Tilda Swinton Based Her Latest Villain Role On Ivanka Trump

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by Anna Brech |
Published on

When a Hollywood icon chooses a muse, it's usually seen to represent an act of flattery.

But the same cannot be said for Tilda Swinton, who has just revealed that the inspiration behind her latest villain role was none other than the daughter of the US President, Ivanka Trump.

Speaking to the Wrap, the Oscar-winning actress says she channelled Ivanka's "glossy blond hair" and "expensive orthodontics" while working on the character of Lucy Mirando in upcoming Netflix drama Okja.

The hotly-anticipated film premiered at Cannes this month and sees Tilda embody the part of Lucy, "heir to a rotten great fortune built on the corrupt and morally repugnant initiatives carried out by her father".

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Donald Trump and first daughter Ivanka ©Rex

Lucy, according to Tilda, is "driven by a combination of impassioned narcissism and a competitive determination to do things differently, she is dedicated to fashioning a gleaming public image... She will stop at nothing, certainly not the truth, in the pursuit of this aim: She is a liar, from start to finish."

Tilda describes the villainess as "flaxen, straight-haired, straight-toothed, vivacious, childlike in energy... part spa manager, part Barbie dollybird, part cult priestess."

And it seems the parallels between art and real life were impossible for producers to resist.

"We had a plethora of influences," Tilda says.

"When we shot in New York last summer, I stood watching the Republican convention on the television in our lunch break dressed as Lucy, watching a different daughter of a different dubious dynasty addressing, from a high podium, a big crowd with glossy blond hair, expensive orthodontics and modeling her Barbie-perfect modest pink dress (concurrently on sale online). Chicken? Egg?"

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Tilda Swinton filming Okja in New York, with South Korean actress Seo-Hyeon Ahn ©Rex

This biting assessment is unlikely to be welcomed by Ivanka, who has fallen under increasing scrutiny after taking on a lead role in her father's administration.

The eldest daughter of the US president has embraced her unpaid position as special advisor in the White House.

She's currently travelling with her father on his first foreign trip in office to Europe and the Middle East and plans to review some of his hotly contested executive orders before they are signed.

Some commentators hope she will act as a moderating influence on her father, while others have slammed her "fake" advocacy of feminism and what they see as flagrant self-promotion.

Critics are watching carefully to ensure she does not exploit her high-profile job to profit her $50 million (£39 million) fashion brand in any way.

Read More: Scarlett Johansson Takes Down Ivanka Trump In Perfume Ad Spoof

Read More: Ivanka Trump's White House Role Has Been Confirmed

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