on his shoulder, doing double duty as a symbol of his commitment to the environment and to show his transformation as he ascended to the throne.

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“When I started this project, His Majesty The King was still His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, and much like the butterfly I’ve painted hovering over his shoulder, this portrait has evolved as the subject’s role in our public life has transformed,” Yeo wrote.

“I do my best to capture the life experiences and humanity etched into any individual sitter’s face, and I hope that is what I have achieved in this portrait. To try and capture that for His Majesty The King, who occupies such a unique role, was both a tremendous professional challenge, and one which I thoroughly enjoyed and am immensely grateful for.”

Despite his involvement in the project, King Charles was “initially surprised by the strong color,” the artist told the BBC , and TikTok royals commentator @matta_of_fact noted that the king appeared to jump a bit when he pulled the cloth away to reveal the painting.

The online opinions didn’t stop at hellfire, however. Allusions to the royal family’s bloody colonial past , Charles and Camilla’s infamous tampon scandal and the family’s current woes, including the king’s recent cancer diagnosis , ran rampant.

But not everyone seemed bothered. Queen Camilla took one look at the painting, the BBC reported, and said, “Yes, you’ve got him.”

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FILE - Britain's King Charles III waves as he leaves after attending the Easter Matins Service at St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, England, March 31, 2024. Buckingham Palace says King Charles III will resume his public duties next week following treatment for cancer. The announcement on Friday April 26, 2024, comes almost three months after Charles took a break from public appearances to focus on his treatment for an undisclosed type of cancer. (Hollie Adams/Pool Photo via AP, File)

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Eva Hartman is a spring 2024 reporting intern with the Fast Break Desk at the Los Angeles Times. She is a senior at the University of Southern California studying international relations, where she has served as the news assignments editor and magazine editor at the Daily Trojan.

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How historically accurate is the movie The King's Speech
In 2010, The King's Speech won the Oscar for Best Picture and grossed over $414 million worldwide. It was an unlikely box office champion because it was based on a true story about King George VI of Britain (1895-1952) and an Australian speech therapist Lionel Logue (1880-1953). It shows how Logue helped the king overcome a crippling stammer ...
The True Story Behind "The King's Speech"
The True Story Behind "The King's Speech". "The King's Speech" is a 2010 dramatic biographical film, recounting the friendship between King George VI of England and his Australian speech therapist, Lionel Logue. The film also covers Edward VIII's 1936 abdication, and George VI's subsequent coronation and shouldering of responsibility during ...
The story behind "The King's Speech"
With 12 Oscar nominations, "The King's Speech" is among the most nominated films of all time. It's based on the true story of George VI, the father of the present queen of England. George VI was a ...
Letter Reveals Truth Behind Colin Firth's Role The King's Speech
A long-forgotten letter from King George VI to his speech therapist has revealed more about the true story behind Colin Firth 's Oscar-winning role in The King's Speech . Written at Windsor ...
Forgotten archive reveals true story behind 'King's Speech'
STORY HIGHLIGHTS. The grandson of the Geoffrey Rush character in the movie has the real Lionel Logue's papers. They include letters between King George VI and his grandfather. The two men were ...
The King's Speech
The King's Speech is a 2010 historical drama film directed by Tom Hooper and written by David Seidler. Colin Firth plays the future King George VI who, to cope with a stammer, sees Lionel Logue, an Australian speech and language therapist played by Geoffrey Rush.The men become friends as they work together, and after his brother abdicates the throne, the new king relies on Logue to help him ...
Tom Hooper: On Directing 'The King's Speech'
Tom Hooper's film, The King's Speech, tells the true story of King George VI's stammer and his relationship with an unconventional speech therapist who helped him speak. The movie was recently ...
Perspective: How true is 'The King's Speech'?
Perspective: How true is 'The King's Speech'? By David Freeman, Special to the Los Angeles Times. Feb. 13, 2011 12 AM PT. If any best-picture contender was going to face questions about ...
The real story behind 'The King's Speech'
This year's top Oscar-nominated film, "The King's Speech," bursts with narrative resonance - both in the story it tells and in the one behind the film's creation.. The true-life tale of Prince ...
'The King's Speech' Tells True Story of How British Monarch Overcame
There is 'Oscar buzz' for The King's Speech. a new film that tells the true story of how Britain's King George VI overcame a debilitating stutter to inspire his nation during World War II. "In ...
Movie review: 'The King's Speech'
A key aspect is that "The King's Speech" is based on the true story of the relationship between Lionel Logue, an Australian speech therapist, and Albert, the Duke of York, who was forced to ...
BBC One
The true story of a king who tried to overcome his stutter so he could address the nation. ... Based on the true story of King George VI, The King's Speech is the inspirational tale of one man's ...
The King's Speech True Historical Story
0 The King's Speech True Historical Story. The King's Speech is headed for Oscar glory but some have criticized its faulty history. Author Peter Conradi says the relationship between King ...
The King's Speech: the real story
The story of the stuttering sovereign was not widely known until it inspired the Oscar-winning film, 'The King's Speech'. In this film, Colin Firth plays King George VI and the events that ...
For A 'King's Speech,' Commoner Helps Find A Voice : NPR
For A 'King's Speech,' Commoner Helps Find A Voice Tom Hooper's drama is the true story of a man who would reluctantly be king — and of his turbulent friendship with the speech therapist who ...
30 Facts about the movie The King's Speech
Yes, The King's Speech is based on the true story of King George VI of the United Kingdom and his struggle with a speech impediment. 3. How many Academy Awards did The King's Speech win? The King's Speech won four Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (Colin Firth), and Best Original Screenplay. 4.
How The King's Speech Ignored King George VI's True Story
How The King's Speech Ignored King George VI's True Story. The dream of a Europe at peace was crushed in 1939, as Poland was invaded by Germany and then the Soviet Union. British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain was forced to turn back on his hopes of non-aggression and declare war. While few at this time could have predicted the imminent ...
Truth and Fiction in 'The King's Speech'
Historians and critics charge that George VI was a nitwit and a Nazi appeaser. On the heels of its 12 Academy Award nominations, "The King's Speech," an inspiring story of King George VI and ...
The King's Speech (2010)
Logue & Bertie become friends. On 20 January 1936 George V dies, and David, the Prince of Wales (Guy Pearce) accedes to the throne as King Edward VIII, & wants to marry Wallis Simpson (Eve Best), an American divorcee, which would provoke a constitutional crisis. Bertie confronts David, who only accuses Bertie of having designs of his own ...
REVIEW: 'The King's Speech' is incredible (but true) story
Most people who suffer from stammering are fortunate enough to have lives that don't require them to bare their affliction to the world by giving large, public addresses. Even fewer
Film Education
The King's Speech tells the story of King George VI (Bertie) who reluctantly assumed the throne after his brother abdicated. Plagued by a dreaded stutter and considered unfit to be king, he engages the help of an unorthodox speech therapist named Lionel Logue. Through a set of unexpected techniques, and as a result of an unlikely friendship ...
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The story behind "The King's Speech"
This story was first published Feb. 20, 2011. It was updated on June 12, 2011. Last winter, "The King's Speech" dominated the Oscars when it took home four out of the 12 Academy Awards it was ...
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How historically accurate is the movie The King's Speech

When does the King's Speech take place?

The King and his Stutter

When did Lionel Logue begin treating George VI?

How did Logue treat George VI's speech impediment?

What was the relationship between King George VI and Lionel Logue?

Was George VI accurately portrayed in the King's Speech?

How realistic is the King's Speech?

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Long-Forgotten Letter Reveals Truth Behind Colin Firth's Real-Life Role in 'The King's Speech'

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The King’s Speech True Historical Story

Peter Conradi

"The King's Speech," starring Colin Firth as the King - or Bertie as he was known to his intimates - appears destined to be rewarded by the Academy next February. (Laurie Sparham / The Weinstein Company)

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For A 'King's Speech,' Commoner Helps Find A Voice

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30 Facts About The Movie The King’s Speech

Key Takeaways:

Box Office Success

Historical Accuracy

Oscar-Winning Performances

Colin Firth’s Preparation

Geoffrey Rush’s Role

Historical Significance

Multiple Nominations

Supporting Cast

Royal Approval

Accents and Dialects

Emotional Journey

Historical Context

Collaboration

Real Speech Recordings

Costume Design

Film Locations

Critical Acclaim

Audience Response

International Success

Positive Reviews

Cultural Impact

Educational Value

Film Adaptation

International Accolades

Inspirational Story

Historical Detail

Lasting Legacy

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How The King's Speech Ignored King George VI's True Story

King George VI's speech improved far earlier than 1939

Truth and Fiction in ‘The King’s Speech’

The King's Speech

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