Ahead of the premiere of Keira Knightley’s new crime-drama “Boston Strangler”, the actress reveals what it was like to portray Loretta McLaughlin, the first journalist to connect the murders of the infamous 1960s Boston Strangler killings and break the story.
On bringing McLaughlin to the screen, Knightley, 37, tells ET Canada’s Carlos Bustamante that it was “definitely” helpful to have her written bodies of work on hand.
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“It was a great privilege to learn about and play Loretta Mclauchlan. She was an amazing journalist,” the actress said. “I did read a lot of her work, which was very helpful, it’s very evocative. It has a definite spirit to it, which was helpful in playing her.”
— Photo: Courtesy of 20th Century Studios
Additionally, Knightley was able to study interviews of Mclauchlan, who used to work at the Boston Record American. She passed away in November 2018.
“There was a great one where she was literally talking about the case, which was very helpful. She had a kind of steely determination which I loved,” Knightley shared.
While the upcoming film is “based on reality, it’s not a documentary,” Knightley explained. “There is a point where you go this is also a fiction. So, you know, you have to kind of take it and run with your own ideas as well. And that’s always the joy of doing anything like this.”
“Boston Strangler” premieres March 17 on Hulu.
