Keeley lays bare the life of a sex symbol
She was last seen on our screens trussed up in period costume for the ITV drama The Cater Street Hangman.
But for her latest role, playing the young Diana Dors in a TV bio-pic called The Blonde Bombshell, Keeley Hawes switches to far more revealing outfits — including a mink bikini.
To publicise her portrayal of the Fifties sex symbol, the 22-year-old actress has posed in various stages of undress for Elle magazine.
The shoot began with Versace pants and a transparent scarf but finished with nothing but a smile.
The actress, who has shown her versatility by appearing in projects ranging from Our Mutual Friend to The Avengers movie, put on a stone and a half and wore a platinum blonde wig to become the voluptuous pinup in the £ 3 million ITV drama.
She plays Miss Dors, who died from cancer aged 52 in 1984, from her teenage years to the age of 32, with Amanda Redman, 39, taking over for the later years. It needed quite a transformation for Miss Hawes, whose natural look is more Audrey Hepburn than Diana Dors.
‘When I was first made up as Diana it was very scary because there was an amazing resemblance,’ said Miss Hawes.
‘It sent shudders down my spine. I loved having all those curves. It was easy putting the weight on.’
‘I just ate full English breakfasts and doughnuts morning, noon and night.’
‘I felt quite sexy and raunchy.’
The two-part series based on the star’s autobiography Dors, By Diana, is screened on April 26 and 27.
(Source: findarticles.com)