This week we are celebrating the eagerly-anticipated release of sport biopic Battle of the Sexes, the true story of Billie Jean King (Emma Stone) and Bobby Riggs (Steve Carell) who played each other in a historic tennis match back in 1973 that changed the world in many ways.

Part of the amazing ensemble cast is Andrea Riseborough who portrays Marilyn Barnett, who was Billie Jean’s hairdresser and lover during the period before the match took place. For Riseborough, the lure of Billie Jean’s story, not just through the eyes of the match, was something that inspired her and the cast to jump on-board, saying:

“Just for me as a human it was great. I think anybody who meets Billie Jean is inspired in ways that they couldn’t have possibly thought of and people are inspired to ask questions that you wouldn’t believe they have the courage to ask.”

RELATED: LFF 2017 Premiere Interviews: Battle of the Sexes – Emma Stone, Elisabeth Shue, Andrea Riseborough & more

One of the real successes of the film is the on-screen chemistry and relationship between Riseborough and Stone, both of whom are on career-best form. They duo worked a little together in 2014’s Birdman and Riseborough said that previous relationship helped but also gave them room to explore things even further, saying:

“It felt very natural from the beginning. Even when we knew we were doing it and we were texting each other before we’d started, rehearsing or shooting or anything we were both so excited about it. There was also a sense of relief in that both of us knew that because we knew each other enough but not very closely so there was still the excitement of getting to know each other but enough comfort to trust someone who is your friend.”

Both Stone and Carell have been talked up for awards praise (as has Riseborough herself) and she says that everyone embodied thierr characters so well that it was almost like being back in the same environment from the 1970’s adding:

“Steve does a great job of showing the scared boy behind the misogynist which is the purpose really of that role – to just play him as a straight villain would not have been interesting…. Emma’s spirit was Billie’s. She flipped a switch and her spirit was Billie’s straight away, mine was Marilyn’s and everyone seemed liked very different players in the room when we were filming and that was a really extraordinary environment to be in.”

Battle of the Sexes opens in UK cinemas on November 24th.