© 2023 Sky Studios Limited. All rights reserved.Fans of The Tudors and Bridgerton will want to consort with this intriguing new seven-part drama series based on true historical events and figures from England’s Jacobean Era (1603-25).
In Mary & George (Fridays beginning April 5 at 9pm ET/PT on Starz) Julianne Moore is an executive producer and stars as Mary Villiers, a woman of low birth who used her second son, George (Nicholas Galitzine, Red, White & Royal Blue), as a means to become one of the wealthiest and most influential people in England.
King James I (played by Tony Curran) is most remembered for sponsoring a translation of the bible, the establishment of colonies in America, and the failed Gunpowder Plot against him, but he cared more for hunting and revelry than he did matters of state. James granted political favor to the Gentlemen of the Bedchamber, his most intimate associates (several of whom were also his lovers, according to this series and historical evidence).
Mary sent George to France to learn fencing, dancing and other graces in order to gain his entry into the royal court. Upon his return to England, he caught the king’s eye and swiftly moved up the ranks, eventually becoming a rival to James’ most favored gentleman, Robert Carr, the 1st Earl of Somerset (Laurie Davidson).
As George is played as a pawn by both his mother and Somerset’s enemies, he becomes increasingly driven by a lust for power and ensnared in the dangerous treachery of London’s elite.
Julianne Moore on Playing Mary: “She’s clever, exciting and fun. So it was just a matter of settling into the language and the storytelling. And it was a pleasure to do that. It’s really wonderful to play somebody who seems to know what they want and doesn’t suffer fools to get it. I think it’s interesting what she achieved at a time when women couldn’t even own property, and the fact that she actually managed to be buried in Westminster Abbey. That’s a pretty amazing achievement.”
Nicholas Galitzine on George’s Rise: “As the series goes on, George starts to become aware of his own powers. He starts to enjoy the power that he’s gained, the wealth, being able to attract whoever he wants to attract. It corrupts him and forces a wedge between him and his mother, which makes for a very explosive ending.”
Tony Curran on King James’ Appetites: “I don’t think we’re shy about expressing the way human beings feel when they have an urge, if you will. I think if you were in court and you were the king or queen or had some power and you wanted to have some downtime, what would you do? I know what James wanted to do. He loved hunting. And he loved to have some friends in the room and have a good old romp.”
Be the first to comment