AMC Period Drama 'Mary & George' Announces a Royal Cast
Tony Curran, Nicola Walker, and Sean Gilder are among the A-list cast joining AMC's 'Mary and George'
BBC/BBCA/ITV/PBS/Masterpiece
It's always been a bit surprising that period drama landscape has generally been so uninterested in telling stories of the Jacobean era. Maybe anything that followed Queen Elizabeth I was destined to seem lesser by comparison, but there is a surprising lack of content set during this period, particularly given everything that happened in it. Not only was the reign of King James (I of England and VI of Scotland) the first that put the "united" in United Kingdom, but it was also full of drama and intrigue. From controversial royal scandals and witch panics to the official expansion of the British Empire into North America with the establishment of colonies at Jamestown, Virginia, and Plymouth, Massachusetts, there are plenty of worthwhile stories to explore. And the folks at Sky and AMC seem to have finally realized that.
The forthcoming series Mary & George aims to tell the true story of Mary Villiers, who purposefully molded her son to seduce King James I and become his all-powerful lover. (The king's interest in men was something of an open secret at the time.) Through their outrageous scheming, the pair ultimately rose from humble beginnings to become one of the richest, most influential families in the history of the British court, and the king's most trusted advisors. And with the looming threat of a Spanish invasion and rioters taking to the streets to denounce the King, the stakes are higher than either of them could have ever imagined.
The series stars Oscar-winning actress Julianne Moore as Mary Villiers, Countess of Buckingham, while Nicholas Galitzine (Purple Hearts) plays her infamously attractive son.
“Since I first read about Mary Villiers’ life – and all she achieved with her son, George – I’ve been obsessed with bringing this story to the screen," Moore said in a statement when the series was announced. "Between King James’ often-overlooked love and lust for men, Mary’s extraordinary rise as a woman in a man’s world, and George’s (many, many) sexual and political conquests, this is a profoundly rich, and, as yet entirely untold on screen, story, about a pair of ‘commoners’ who conquered all before them.”
With filming underway on the eight-part series, AMC has announced a star-studded array of royals and courtiers to balance out the series' ensemble. Tony Curran (Doctor Who) will play King James I, with Nicola Walker (Annika) as Lady Halton, Niam Algar (The Wonder) as Sandie, Trine Dyrholm (The Legacy) as Queen Anne, Sean Gilder (Poldark) as Sir Thomas Compton, and Simon Russell Beale (Operation Mincemeat) as Sir George Villiers.
Other notable cast members include Adrian Rawlins (Chernobyl) as Sir Edward Coke, Mark O’Halloran (Devils) as Sir Francis Bacon, Samuel Blenkin (The Witcher: Blood Origin) as Prince Charles, Jacob McCarthy (Rogue Heroes) as Kit Villiers, Tom Victor (Peaky Blinders) as John Villiers, Alice Grant as Susan Villiers, Mirren Mack (The Nest) as Katherine Manners, and Rina Mahoney (Happy Valley) as Laura Ashcattle.
Inspired by the non-fiction book The King’s Assassin by Benjamin Woolley. Mary & George is created and written by playwright DC Moore, whose credits include Killing Eve, Temple, and Not Safe For Work.
While Mary & George doesn't have a premiere date yet, the series is expected to arrive before the end of the year.
