10 film & TV scenes filmed in and around 116

February 7, 2022 Guest User

You’d think our location so close to London’s famous West End would mean we’re unphased by the sight of actors and celebrities by now.. Wrong!

It’s also a thrill to see stars of the stage and screen in our local area, and even more exciting when they’re inside 116 Pall Mall itself! We’ve been a sought-after location for filming, hair and makeup for television, film, theatre and awards shows for many years, but the excitement never wears off.

We’ve been proudly acting as a film location, backdrop, scene stealer and even behind-the-scenes hair and make-up venue for feature films and tv series’ for years – from Downton Abbey to Batman, we’ve been part of it all! Here we’re taking a look at some of the most memorable and some brand new - on and off camera... Learn more about filming at 116.

Strike – BBC

Charming but troubled private detective Cormoran Strike lives and works in a small office in Soho, just a few minutes’ walk from our Grade I listed building on Pall Mall. Based on books written by Robert Galbraith (Harry Potter author JK Rowling’s pen name), this BBC series was filmed in a number of places around 116 Pall Mall, including outside our front door in Waterloo Place when a dramatic fight breaks out between protesters and the police.

Strike is still available to watch on BBC Iplayer, and you can watch this scene here

Batman The Dark Knight - Warner Bros.

Several locations in and around Piccadilly were featured in Christopher Nolan’s acclaimed 2008 blockbuster, including the famous ‘Why so serious’ pool scene featuring Heath Ledger as “the Joker” in our very own Café Duke, which was created from the original washrooms for officers of the United Services Club. The room has retained its original features to showcase its unique and quirky architecture and is a popular space for filming because of this.

Infinite – Paramount Pictures

Ever marvelled over the views of London you can get from the windows of 116 Pall Mall? From St James’s Park from the first few floors to further across to the river from our fourth floor Business Centre, we have it all. So just imagine what the views are like from the roof! The team at 116 Pall Mall were treated to a sneak peak of Mark Wahlberg’s delayed film Infinite during filming in 2019. Due to be released in 2020, the film was released online in 2021 after the coronavirus pandemic closed cinemas across the world. The Hollywood star was spotted running across the roof by eagle-eyed members of the 116 Pall Mall team, as well as shooting scenes inside the building. Watch the film on Paramount+ or Amazon Prime and see if you can recognise our entrance hall and Carlton Room as Mark Wahlberg and other leading actors walk through a Casino scene in the Carlton.

FREEGARD – RABBIT TRACK PICTURES

As the world began to reopen in mid 2021, we were delighted to welcome the stars of Freegard to 116 Pall Mall to shoot scenes from their upcoming spy thriller. Based on the real-life story of Robert Hendy-Freegard, a con artist who managed to convince people he was an MI-5 agent, the film stars former Bond girl Gemma Arterton and once-rumoured future James Bond himself James Norton, perhaps trying the famous spy role on for size in our building..! Not released until next year, Freegard also includes scenes in our gorgeous Carlton Room, which, when it’s not full of celebrity actors, is home to up-and-coming stars in the business world using our co-working space.

Downton Abbey - ITV

A scene from the most quintessentially British period drama of recent times featured perhaps the most spectacular feature of 116 Pall Mall - the magnificent staircase. This setting is made even more striking by the 15-foot, original, hand-made Regency chandelier which was presented as a gift to by George IV to commemorate the Battle of Waterloo. Café Duke was also used as the setting for a Café scene back in the first series of the iconic drama.

Cruella – Disney

People walking their dogs is a common sight around London’s parks and surrounding areas, but could you handle 101 at once? Actress Emma Stone was photographed filming scenes in her role as a young Cruella de Vil on Regents Street and St James’s, in glancing distance of 116 Pall Mall, where the production crew of the film set up base for hair and makeup. It’s not the first time 116 Pall Mall has been used for this – we’re often the venue of choice before big awards ceremonies and theatre and film premieres as a calm space for the stars to get ready! The new prequel to the famous One Hundred and One Dalmatians Disney cartoon, based on Dodie Smith’s novel, is available to watch now on Disney+..

Made In Chelsea – Channel 4

The cultural phenomenon that is Made in Chelsea loved 116 Pall Mall so much, that they used us as a film location twice for season 13 and 17. They decided to start season 13 in suitably decadent fashion. The rich and infamous of SW3 made the short journey to SW1 and 116 Pall Mall became the setting for Mark and Victoria’s extravagant Russian Ball just after the big news was revealed that Binky was pregnant. Champagne for everyone! Except for Binky, of course. In 2019 for season 17, they used our Nash and Waterloo Rooms to host a beautiful candlelit dinner party. Maybe we’ll see more MIC drama taking place under our roof soon!

Gandhi - Columbia Pictures

In 1982, one film dominated the Oscars as Gandhi won eight awards including Best Picture. The Nash Room on the first floor - named after celebrated Regency architect John Nash, the man who designed 116 Pall Mall - was used for a scene in Sir Richard Attenborough’s epic film, in which was meant to depict the Viceroy’s Office in India.

Parks and Recreation – NBC

Although no longer filming new episodes, Parks and Recreation had a clever solution a few years ago to the problem of one of it’s stars becoming Hollywood royalty. When actor Chris Pratt was in the show, he was also starring in the Guardians of the Galaxy film franchise and needed to be in London for filming. So instead of a mysterious departure from the show, the Parks and Rec crew followed him to the capital and adapted his character’s storyline accordingly. You can spot 116 Pall Mall in the background of scenes, as well as other famous landmarks across the city.

Tenet – Warner Bros

The blockbuster hit of 2020 – for the short time that cinemas were able to open during the pandemic – Christopher Nolan’s Tenet was filmed all over London (and the world!), including scenes at The Reform Club, our neighbours twelve doors down on Pall Mall. If you look carefully you can see the flag that flies outside 116 Pall Mall in the background of these scenes!

Bridgerton (Ball) - Enchanted Events

Ok, so Bridgerton wasn’t filmed in 116 (yet!), but from the big screen to a very small one – in fact one that fits in the palm of your hand! A spectacular Bridgerton-themed ball was recently hosted at 116 Pall Mall, which was planned, organised, publicised and shared all on social media platform TikTok! The full building take over transformed our Nash, Waterloo, St James 1 & 2, Directors, Carlton, staircases and Champagne Bar into a Regency wonderland, with guests coming from as far as the United States to attend and dressed in Regency-style ballgowns.

FILMING LOCATIONS AT 116 PALL MALL

116 Pall Mall, a historic, Grade-1 listed Georgian masterpiece in central London is the perfect backdrop for film shoots, whether large-scale films or smaller shoots. Surrounded by iconic landmarks such as Buckingham Palace, St James’s Park, Piccadilly Circus, Waterloo Place and Trafalgar Square, we are the ideal film location.

Make an enquiry to find out more information, including arranging a personal tour of 116 Pall Mall.