Queens, Peasants & Power: My Takeaways from The Uprising Press Conference

Alert the press, but wait, that’s me! I recently had the pleasure of attending The Uprising’s Virtual Global Press Conference and stepping deeper into the conversation. Hearing directly from the cast and creative team behind such an incredible film fed my analytical soul! Talk about shifts in perspective, but we all have the same sentiment…

“The peasants have come to Hollywood” –

Now, let’s have a revolution- well, a recap of the press conference. 

I was able to enjoy the perspectives of Paul Greengrass, the director of the film; Andrew Garfield, who plays the Ploughman; Thomasin McKenzie, who plays Alyce; Katherine Waterston, who is the Countess; and Woody Norman, who plays King Richard II. 

Each brought their role to life in the film, and during the press conference, we gained insight into their thought processes behind it. While watching the film, I related most to the Ploughman and the Countess, and listening to Andrew Garfield and Katherine Waterston, I felt the impact of their words and perspectives. 

Andrew Garfield can express the pain from both sides of the battlefield, the Plight of Ploughman and his people, and the duality behind the wealth of the royals. 

“He can actually pay attention. He can hear. He has the humility to hear the wind maybe, to maybe hear the signs in the leaves of the trees, to feel who most needs a miracle, to really feel into other people’s pain and his own. He’s kind of more pain than anything else. There’s something kind of beautifully transforming accepting that pain and letting an old self die with that pain, so something new can emerge by the end of our story.” – Andrew.

“The emperors, the kings, the ones who are hoarding their wealth, who are hoarding their billions, who hoarding their power, they may be the ones most in healing. I think it’s arguable they are the ones most in need of healing. And the trickle down.” – Andrew 

I’ll admit, I struggle to extend the same sympathy toward those with abundant means when so many people are fighting to afford the necessities of life. They say misery loves company, but it makes me uncomfortable to watch people struggle. I believe in justice and in focusing on what’s in my control and where sympathy goes. 

Then I must admit, when Kathrine Waterson jokingly said, “Queen and not heard,” I felt reignited; I love the articulation and examination of silent power. It has been a tool used by women for generations, because our voices are often omitted, overlooked, and undervalued in the conversation. But life is like chess; the Queen is the strongest piece, and power is always felt. 

“It was one of the great treats of the character that she’s there and unable to speak and what that communicates and what it accurately, I think, portrays about the period.” – Katherine. 

“And sometimes today, in an effort to give women more to do in historical stories, we give them a reality that was not theirs.” -Katherine

“And I loved her silence in this film and what I was allowed to then explore within that. And yeah, how sophisticated she kind of had to be in order to try to influence in a situation where the verbal wasn’t always available to her.” – Kathrine

My favorite part of the press conference is that everyone echoed the same messages and themes. The unity that forms amid tragedy and pain; true power and leadership are felt, and that power lies beneath and is underestimated. No one expects what will happen next, which can change the course of history. 

The Uprising will be in theaters on Friday, September 11, 2026, and I highly recommend that everyone watch it!

And let’s continue the conversation: is there power in being underestimated?