Joseph Fiennes opens up about Dear England: "I thought I was going to be in a Shakespeare or Chekhov play then I was handed a script about Gareth Southgate!"

Joseph Fiennes plays Gareth Southgate in Dear England, first on stage at The National Theatre in 2023 and again in a four-part BBC television series. The role contrasts with the idea of England manager as a “poison chalice,” because Fiennes describes it as a gift and a blessing. The story follows Southgate’s tenure from 2016 through the 2018 World Cup, the 2021 Euros final, the 2022 World Cup quarterfinal exit, and the Euro 2024 final in Berlin. Alongside football, the narrative addresses national identity, racism, and toxic masculinity.

"Oh no, it's a godsend and a gift, Fiennes tells FourFourTwo. It's a blessing and I'm full of gratitude for it."

Read at www.fourfourtwo.com