PRESS PACK
CONTENTS
Press release
3
Cast List
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Episode 1 synopsis
Episode 2 synopsis
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10
Interviews
 Ray Winstone (Henry VIII)
 Helena Bonham-Carter (Anne Boleyn)
 David Suchet (Cardinal Wolsey)
 Emilia Fox (Jane Seymour)
 Sean Bean (Robert Aske)
 Assumpta Serna (Katherine of Aragon)
 Pete Morgan (writer)
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18
22
25
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35
Did You Know…
37
Cast & Production Biographies
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2
Henry VIII
Ray Winstone and Helena Bonham-Carter bring Britain’s most infamous King and Queen to life in a Granada drama
The enigma of Henry VIII – tyrant, womaniser and the man who changed England forever - continues to fascinate Britain centuries after his death.
Ray Winstone brings history’s most beguiling monarch to life in this story of Henry VIII and his six wives, with Helena Bonham-Carter as scheming seductress
Anne Boleyn and a star-studded cast including David Suchet, Emilia Fox, Sean Bean, Charles Dance, Mark Strong, Michael Maloney and Joss Ackland.
From the moment Henry Tudor casts aside his faithful wife Katherine of Aragon for the bewitching and determined Anne Boleyn, he sets himself on a course of
disastrous marriages. The pious yet tragic Jane Seymour, bitter outcast Anne of Cleves, the adulterous child bride Katherine Howard and his devoted carer
Katherine Parr all followed, despite Anne’s bloody fate. The lucky ones were ruthlessly cast aside. The not so lucky ones were sent to their deaths.
Granada’s tale of Henry VIII will also reveal the destruction Henry often left in his wake during his extraordinary 38 year reign. Violent conflict, both within the
population and the church, left England reeling while its complex and charismatic King turned from handsome playboy to a bitter invalid desperate for a son and
heir to the throne.
This two-part drama – comprising of 2 x two hours - was filmed at Pinewood Studios and on location around England including Arundel, Leeds and Berkley
Castles.
Supporting cast include: Emilia Fox (The Pianist) as Jane Seymour; David Suchet (Poirot) as Cardinal Wolsey; Sean Bean (Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship
of the Ring) as revolutionary Robert Aske; Charles Dance as the Duke of Buckingham; Mark Strong (Falling Apart, The Jury) as the Duke of Norfolk and Michael
Maloney (The Jury) as Archbishop Thomas Cranmer.
Joss Ackland will make a cameo appearance as Henry VII and Assumpta Serna, a Spanish actress who has made over 65 films, won over 20 awards worldwide
and was Sean Bean’s Sharpe co-star, will play Katherine of Aragon. Henry VIII also stars Danny Webb (Shackleton) as Thomas Cromwell, Emily Blunt
(Boudicca) as Katherine Howard, Clare Holman (The Lakes, The Innocent) as Katherine Parr and German actress Pia Girard as Anne of Cleves.
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CAST LIST
IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE
Henry VII
Young Henry
Henry VIII
Katherine of Aragon
Cardinal Wolsey
Duke of Buckingham
Thomas Cromwell
Edward Seymour
Lord Henry Percy
Anne Boleyn
Duke of Norfolk
Thomas Boleyn
George Boleyn
Jane Seymour
Thomas Seymour
Sir John Semour
JOSS ACKLAND
SID MITCHELL
RAY WINSTONE
ASSUMPTA SERNA
DAVID SUCHET
CHARLES DANCE
DANNY WEBB
THOMAS LOCKYER
SCOTT HANDY
HELENA BONHAM CARTER
MARK STRONG
BENJAMIN WHITROW
DOMINIC MAFHAM
EMILIA FOX
WILLIAM HOUSTON
CHRISTOPHER GOOD
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Thomas Smeeton
Thomas Cramner
Campeggio
Robert Aske
Mary Tudor
Duchess of Norfolk
Friar Peto
Anne of Cleves
Katherine Howard
Lady Rochford
Francis Dereham
Bishop Gardiner
Thomas Culpepper
Katherine Parr
RHYS MEREDITH
MICHAEL MALONEY
EDWARD KELSEY
SEAN BEAN
LARA BELMONT
MARSHA FITZALAN
EDWARD TUDOR POLE
PIA GIRARD
EMILY BLUNT
KELLY HUNTER
TOM TURNER
TERENCE HARVEY
JOSEPH MORGAN
CLAIRE HOLMAN
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EPISODE ONE
It’s 1509, Richmond Palace: the deathbed of Henry VII (JOSS ACKLAND). The King summons his second son, 17-year-old Henry (SID MITCHELL) and imparts
his final words of wisdom to the future King. ‘You will take your brother Arthur’s widow Katherine for your wife. Most importantly, have a son. A male heir. That is
the most important thing you will ever do as a King’.
Two decades later, a woman gives birth to a baby boy. It transpires that the baby is Henry VIII’s, following a brief affair. Ever mindful of his father’s last words,
Henry (RAY WINSTONE) demands that Cardinal Wolsey (DAVID SUCHET) legitimises baby Henry Fitzroy and gives him the succession. Wolsey warns the
King that such an act would be ‘political suicide’. With his daughter, Mary, by Spanish wife Katherine of Aragon (ASSUMPTA SERNA) and the all important
alliance with Spain, Henry is finally convinced that his only option is to keep trying for a son with his wife and forget the existence of his baby namesake.
Meanwhile, the Duke of Buckingham (CHARLES DANCE) – a Plantaganet and claimant to the throne - is leading a revolt against the King. He vows that since
Henry’s only heir is illegitimate, he himself will ‘take down Henry Tudor and reclaim the throne’. A crowd of powerful nobles gathers excitedly around him, one of
whom is a spy. The spy reports back to Wolsey.
Relations become increasingly strained between Henry and his subjects, as well as with his wife. Following a catalogue of miscarriages, Henry is desperate to
have a legitimate son yet finds the sight of Katherine ever more unbearable as she continues to fail him.
When Buckingham attempts to meet with his cohorts to declare war on the King, he is met with deathly silence in the woods. A horse eventually arrives bearing
one of his lieutenants. His throat is slit. As more and more of his army emerge dying and drenched in blood, Henry reveals himself. This war is over before it
has even begun.
Katherine is devastated by news of her husband’s barbaric treatment of Buckingham’s troops, not to mention the horrific torture the Duke was subjected to. Is
this the man she married? ‘If you gave me a son, these people would not rise against me’ he spits back.
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The King & Queen later enter a vast ceremonial hall to preside over the aristocratic engagements of England. Among the couples are Henry Percy (SCOTT
HANDY) and Anne Boleyn (HELENA BONHAM-CARTER), who has recently returned from the French court. From the moment Henry sets eyes on the strikingly
beautiful, quick-witted Anne he is transfixed. He will not allow the marriage to go ahead and instructs Wolsey to forbid the union. Anne is incensed. Wolsey has
made an enemy of her for life.
Unable to keep Anne from his thoughts, Henry summons her to court as a lady-in-waiting to Katherine. It also transpires that Anne’s sister Mary is pregnant,
maybe with Henry’s child, following a passionate affair with him. Despite Henry’s desperate attempts to woo her, Anne is determined not to suffer the same fate
as her sister. Anne is given her own rooms at court and rumours start to circulate about the king’s fascination with this fiery and arrogant new beauty. Thomas
Cromwell (DANNY WEBB) and Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Cramner (MICHAEL MALONEY) are concerned – Henry has never been so infatuated with a
woman. And a Protestant at that. Anne is steadfast. ‘I want Percy back’ she spits angrily at the King. ‘He is engaged to another by arrangement of his family’ he
sneers. Anne is resigned to her fate. Yet she will sleep with the King on her own terms. ‘Never give a man something without securing your own interests first’
she tells her uncle, the Duke of Norfolk (MARK STRONG).
As Anne keeps the King at arm’s length in spite of his numerous letters and gifts, Katherine is advised of her lady-in-waiting’s powerful hold over her husband.
Pacing about the court like a caged animal, Henry finally snaps and begs Anne to take him as her lover. She hints that she would make a good Queen who
would bear him sons. Katherine’s fate is sealed. Henry uses the fact that Katherine did not come to the marital bed as a virgin, having already given herself to
his brother as divine proof that God has rendered her infertile and sets the wheels in motion for an annulment. Wolsey is fearful that this will ‘separate England
from the rest of Europe’ and begs him not to cast the Queen aside. But Henry is resolute. He will have Anne – and a son – at whatever cost.
Katherine declares that she will fight to keep her position and a bitter war within the court has begun. During the court trial, Katherine gives a moving
performance. The Pope will not let the decision happen in England and the trial is postponed. Henry is furious that he does not have the result Wolsey promised
him and, encouraged by Anne, orders Wolsey to leave court.
As Henry sinks into desperate despair, Cromwell has an idea – get rid of Catholic Katherine and bring in a new Church, a church Henry would head. This Act of
Supremacy which would leave him free to make decisions independently of Rome. The Church of England is formed, much to the anger and disgust of the
people of England, who loved Katherine. With this being the final proof Anne needs that she is not just another passing fancy, she finally relents to Henry.
Before long, they are married. Katherine, meanwhile, is banished from London. Princess Mary is declared a bastard and the former Queen is stripped of all
power.
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Soon after, Anne gives birth to a baby girl, Elizabeth. Henry is devastated – he needs a son. The Seymour family begin to plot. ‘If Anne Boleyn doesn’t give
Henry what he wants, his eye will wander and we want you to be in the front line,’ Edward Seymour (THOMAS LOCKYEAR) tells his sister Jane (EMILIA FOX).
Jane is horrified at the suggestion.
Meanwhile, the tide is turning against Anne, both inside court and out. People are interpreting Anne’s delivery of a girl as a sign that she shouldn’t be Queen.
Some even go so far as to accuse her of being a witch who has put their King under a cursed spell.
Henry is once again taking mistresses. Anne has suffered two miscarriages and the future of her reign looks bleak. A violent confrontation ends in the King
raping his wife. Their relationship is now in tatters, a situation which causes great joy in the Seymour household. It becomes clear that the King has eyes for
Jane. Anne, he has now realised, is ‘a nightmare’ – everything the gentle, pious Jane isn’t.
Anne has yet another miscarriage. Comforted by her brother George (DOMINIC MAFHAM), she is unaware that she is being watched by Cromwell’s spies, in
particular George’s bitter and jealous wife Lady Rochford (KELLY HUNTER). At the end of his tether, Henry interprets Lady Rochford’s tales as proof that Anne
is sleeping with her brother. ‘Get rid of her – your life depends on it’ he orders Cromwell. It is decided that Cromwell will find evidence of adultery on Anne’s part.
Men are tortured into confessions of intimacies with the Queen. Norfolk advises the Boleyns that they must distance themselves from her and he, himself, will sit
in judgement on his niece. Anne is doomed and anyone siding with her will meet the same fate.
Meanwhile, Henry has become besotted with Jane. Jane is resistant to his charms although she is more than aware that she is being primed as Anne’s
replacement.
Anne is now alone in the Great Court of the Tower of London, being tried in front of a jury of her peers, one of whom is her former fiancé Henry Percy, now Earl
of Northumberland. She is adamant that she has never been unfaithful to her husband. Her plea of innocence falls on deaf ears. The verdict is delivered. Guilty.
Carpenters prepare the execution site for Anne Boleyn, while Anne’s belongings and portraits are removed from the palace and replaced with those of Jane
Seymour.
Surrounded by her ladies in waiting, Anne calmly prepares herself for death. A desperate Henry offers his wife a chance to save herself, giving her the option of
an annulment. If she accepts, this would make their child, Elizabeth, a bastard. Anne would rather die then allow that to happen to her daughter. And so, a roar
goes up as Anne leads her procession to the scaffolding to a barrage of vile insults from the vast crowds.
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Henry sets off for a day of hunting with the Seymours, desperate to be as far away as possible from the events taking place at the Tower of London. As if by
instinct, he stops to look back just in time to see a distant plume of smoke, followed by the delayed sound of cannon fire signifying the end of Anne’s life.
Remorse and fear overwhelm him and he begs God for forgiveness.
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EPISODE TWO
It is the day after Anne Boleyn’s (HELENA BONHAM CARTER) execution and Henry VIII (RAY WINSTONE) weds Jane Seymour (EMILIA FOX). A backlash of
violence has erupted throughout his country as a result of the dissolution of the Catholic Church. Raging battles plague the country. Hundreds are being tortured
and slaughtered by Henry’s own soldiers while churches are burned to the ground.
Finally, the massacre stops. Total devastation surrounds. Dogs scavenge amongst the corpses whilst a group of volunteers pick their way through the chaos.
One such volunteer, Robert Aske (SEAN BEAN), a former soldier of the King, is enraged by the atrocities around him. Publicly voicing his opinions, he receives
huge cries of support.
With a mass of horses and armed Pilgrims dressed for battle, Aske travels to London for a battle against the King. On discovering his former lieutenant has
raised twenty thousand troops against him, Henry rages at Cromwell (DANNY WEBB). The idea of the dissolution was to increase his popularity and put an end
to Catholic corruption. Instead it has achieved the complete opposite. Furious, Henry demands a meeting with Aske. Jane chooses this moment to announce
that she is pregnant and Henry’s dark mood is transformed.
The King and Aske meet. The atmosphere is tense as Aske lists his demands on behalf of the wronged. Agreeing to them all, Henry demonstrates that he is not
harbouring any ill will and invites Aske to join him at a banquet with his knights that evening.
Aske returns to York after the banquet fully expecting a hero’s welcome. Instead the disgruntled Duke of Norfolk (MARK STRONG) and his henchmen await his
arrival. Aske is tortured and his corpse hung from the Gates of York. A triumphant Norfolk returns to the King, securing his place by Henry’s side once more.
The anticipation that Jane may be carrying the male heir to the throne consumes the court. Jane, however, is preoccupied with two more pressing issues.
Firstly, she is determined to reinstate relations between Mary and Henry, his first daughter, and invites her to court for a meeting with her father. The meeting is
successful - Henry accepts Mary back, much to the dismay of the other courtiers.
Secondly, Jane is furious with Henry for his treatment of Aske. Yet he is in no mood to answer to a mere woman. He rages back at her, reminding her that all
he wants from her is a son – not her opinions, nor her meddling. His violent outburst causes Jane to fall heavily, sending her into premature labour.
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The physicians struggle to cope with Jane’s agony and after three days, Jane gives birth to a healthy boy, Edward. Elated, Henry rushes to his Queen’s bedside
to thank and congratulate her. But she is dangerously ill, slipping in and out of consciousness. The physicians can do nothing. Queen Jane passes away.
Henry slumps into a deep depression and ages dramatically in the subsequent years, gaining a great deal of weight and suffering from the riding wound to his
leg. With much convincing, Cromwell finally brings the King around to the idea of another marriage. With Anne of Cleves (PIA GIRARD) in mind, Holbein, the
King’s preferred portrait artist, is sent to Germany to paint her. On viewing the painting, Henry likes what he sees and agrees to the marriage. Norfolk becomes
increasingly concerned about the power Cromwell could gain if this match turns out to be a success.
But on meeting his future wife, Henry is physically disgusted by her appearance. Desperate to call off the engagement, which Cromwell has made impossible to
break, Henry pleads with Norfolk to find a way out. Norfolk has a plan and sets off to pay a visit to his niece, Katherine Howard (EMILY BLUNT). Unaware that
he has interrupted Katherine while making love to her betrothed, Francis Dereham (TOM TURNER), Norfolk sizes her up and is very pleased by what he sees.
He is convinced the King will be taken with this 15-year-old beauty too.
Five months into Henry’s unconsummated marriage to Anne, Cromwell and the King’s lawyers are still unable to find a ‘get out’ clause. The only way out is for
the marriage to be dissolved, but at vast financial expense and embarrassment to Henry. Henry’s fury with Cromwell for allowing him to be trapped in this way
seals his fate. Cromwell walks to his execution to the familiar jeers of hatred from the gathered crowds.
And so Norfolk presents Katherine to Henry. Her youth and beauty captivate him and he wastes no time in proposing. Norfolk is delighted - his power is secure
and Henry is the happiest he has been in years.
But the wedding night is a disaster. Henry is impotent, and Thomas Cramner discovers Katherine has not come to the marriage a virgin. Her lack of sexual
pleasure results in open flirtations with the younger male members of the court. Norfolk and Lady Rochford (KELLY HUNTER) are terrified by what her
behaviour could mean for them, particularly her flirtations with handsome courtier Thomas Culpeper (JOSEPH MORGAN). Their only safety net is the birth of a
son and heir, but both are painfully aware of Henry’s impotence. They hatch a plan using one problem to solve the other: ‘The King wants a son, but is unable.
Katherine wants a lover, who is able…’
But the plan is destined to fail. Cranmer witnesses the Queen leaving Culpeper’s room. Immediately informing the King, Henry’s utter devastation sparks a
violent rage in him. He confronts her, stripping her of all titles and possessions. Cranmer is delighted.
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Katherine’s lovers Culpeper and Dereham are arrested and face execution. Katherine prays that she be killed soon so she can be with Culpeper again. The 17years-old’s death is met by muted, embarrassed silence from onlookers – the death of this poor young girl is too much even for this bloodthirsty crowd. A
broken-hearted Henry banishes Norfolk and Lady Rochford from court forever.
At the moment of her death, Henry falls to his knees, praying for forgiveness. This once great King is a broken man. Humiliated. Rejected. Diminished.
Eighteen months pass and time is not kind to Henry. His only companion is food and he looks old and frail. He has been introduced to Katherine Parr (CLARE
HOLMAN) and is impressed by her intelligence, modesty, and virtue and approaches the subject of marriage, admitting he is close to death and in need of a
companion. But Katherine is promised elsewhere and reveals her betrothal to Thomas Seymour (WILLIAM HOUSTON).
Edward Seymour (THOMAS LOCKYER) persuades his brother, Thomas, to let Katherine marry the King, convincing him she is more of an attractive prospect
when she can bring all the land and revenue of a widow to a marriage. He agrees and consents to her marriage with Henry.
Katherine soon grows to love the King and makes it her mission to repair relations between Henry and his children. Both Elizabeth and Mary agree to a meeting,
but the excitement of a reconciliation is too much for Henry and suddenly, unable to speak, he clutches his chest and falls to the floor, gasping for breath.
Upon his deathbed, Cranmer is present and has a mountain of paperwork for Henry to sign. He manages to sign two of the death warrants with difficulty. When
attempting to sign the third – for the Duke of Norfolk – his strength fails him and he lapses into unconsciousness.
Prince Edward (HUGH MITCHELL) is called to his father’s bedside. As history repeats itself, Henry asks of Edward what the most important thing is to be a
successful King. Naturally, Edward’s answer is to have a son. Henry objects. ‘For you to be successful as a King, you must first be successful as a man.’
Moments later, King Henry VIII is dead.
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RAY WINSTONE plays Henry VIII
RAY WINSTONE is well known for playing tough guys, a description which also fits Henry VIII, whose notorious reign as the King of England spanned almost 40
years of tyranny, betrayal and brutality.
Henry VIII’s fascinating story is the result of his complex character – loving, ruthless, violent, courageous, passionate and vulnerable. For Ray, stepping into
Henry’s shoes and adopting his unique personality has led him to form his own ideas on the type of man this formidable King was. He explains:
‘My idea of Henry is quite mixed. I think he was a very troubled man - paranoid and psychotic at times, while charming and funny at others. The last words his
father left him with were ‘you must have a son’, which preyed on his mind for the rest of his life. When Katherine of Aragon couldn’t give him a son, Henry had to
start making decisions, and that’s when it all started to go wrong for him’.
He continues:
‘This is a man who allowed two of his wives - women he loved passionately - to be murdered. At the same time, he wrote beautiful love letters, understood
science and, to a certain extent, was a great ambassador. He was an intelligent, gentle romantic man who lost his way when it came to love. He sells his soul
for his country and for the duty he inherited and from then on it became easier and easier for him to discard the women he loved. Jane Seymour finally gave him
the son he wanted, but he lost her and that must have destroyed him. Back then, there was a strong belief in God, death, heaven and hell and I guess he
punished himself [for her death] for the rest of his life.’
Ray can understand Henry’s less endearing traits.
‘Powerful men usually have a weakness and that always seems to be sex!’ he says. ‘Also, if you look at other powerful men throughout history, they had to be
leaders and have that evil streak in them to survive. Everyone is fighting for his or her position, and people like Henry didn’t know who their friends were. There
must’ve been a lot of paranoia and Henry had to keep his wits about him.’
Ray was already familiar with the King’s story before he was offered the part, although he has always been interested in the stories of those around England’s
most infamous monarch too.
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‘In my mind, only winners make the history books, though you have to read a little between the lines. For example, I’ve tried looking at things from Anne
Boleyn’s and the Boleyn family’s point of view, trying to understand why they wanted to become so involved with the King when it would have been safer to stay
away. It’s good to look at that kind of stuff and get a greater understanding.’
His understanding of the King meant that Ray did not have to wade through piles of text books in preparation for the part.
‘The writer Pete Morgan has done his homework. All I have to do is just come in, dress up as the King and bring all the emotion, pain and joy that goes with it.’
Can Ray relate to Henry?
‘His passion for being an Englishman, his passion for being in love – I can relate to that. The passion for wanting to be violent at times – I can also relate to that.
But to actually hurt someone you love, I can’t understand that.’
What about the Tudor Court? Would Ray Winstone have fitted in with the hundreds of noblemen, ladies in waiting, servants and courtiers who made up one of
the most fascinating courts in history?
‘No, I would’ve been a right bastard! I think you would have had to be to survive in those times. There’s certainly no room for nice guys. It was dog eat dog. So
no, I’ll leave the Tudor Court to the 16th century. Definitely not for me!’
Once he had took on the role of the King, Ray quickly became accustomed to donning Tudor costume for two months.
‘I’ve really enjoyed wearing it all, as I’m usually in a pinstriped suit!’ he laughs. ‘You see pictures of people throughout history and you think they are these stiff
characters who are nothing like us. But they are. They walk, talk and have the same haircuts as us and that’s how I’ve approached this costume – it’s just like
putting on a suit.’
As well as dressing in elaborate costumes, getting into the mind of Henry has been a challenge for Ray and he found filming demanding.
‘The dialogue has been tricky, and it’s hard to make tricky dialogue your own and make it conversational and demanding and powerful. So that’s been the trick,
trying to melt that altogether.’
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‘Every day has also been very diverse. For instance, there was one day when I had sex with Anne Boleyn, she gave birth, we got married and I raped her - all in
the same day! Also I’m playing a 30-year-old Henry right through to 50-year-old Henry. So you’ve really got to try to remember what’s happening, and what
stage you’re at because it’s not all done in chronicle order. Sometimes you forget which scene you’re on and where you are, but that’s half the enjoyment and
the challenge.’
What has Ray enjoyed most about filming?
‘I really enjoyed the horse riding, which I learnt to do on my previous film (Cold Mountain). It’s strange because twenty years ago I was terrified of horses and
wouldn’t have been able to do it. But I’ve had the same horse since then called George, and he’s great. He does all kinds of action stunts and I call him Robert
De Niro!’
Despite having to do some very emotionally demanding scenes together, culminating in harrowing execution scenes, Ray and Helena have had many laughs
together on set.
‘I love working with Helena. She’s such good fun and you can have a laugh on set with her – and that’s important if you’ve got to snog someone all day! It’s
been something I’ve been looking forward to for a while, as I have always respected her as an actress.’
All told, is this a role Ray has always wanted to play?
‘It’s really flattering for me to play a King. I mean, I’m a kid out of Plaistow and I’m playing one of the most famous kings of England. It’s fantastic!’
According to Director Pete Travis, Ray was the only choice for the title role.
‘It was Ray Winstone as Henry before there was even a script, a director or a writer!’ he reveals.
‘Ray’s casting all made sense to me when you’ve got a man in history who’s part warrior, part lover, part psychopath and part vulnerable human being. Which
British actor today could play all of those roles rolled into one? Ray has this power to be incredibly sexy as well as violent and aggressive and vulnerable. He
has this ability to show why he’s upset and why he’s angry and why he gets people killed. He really bares his soul and it’s that which makes it [the production]
work.’
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Lucinda Wright, the Costume Designer on Henry VIII, was guided by Ray’s personality in dressing him as King.
‘The style for Ray was certainly determined by his approach to the character. Ray wanted to be able to move quickly, throw the costumes off and not to be
restricted by lacings.’
‘I stripped down the formal look of Tudor men and created Henry in velvet doublets, gold, pearls, black leather slashed hoses with knee length suede boots, very
heavy gold rings and a golden ‘H’ chain worn like a medallion. It was a hard, sexy, yet strong image.’
Having lost two stone to play the role of athletic warrior Henry, Ray had to don a ‘fat suit’, as well as insert ‘face plumpers’ inside his mouth, to play the King in
his later years.
- Biography Since wowing critics in his film debut Scum over 20 years ago, former champion boxer Ray Winstone has become one of Britain’s best loved actors, with a long
list of TV, film and theatre credits to his name.
This year alone has seen Ray star in a number of high profile feature films, including Ripley’s Game, the sequel to The Talented Mr Ripley starring John
Malkovich, and epic war story Cold Mountain with Nicole Kidman, Renee Zellweger and Jude Law.
Ray gained international acclaim as the lead in Gary Oldman's directorial debut Nil By Mouth, for which he was BAFTA nominated as Best Actor and won Best
Actor at the British Independent Film Awards. His role in Tim Roth's directorial debut The War Zone consolidated his international reputation and gave him a
Best Actor nomination at the European Film Awards.
Further film credits include Last Orders, Love, Honour and Obey, Sexy Beast, There’s Only One Jimmy Grimble, Fanny and Elvis, Final Cut and Face, among
many more.
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Ray’s television credits are equally extensive, including the award-winning Births, Deaths and Marriages for the BBC, multi-award winning Tough Love and
sequel Lenny Blue, both by Granada for ITV1, Tube Tales, Robin of Sherwood, Ghostbusters of East Finchley and Get Back.. The single drama Our Boy, costarring Pauline Quirke, won him Best Actor at the Royal Television Society Awards.
Ray returned to the London stage last year in To The Green Fields Beyond at the Donmar Warehouse, where he was directed by the Academy Award winning
Sam Mendes.
Ray has recently completed two projects for release next year. He has joined Robbie Williams, Joanna Lumley, Jim Broadbent and Kylie Minogue for the feature
length animation of a children’s classic - The Magic Roundabout Movie (Ray will provide the voice of Soldier Sam) - and Arthur, a Disney / Jerry Bruckheimer
film starring Clive Owen.
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HELENA BONHAM CARTER plays Anne Boleyn
Opinion on Anne Boleyn has been divided throughout history. Was she a predatory, manipulative and scheming seductress who got her just desserts? Or was
she merely a victim of her family and husband’s ruthlessness, desperate to survive in any way she could? Over to Helena…
‘Well it depends what history book you read, so I read a lot! She was certainly a bold, dramatic creature who had a huge influence on the King, the church, and,
ultimately, England’s history. She was someone with sex appeal who had learnt the art of flirtation and seduction and how to use it. She was everything an
‘ideal’ woman of that time wasn’t meant to be - she wasn’t submissive, she didn’t withhold her emotions. And I think that ultimately she wanted to be in control of
her own destiny.’
Anne’s ‘sex appeal’ could be credited for one of the most important religious revolutions in British history – Henry VIII formed the Church of England as a means
to overthrow the Pope when he denied him a divorce from Katherine of Aragon. Without a divorce, Anne would not relinquish the one thing Henry was driven out
of his mind with desire for – her virginity.
‘In our version of the story, she is playing very hard to get. At first she had genuine repulsion for this man, who had mistreated her sister so badly [Mary Boleyn
was one of the King’s longest standing mistresses, bearing him two children only to be rejected once he had tired of her]. It’s only when her uncle points out that
she could become Queen if she plays her cards right that she manipulates Henry by becoming his ‘chaste’ mistress - that is to say she refused to have sex with
him until she was certain that she would become Queen.’
So did Anne and Henry’s relationship ever transcend deception on Anne’s part? Did she ever grow to love him?
‘We can’t know for sure - it’s guesswork really. We are led to believe that they took great pleasure in each other’s company, as they were both well educated
and probably had in depth discussions on political and religious reform. It’s portrayed that she does fall in love with him only once she gets her guarantee of
marriage. Henry was a very good looking, charismatic man – tall, athletic, a Renaissance man and a warrior King who had incredible power and a gift for
languages [Anne spoke fluent French] and music...it would have been difficult not to fall in love with him eventually!’
Anne was one of the Tudor Court’s shrewdest players for many years. What went so wrong that she ended up beheaded, accused of being a ‘whore’ guilty of
witchcraft, incest and treason? Helena believes that Anne became ‘too involved in politics’ - it is thought that Henry never really forgave Anne for convincing him
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to banish his lifelong mentor Wolsey, not to mention that she alienated her potential supporters and made many enemies at court. Furthermore, her desperation
to win back Henry’s heart when his love for her wanes sends her on a downward spiral of insecurity, jealousy and, eventually, terror.
Anne’s downfall was largely due to her inability to produce a male heir – after Elizabeth, she miscarried several times under immense pressure.
‘Her main objective - to have a son – is the one thing she can’t control. Like Katherine of Aragon, who was cast aside for her failure to bear children, Anne too
was incredibly unlucky after having Elizabeth. To be under the pressure she was to produce a son, it really isn’t a surprise that she miscarried at all. It is so
ironic that, with Henry driven by this obsession with having a son throughout his whole life, it actually turns out to be his daughter Elizabeth who becomes one of
the greatest monarchs in history.’
Playing Anne Boleyn was nothing if not varied – her scenes with Henry vary from passionate embraces to tender declarations of love to violent conflicts to bitter
suffering.
‘Each day was very different and packed with heavy dramatic scenes. I’d get raped in the morning, give birth to Elizabeth in the evening, the next day I’d be
executed and the next I’d miscarry!’
The rape of Anne is a scene which will leave audiences reeling with compassion for the woman who, for so much of the first episode, delights in having the
upper hand.
‘That was a pretty unpleasant scene as it brought home just what a monster Henry could be. That’s when their relationship reaches its all-time low. The only
thing that would put Anne back in his favour would be to produce a son, but he can hardly stand the sight of her, let alone sleep with her. Desperate for that son,
he rapes her and she does actually conceive. When she miscarries, that is the last hope destroyed for both of them.’
Rape, miscarriage, execution – was there any relief for Helena during filming?!
‘It has been fun! I’ve loved doing this production. I just love the Tudors and I love the story – it’s dramatic, sexy and, given their fame, in a way, glamorous.
Even my execution is quite exciting, although I’ve been executed before! When we were filming the execution scene, I had expected something similar to my
last one, which was at Dover in the snow with a huge crowd of people. But for this one, it was done in a car park, at the back of Pinewood studios with just
fifteen or so people shouting ‘ooh, you’re a witch, you’re a whore, you’re so naughty!’. Everything else will be added in post-production. Actually, it’s quite
strange to get your head around your own execution – oh God, crap joke! Sorry!’
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Helena enjoyed working with Ray Winstone.
‘Ray’s really down to earth. He’s a dynamic choice and looks perfect for the role. He makes it immediately exciting and puts a different slant on it because he is
so unpredictable, which is fun and brings a raw brutality to it.’
Helena was pregnant during filming, making dressing up in the lavish costumes required for a Tudor queen no mean feat!
‘It’s not exactly suitable maternity wear! But the corsets gave some continuity while I got bigger each week. Luckily they are not too tight or I may have ended up
with a baby with a flat head!’
Lucinda Wright explains how she worked around Helena’s ever expanding stomach:
‘Some of the costumes were re-cut up to four times during filming. The dresses were designed with longer bodices than typical Tudor dresses to distract from
the waistline and the lacings were placed at the back sides for ease and comfort.’
‘I have a lot to thank Helena’s sense of humour for with all the shoving, squeezing and pulling on the corsets! We were very fortunate that Helena almost
regards her corsets as second skin after years of period costume!’
When Helena began acting, she quickly become renowned for period dramas, having a penchant for Merchant Ivory roles and classic adaptations. When it
comes to roles, does she prefer a bonnet and carriage to a pair of Levi’s and a fast car?
‘My main priority is that it is a good storyline. I seemed to be labeled as this person who is fighting the tag of ‘a period girl’, when in fact I do as much period as
any other type of drama. It might seem a cliché for me to do another period drama but that’s not going to stop me doing something that has a meaty part in a
good story. Anyway, me being ‘Mrs Period Cliché’ is balanced in this project by Ray being definitely not!’
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- Biography –
Helena Bonham Carter made her film debut as Lady Jane Grey in Lady Jane, the story of the tragic Tudor Queen. She quickly followed that with international
acclaim in the Merchant Ivory classic A Room With A View.
Since then, Helena has built an impressive list of film credits, working with the industry’s most prolific directors. These include Woody Allen in Mighty Aphrodite,
Kenneth Branagh in Frankenstein, Tim Burton in Planet Of The Apes and the forthcoming Big Fish, Trevor Nunn in Twelfth Night, Franco Zefferelli in Hamlet and
James Ivory again in the multi award-winning Howard’s End.
Helena is also no stranger to winning awards. Her leading role in The Wings of A Dove gained her Best Actress nominations at both the Academy Awards and
Golden Globe Awards and two Best Actress awards, from both the Broadcast Film Critics Association and the L.A Film Critics Association.
She was later nominated for a Golden Globe award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture Made for Television for HBO’s war drama Live From Baghdad, in which
she starred with Michael Keaton and David Suchet.
Further film credits include Heart of Me, Women Talking Dirty, Fight Club, The Theory of Flight, Where Angels Fear To Tread, Margaret’s Museum and Keep
The Aspidistra Flying, among others.
Helena also has an extensive list of television credits to her name. These include Merlin, the star-studded tale of the legendary wizard with Sam Neill and
Miranda Richardson, Absolutely Fabulous, A Dark Adapted Eye, TV films Butter and Fatal Deception and Granada’s Dancing Queen.
For theatre, Helena has starred in Trelawney Of The Wells, The Barber Of Seville, House of Bernarda Alba, The Chalk Garden and Woman in White.
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DAVID SUCHET plays Cardinal Wolsey
Cardinal Wolsey was one of the Tudor Court’s, not to mention England’s, most influential, wealthy and feared characters. Not only was he a close adviser of
Henry’s but also a father figure, making him a force to be reckoned with in Europe’s most Machiavellian court. David explains:
He was very friendly with Henry VII, and when Henry left his throne to the young Henry VIII, Wolsey became a second father to him. From the moment he was
promoted to Cardinal, he became one of the most wealthy and influential characters in England. Some people have said that he even advised Henry on certain
regal visits and decisions.
Yet Wolsey was not immune to Henry’s extreme temper and suffered a similar fate to others who were loved by the King as he was. Like Katherine of Aragon,
another of Henry’s most loyal and time-honoured devotees, Wolsey was banished and left to die, penniless, as an outcast of the court. His crime? He couldn’t
secure an agreement from the Pope to allow Henry a divorce from Katherine, enabling him to wed Anne Boleyn. A harsh overreaction which was fueled by
Anne, who hated Wolsey from the moment he saw through her cunning seduction of the King. It was an overreaction that Henry may never have forgiven Anne
for.
Wolsey was a very clever man and saw right through Anne. Of course, as soon as she was Queen, she did all she could to get him removed, both for revenge
and her own safety.
Historically, Henry’s reign was a reign or terror. If you didn’t do what he asked of you, or he didn’t agree with you, you would lose your head. I don’t think anyone
deserved what Wolsey got. You can’t really blame him for the Pope’s decision.
To have all that wealth and power and then to lose it all so suddenly must’ve been a big lesson to learn. Wolsey was used to lavish parties and the show of
power and money – he practically built Hampton Court for himself. He was a very garish and pompous man.
However, he was also a genuine father figure and considered himself a dear and close friend of Henry’s. He died not long after he was banished, actually on his
way to the Tower of London to stand trial. It is rumoured that he killed himself through poison, but we don’t know that for sure as there were no police
investigations or autopsies then! I think he did commit suicide rather than to be charged in front of his former peers and public. He would have been so very
ashamed.
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What does David make of such brutal times?
That whole cruelty of mankind doing the unspeakable to his own kind doesn’t bear thinking about. Having said that, there is something within me that would love
to have been around to have taken a peek into such periods of history. Purely out of interest - I’d have ran a mile from the cruelty though!
It is no wonder that David was attracted to playing one of our history’s most infamous characters.
I’ve done many ‘real’ character roles and I always find it fascinating to do that. It’s fascinating to get under the skin of these people, especially with a character
like Wolsey, where I got to show very different sides to one man.
So exactly how do you get ‘under the skin’ of someone who died hundreds of years ago?
I did a lot of research. I read through so many history books, watched documentaries, went to galleries, looked at his portraits. I love doing all that.
After all that research, how did it feel to step into the robes and become the man?
The process of the costume and make-up really helped me to become Wolsey. I do feel I become another person on set. And the more I get used to television
crews, the easier it is to ignore them and to imagine myself fully in that era. It’s just something you have to do or you may not be truly believable.
I’m lucky to be allowed to play such a wide variety of characters. Poirot has been so successful internationally, that, being in disguise, I don’t really get any
attention as myself, which makes it easier for me to move on to other characters. I’ve just played a homosexual psychopath in The In Laws so I tend to move
between very different roles!
Has Wolsey been a favourite of his?
I’ve enjoyed playing Wolsey enormously. It’s been so diverse. One day I am watching knights jousting and the next I’m lurking in the shadows watching
someone – Charles Dance actually – being tortured! In fact, I think there should be an ITV series just about Wolsey!
That series would almost certainly involve the same cast.
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It was great to be in the company of such fantastic actors. It’s been wonderful to walk into that ‘family’ really, when you know a lot of them are fine actors who
are such familiar faces on screen. It was also lovely to work with people I have worked with before, like Helena [David and Helena starred together in Live From
Baghdad].
Wolsey aside, David also has his sights on another of history’s legends.
I’d love to play Napoleon. There’s so much about him that I find interesting. I played him once in a comedy, but it wasn’t exactly a full character. But I got a taste
for it and would love to play him again, without the comedy!
- Biography David is best known for his TV role as Agatha Christie's Poirot. David has starred in 50 shows as the Belgium detective and is currently filming another four new
shows for ITV1 – Death On The Nile, Sad Cypress, The Hollow and Five Little Pigs.
David became such a British institution in this well loved role that he was appointed an OBE in the 2002 Queen's Birthday Honours List.
David has played leading roles in numerous other TV shows. He played the title role in George Carman QC and leads in NCS: Manhunt and the subsequent six
part series and period drama The Way We Live Now. Further TV credits include Murder In Mind and Victoria & Albert, among many others.
David also has a long list of feature film credits to his name including Foolproof, Love’s Brother, The In-Laws, Agatha Christie's Thirteen at Dinner (as Inspector
Japp), Sabotage, Wing Commander, A Perfect Murder, Deadly Voyage, BigFoot and the Hendersons and Live From Baghdad alongside his Henry VIII co-star
Helena Bonham Carter.
For theatre, David has starred in Kenneth Branagh’s The Play What I Wrote, Amadeus (West End, Broadway and Los Angeles), Saturday Sunday… Monday,
Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?, Measure For Measure, Richard II, Troilus And Cressida, Othello and Anthony and Cleopatra, among many more.
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EMILIA FOX plays Jane Seymour
Emilia has grown very fond of Jane Seymour since researching and playing the role of the tragic Queen. She explains:
‘Not only was she courageous and strong but I think she became a symbol of love to Henry VIII. She is quite an inspirational character as she is so true to
herself.’
What kind of a woman was Jane?
‘The popular belief is that she was pious and demure – all the things that Anne Boleyn wasn’t! And she must have been terrified at first by Henry's wooing – as
she had seen what life was like at the centre of the court. She was Lady in Waiting to both Katherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn so she knew that it wasn’t
exactly a bed of roses. Some people believe that she was only interested in ambition of the rise to Queen and manipulated her way to be there. I chose to
believe that her initial turning down of Henry to be his mistress was due to fear and morals rather than tactics.’
‘It was a time when it was difficult to say no to men, but she did her best to do it in the right way. Ultimately, it appears she was a good wife to him, providing him
with a son, reuniting him with Mary, and it seems that Henry found a love for her. This is backed up by the fact that he asked, on his deathbed, to be buried with
her in the chapel of Windsor.’
Emila clearly researched her character thoroughly before taking on the role.
‘I think it’s important to research. For me, if I know as much as I possibly can about an historical figure then afterwards I can form my own opinions of the
character. The views are often from history’s survivors and not always necessarily the truth, so I think you have to work out your own truth about of what
happened, using the script first and foremost and research as an insurance policy.’
Emilia has a slightly different opinion of Henry to those who played the wives he treated cruelly – in fact Jane Seymour and Katherine Parr were the only wives
who did not suffer at his hands through ostracism, rejection or execution. As such, Emilia has only experienced marriage to a caring and devoted Henry.
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‘I’m a lot more sympathetic towards him now that I know more about him. He was surrounded by people scrutinizing his every move, manipulating him and
constantly trying to guide him religiously and politically. He never knew who was telling the truth. He definitely had a much harder job that anyone can imagine,
which was a great burden to him in the end. Yet, with Jane, he appeared to be kind and capable of love.’
As well as a happy marriage, Emilia also enjoyed donning the costumes of a Tudor Queen. Except when it came to breathing out…
‘The costumes are so beautiful – slightly difficult to breathe in but I did love wearing them and I think they’ve been incredibly important in the production. They
make you hold yourself differently and behave more regally. Covered in jewels they would be a muggers delight nowadays!’
Lucinda Wright explains how Emilia’s costumes contrasted with co-star Helena’s:
‘Emilia’s outfits were a palate of creams, blues and lilacs - an English Rose to contrast Anne Boleyn. Each queen had a different style of colour and silhouette,
so each is easily recognisable on the screen.’
As well as dressing up in lavish gowns and jewellery, Emilia also enjoyed working with Ray Winstone.
‘I loved every second of it! Ray as Henry VIII was a genius piece of casting as far as I’m concerned. I have always thought he was a fantastic actor. Ray is very
well known for certain parts so I think this will really surprise people. During rehearsals I remember the director Pete Travis saying he didn’t want our production
to be crammed full of facts or be ‘just another historical costume drama’. He wanted it raw and dark and full of the tension of the Tudor Court would have
actually been full of. Ray manages to do all of that in his performance. It’s so dynamic.’
Emilia had several favourite scenes during filming.
‘My favourite scene was the one where I tell Henry that I am pregnant. It was such a joyful moment in the story and she gives as good as she gets with the
banter. It was just one of those scenes which was blissfully romantic. I also loved the scene where I’m ill and I watch Henry talk to the doctors, asking them to
save me – it’s really heartbreaking.’
It is clear why Emilia was attracted to the part.
‘It was such a privilege to be asked to play one of the six wives of one of the greatest figures in history. I knew I would need to invest time in researching, but I
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knew that I would have fun with the people in the production because I’ve worked with Pete Travis and Pete Middleton (Director of Photography) before I knew
that whatever they did would have a unique edge to it.’
Having pretended to be part of one of the most fascinating courts in history for several months, would Emilia liked to have actually been part of it all those years
ago?
‘I would certainly have liked to have been a fly on the wall back then. I say a fly because I think it would’ve been really terrifying to have been a person! If things
were going well for you then it was great, but if things went bad, it was terrifying. If I was the Queen though I would wake up really early every day so I could fit
as much into the day as possible! I’d put on my best dresses and have terrific suppers with my King and servants and have lovely balls with lots of dancing and
insist on much, much merriment…’
- Biography Since graduating from Oxford University, Emilia Fox has built an impressive list of film credits including Roman Polanski's 2003 Academy Award success The
Pianist, The Republic of Love, The Soul Keeper and Three Blind Mice, among others.
Emilia has starred in an even longer list of telelvision productions, including Helen of Troy (USA Network), Randall & Hopkirk Deceased, Bad Blood, Other
People's Children (with Henry VIII director Pete Travis), Shooting the Past, David Copperfield and Pride and Prejudice.
In 1997, Emilia Fox played the role of Mrs de Winter in the TV adaptation of literary classic Rebecca, a role which her mother, Joanna David, had played in the
version of 1978.
For theatre, Emilia has performed in Coriolanus, Richard II, Good, The Cherry Orchard, Katherine Howard, Heartbreak House and Look Back In Anger. She has
also starred in several BBC radio plays.
Emilia recently completed filming the HBO production of The Life And Death of Peter Sellars, in which she plays Sellars' fourth wife Lynn Fredericks alongside
Geoffery Rush and Charlize Theron. This year has also seen her complete filming on You Don’t Have To Love Me with Dougray Scott and Gunpowder, Treason
& Plot in Romania, in which she plays the role of conspirator Lady Margaret alongside Robert Carlyle and Catherine McCormack.
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SEAN BEAN plays Robert Aske
Though Robert Aske’s appearance in Henry VIII is short lived, his unusual confrontation with the King has gone down in history as one of the few where a
civilian wasn’t trying to use the monarch to further their own status or wealth. He fought for his beliefs with little regard for the personal consequences. So who
is Robert Aske?
Sean explains: ‘Robert Aske is a very passionate promoter of the Roman Catholic faith in England who commanded a lot of respect from the people of the
country. Henry sees Aske as a threat, which he obviously was as he got together an army of 50,000 against him following the burning of the monasteries and
the mass murder of monks and priests. Aske genuinely believed in what he was fighting for and that passion made him quite a formidable enemy. Even though
he is not around for too long, he makes quite an impact in history. He was quite an influential and notable character as far as his threat to the monarchy was
concerned.’
Henry VIII was surrounded by families such as the Boleyns, the Seymours and the Howards, whose ambitions lead them to plot, betray, manipulate and even
sacrifice their own daughters in return for power. Henry would have found Aske an unusual challenge. He was a man who was upfront and honest in his
demands of the King, none of which were for personal gain. Understandably, Sean has a great deal of admiration for such a man.
‘I think you must admire someone who is so committed and courageous that they would give their life for the cause, which he did. It takes great courage to
confront a king. And they were all very altruistic demands. He didn’t gain anything personally from them. He simply couldn’t stomach what was happening in
England - this random brutality, cruelty and destruction – and had to put a stop to it. Monks and nuns are dying in the street, monasteries are burning, icons are
smashed to pieces… it’s offensive to his beliefs and he’s very much sickened by that. That is his main drive.’
However brave, Aske was ultimately naive. When Henry agrees to his demands and then throws a lavish feast in his honour, Aske assumes victory. Yet Henry
is merely a cat toying with a mouse. When dinner is over, Aske does not return to a heroes welcome in York, but arrest and death by torture on the orders of
the King. Sean wanted the torture scenes to truly invoke the horror of such a slow and agonising death.
‘I’ve done a few death scenes before but I guess the pain in each death is reflected in different ways. I can only imagine how painful this one was! To be left to
die over a period of days with various wounds must’ve been horrific. I wanted that scene to be as real and gruesome as possible. If someone was left hanging
by their arms over an archway in public, festering, there’s no point trying to ignore that. I don’t think it should be minimised in any way as it could seem
acceptable then and you don’t die a death like that in a peaceful manner.’
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Playing such a rich and interesting character, Sean did a “fair bit” of research into the role. Working simultaneously on another period project – Troy – Sean
even got talking to an extra about his part in Henry VIII and discovered that the extra had studied the life of Robert Aske at University. Research is something
Sean prides himself on before playing a real life part.
‘It’s not the largest of parts, but it’s always good to get some background information. At the end of the day whatever you’ve learnt about a character, you try to
bring all that to life again as soon as the cameras start rolling.’
Apart from his love of the character, Sean was also attracted to the part because of the opportunity to work with Ray Winstone.
‘I think he’s wonderful. I only had a few scenes with him and I think it’ll be nail biting stuff. When I first heard he was playing him, I thought it was a genius bit of
casting. I can imagine him being all of the things Henry VIII was as he’s such a larger than life character!’
Director Pete Travis feels Sean also brings a dynamism to the role of Aske. ‘Sean playing such a powerful leader of a rebellion is amazing because he has such
wonderful animal charisma. The scenes with him and Ray have been electric’ he says.
Sean has played a diverse range of both contemporary and period roles, the latter including Troy, Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring and Sharpe, to
name a few. Does he have a preference for contemporary or period drama?
‘It really depends on the role and the script but I do really enjoy working on period dramas. It’s more magical to me. They are fascinating generally – not only am
I having a great time acting, but it’s great to learn about the past and the costumes, the horses, the swords… everyone gets quite excited about it all no matter
how old they are! Everyone loves a sword fight!
Aske was quite a physical part. I was doing a bit of everything – horse riding, fighting and being hung up to die! It’s quite a lot to fit into the space of one week! I
loved the atmosphere too with all the castles with the fires burning… to experience all that helps create the whole world and you can just immerse yourself in it.
It’s much more fun than being in a city centre in a Ford Cortina!’
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- Biography Sean Bean is best known for his on-going title role as Richard Sharpe in the Sharpe series, the TV adaptations of the well-loved Bernard Cornwell novels. He
has since garnered a long list of film, television and theatre credits.
His feature film credits include the role of Boromir in the award-winning epic Lord Of The Rings: Fellowship of the Ring; The Big Empty; Tom and Thomas;
Equilibrium; Don’t Say A Word, Essex Boys; Ronin; Anna Karenina; Goldeneye; When Saturday Comes; Patriot Games and Lorna Doone, among others.
For television, Sean has starred in Extremely Dangerous; Bravo Two Zero; A Woman’s Guide to Adultery; Fools Gold; Jacob; Sharpes Rifles; Clarissa and Ken
Russell’s controversial adaptation of Lady Chatterley’s Lover for the BBC.
Sean has also played a number of lead roles on the stage, including the title characters in both Macbeth (Albery Theatre) and Romeo and Juliet (RSC
Stratford/Barbican). Further theatre credits include Midsummer Night’s Dream; Fair Maid of the West; Who Knew Mackenzie & Gone; Deathwatch and Last
Days of Mankind.
Sean has recently completed Troy, a feature film based on the ancient Greek war co-starring Brad Pitt as Archilles.
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ASSUMPTA SERNA plays KATHERINE OF ARAGON
Are you enjoying playing Katherine of Aragon?
Yes! Historical characters are very controversial because everyone sees them in a different way or wants to use them in a different way. In fact, I found a book
in Spain that was recently published about her and of course it’s a completely different version of Katherine of Aragon to what we are doing! But it’s nice to see
how and why contemporary writers are interested in this character.
What did you see in her that would appeal to the modern woman?
I saw this wonderful copy of the letter that Katherine wrote on her deathbed in which she encouraged Henry to pursue the more spiritual things in life. I thought
that this advice was really challenging because the emphasis has traditionally been put on Katherine’s Catholicism and I was reluctant to play this cliché. I was
trying to see beyond her religiousness so I was very happy to find that spirituality. I think that spirituality is a good quality to convey through movies, especially
in today’s society. I also had a great arc, a journey to play in this relationship. At the beginning, I wanted Henry to be a protective ‘big brother’ to me and I was
very happy when I heard the words “you seem like brother and sister” from the director. However, I also wanted to convey the impression that she could be
more insightful than him. Ultimately, I think Katherine was aiming to overcome the impossibility of having a relationship with a man from a different country and
the thing interests me most is whether she did love Henry. I thought that was a little twist I could add to the character and in each scene I tried to do a different
Katherine, suggesting that she tried everything possible to approach him - with force, with strength, with the feminine touch. So, despite it being an arranged
marriage, this woman was looking to love, even if it was impossible.
How do you anticipate it being received?
I think that the Spanish people might be curious about how we had a Queen in England but we didn’t take care of her. She was the daughter of the Catholic
Kings - there was nobody more powerful in that period of history– and yet she was left so alone... I also think that people have very little idea about her. I think
that we need to do her justice.
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You said earlier that you liked to bring out the spiritual side of her and her wisdom. Do you relate to Katherine in any way?
I think the strength of this woman is something I can relate to very well. Independence. The loneliness. I can well imagine how she must have felt being in a
foreign country and having to learn a new language and make it her own.
There’s one view that Katherine really loved Henry. Do you think that Henry is someone that has traits that you admire or like?
I think Katherine respects that he does what his guts tell him to do, which is very different from her. I think her education put her in a kind of a cage. The idea of
him being so free must have been hard for a woman like that, that strong.
Have you enjoyed particular scenes more than others?
The very public scene where I die was particularly enjoyable as, on one hand, it was incredibly dramatic and emotional, but on the other, it was technically
almost impossible to transmit any emotion or thought to the camera due to its placement. The more experience you have, the more difficult the scene the
greater the challenge and ultimately the greater the satisfaction in making it work.
What has it been like to work with Ray and with Helena?
British actors are the best - every time I work with British actors I feel very comfortable because they know what they are talking about. They don’t go over the
top with their characters, they have this kind of detachment that is very easy to communicate with. As soon as I found out Ray was involved I watched ‘Sexy
Beast’ which I thought was great. He was so wonderful and full of truth. They are very different, Ray and Helena, but share the same lack of pretension and they
both have a great sense of humour.
How did you find working with this director?
I think that the director and I have a good understanding of what it is we want to do. He shows you what he wants but also lets you try what you want and he
listens to some extent, which is a lot for a director. I have also got a lot of recognition from people on the set which is nice. I think that because I am from
another country people are more supportive. They want you to feel at home and they feel free to express themselves.
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Do you divide you time equally between acting and your other work?
I divide teaching seminars on acting with acting and my presidential duties [at the AISGE]. I’m also a board member of The European Film Academy and deeply
involved in the organization of the awards that will be in Barcelona in 2004. I’ve also written two books, one on screen-acting and a collection of short scenes
which are used in my workshops. In addition, I have just finished a treatise for screenwriters on how to communicate successfully with actors through the script.
That will be published shortly.
You are enthusiastic about European co-productions aren’t you?
Yes. I suppose being from Barcelona then moving to Madrid, to Paris, to LA and going back to Barcelona, it just puts in perspective how small everyone is and
how small each country is. I genuinely think that everyone – even if it’s a little bit of a cliché - can profit from the strengths of others. Diversity and different
cultures can give you a very interesting insight into life.
Do you have another acting role lined up?
There are various projects: an Italian movie, a Portuguese project and an American MOW.
Is there anything that you’ve dreamed of doing. - a role that you’d really like to do?
I would really like to find a story, driven by a woman in her forties, whose character is not defined by being a wife, mother or lover. This however, seems to be
about as easy as being a Spanish lady who becomes the Queen of England…It’s so hard to find such roles though.
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- Biography A career that has spanned over 65 films, plays and television appearances almost too numerous to count, has earned Assumpta Serna more than twenty Best
Actress awards around the world (Spain, France, Italy, USA, Mexico, Argentina, Chile and Uruguay).
Assumpta has starred in theatre and feature films in six different languages in over 20 countries.
She is a board member of the European Film Academy and a member of both the American Academy of Motion Pictures, Arts and Sciences and the Spanish
Academy of Cinema.
Her film credits include Pedro Almodovar’s Matador; the 1993 Spanish Oscar entry The Fencing Master; her award winning performance in Maria Luisa
Bemberg’s I, the Worst of All; The Craft; Sam Fuller´s The Day of Reckoning; Wild Orchid; Nostradamus; Circle of Passions and Short Cut to Paradise.
Assumpta also joined Sean Bean in several episodes of the Sharpe series for television.
In 1997 Assumpta took up writing. Her first book, Screenacting, was followed by Monologues in V.O and her third book is in the works.
Her latest role as a guest star in USA has been that of a French magistrate in the CBS series The Agency.
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PETE MORGAN
Writer
How do you go about adapting such a huge chunk of history?
It’s not that big a chunk of history. Henry’s life right up until he meets Anne Boleyn was actually relatively unproblematic. For 22 years he was happily married to
Katherine of Aragon and that would have involved a lot of balls, the dancing and him being a renaissance prince! But we had Ray Winstone and I thought we
should start with a problem. Ray does conflict so well that, for me, the drama should begin where the real drama in Henry’s life began - when he meets Anne
Boleyn. It’s only 21 years from the time he meets Anne to his death.
What was your main source of research?
A lot of books! There were also a lot of discussions with a team of dedicated researchers and Alison Weir [prolific author on the Tudor Court]. But I wanted to
write a story whereby I wrote it first and then people told me what I was getting wrong, rather than me getting hung up on the facts. It didn’t want it to become a
‘documentary’. I just wanted to make it compelling and dramatic.
Why now? Why adapt such a famous – and much told – story in 2003?
There’s no real bad time to tell the story of Henry VIII, although I was initially resistant to the idea when I was first approached to do it. But then I thought that
nobody has ever really done ‘the Henry story’. I mean, very few people know that Henry was the second son, that his older brother should’ve become king but
he died of tuberculosis. Henry was the forgotten son really, and a bit neglected, which is probably why he’s such a larger than life character. All historical books
and television documentaries seem to focus on his many wives, which is no doubt an amazing story, but I really wanted to tell the story of Henry and use the
wives as just a linking device.
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Have you taken a particular ‘take’ on Henry and Anne, who are both classically portrayed as nasty pieces of work?
I truly believe that for every negative adjective there is a positive adjective that is equally true of them. Yes, Henry was arrogant but he was also vulnerable. He
was violent but he was also tender. Henry was not just a man of his head but also of his heart and of his belly and of his libido. He had every human flaw we all
have but in glorious technicolour, which is why people love him so much. I think Anne is the way she is because she’s been hurt by love before and is
frightened, and King Henry is the way he is because he’s desperate [for a son], and in the middle of it all, they fall madly in love.
What makes it an amazing love story is the effect it had on this country. I know that it’s not entirely down to Anne that we are a Protestant country, but there’s no
doubt that she was the engine in it. The fact that the King of a Catholic country fell madly in love with this woman and needed to break with Rome in order to
marry her is one of the principal reasons why we are not a Catholic country today. There were people saying that she was only with him to be Queen, which
wasn’t the case at all. I think she was frightened by rejection again after her first heart break, so for Henry to marry her proved his love entirely. She craved that
assurance. I think a lot of people can relate to that and I really hope that people are moved by watching this story as much as I was researching it.
Did you write the script with Ray Winstone and Helena Bonham-Carter in mind?
Well I had already written a rough script but I went and spoke to Helena, and the fact that she didn’t tell me to ‘sod off’ meant that I started to write the
subsequent drafts more with Helena in mind. Ray was absolutely who we were going to go with straight away – in my mind, there is no-one else who could play
Henry VIII today. He was essential to the whole project. With Helena, I really don’t feel that there is another actress of the right age who is powerful enough to
hold the screen with Ray. His extraordinary screen presence and charisma would have blown any other actress off the screen. Despite being so petite, Helena
certainly punches as much screen clout as Ray!
Do you feel you have unearthed something different or controversial in this adaptation?
I hope that this has been a more searching psychological study of Henry than any which have been done so far. His father had only one request and that was
for him to have a son. Henry was constantly haunted by his ‘duty’ and what he ‘should’ do. He tries to jump through all kinds of hoops but he was essentially
very unlucky, and then became desperate…and I hope people will see that vulnerable side [of him] in our story. We really focus on the man rather than the King.
I also focused a lot more on Henry being a victim of his father’s commandments and his relationship with Cardinal Wolsey. I like to think that the subplots with
the Duke of Buckingham and Robert Aske will be new to viewers – I certainly can’t think of them having been explored before.
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Did You Know…
Production
 Across two episodes, Henry VIII includes four weddings, three births, six executions, five natural deaths and one funeral
 A seven minute jousting scene saw the use of over 5,000 gallons of fake rain and four balsa jousting sticks worth £5,000 each being broken by stunt men
Cast
 Marsha Fitzalan – who plays the Duchess of Norfolk – is actually the real-life daughter of the late 17th Duke of Norfolk.
 Lady Jane Grey, uncrowned Queen of England for 9 days following Henry VIII’s death, was executed at the same scaffold as Anne Boleyn and Katherine
Howard at the Tower of London. In 1986, a film of Lady Jane’s life was made starring our own Anne Boleyn, Helena Bonham-Carter, as the tragic title
character.
Costume
 To create a more realistic ‘limp’ for Henry after his riding accident, a button was placed inside Ray’s shoe to make the limp natural.
 Henry VIII’s, Katherine of Aragon’s and Anne Boleyn’s outfits were all made from scratch. The rest were bought / hired and adapted for the production.
 The total number of costumes exceeded 2,500. The principal court, including Henry, the six Queens and the principal players (eg. Wolsey, Norfolk,
Cramner, Cromwell, etc), required over 400 costumes. In addition to these were the ladies in waiting (30), male and female courtiers (180), nuns and monks
(40), four different armies: Aske’s, Henry’s two and Buckingham’s (over 100) and the crowds of poor (over 400).
 For a love scene between Ray Winstone and Helena Bonham-Carter, Ray’s underpants were soaked in teabags and hot water for five minutes to give them
an aged look .
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 ‘Hair shirts’ were worn throughout the 16th Century to reflect someone’s personal torment, the rough material being a source of constant punishment.
Assumpta Serna / Katherine of Aragon’s ‘hair shirt’ was made from a rough modern canvas attached with leather lacing, and covered in vaseline and brown
powder.
 Costumes which required an ‘aged look’ for the poorer classes were smeared in vaseline for a greasy look and make up powder was added to make them
look soiled. A cheese grater was used to add wear and tear to the fabrics.
Make Up & Prosthetics
 4 principle make-up artists and 8 crowd make-up artists worked on the production.
 To create the heads for the execution scenes, the actors underwent full head moulding using alginate, from which a silicon head was cast. The silicon head
was then painted with dead skin tones. Eyes and teeth were inserted and hair, eyebrows and lashes were individually ‘punched’ into the silicon. The whole
process took 3 weeks for each head. The final stage was to add fake blood to the neck end.
 Over 10 gallons of fake blood was used in total on the production.
 Ray’s transformation from young, athletic Henry to old, obese Henry took 2 hours each time, with the two ages often filmed on the same day. ‘Face
plumpers’ were inserted into his mouth to fatten his cheeks and his hair-line was pulled back to give the impression of a larger face.
 Helena wore a full wig – no part of her own hair was used in filming. Emily Blunt also had long blonde extensions which took 10 hours to attach
 Ray’s hair and beard were dyed ginger every 2 weeks using a professional permanent hair colour.
Locations
 The Great Hall, Queen’s bedchambers and castle corridors were all filmed at M Stage in Pinewood Studios, the same stage where sets for the multi awardwinning The Hours were dismantled just months before. The team behind the sets – which consisted of 25 painters, plasterers, riggers and carpenters were also responsible for those on The Hours, Bridget Jones’s Diary, Dirty Pretty Things and TV productions of Goodbye Mr Chips and Gormenghast.
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 Although the castle rooms look as though they are made of damp, ancient stone, the stone is actually plasterboard. The heavy doors are decorated in metal
coloured polystyrene and the huge columns that appear to hold up the ceiling of the Great Hall are actually light hollow pillars that are pushed around on
wheels to accommodate different angles. Mist was pumped in for every take to give the castle a damp atmosphere.
 Visitors to the L & M Block of Pinewood Studios during the duration of Henry VIII’s filming could see the likes of Lady Penelope and Lara Croft sharing a
toilet with Anne Boleyn! Thunderbirds with Ben Kingsley, Tomb Raider : The Cradle of Life with Angelina Jolie and BBC drama series Spooks were all
filming in the same block.
 In the back lot of Pinewood studios, a Chinese street was ‘shot to pieces’ by Lara Croft and remade into the execution site for Anne Boleyn’s beheading only
weeks later
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SUPPORTING CAST
Danny Webb plays Thomas Cromwell
Television: The Hound of the Baskervilles, Torch, Outside the Rules, Shackleton, Cutting It, Take Me, In the Beginning, McReady And Daughter, The Knock,
Dalziel and Pascoe, Our Friends In The North, A Woman’s Guide to Adultery and Comics, among others
Film: Family Business, Shiner, In the Name of Love United, Still Crazy, True Blue, Love and Death on Long Island, Henry V, Aliens III and The
Unapproachable, among others
Theatre: The Green Man, Richard III, One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, Art and Hamlet, among others
Michael Maloney plays Thomas Cranmer
Television: The Forsyte Saga (series 2), Believe Nothing, The Jury, In Deep, The Swap, A Christmas Carol and Dalziel And Pascoe, among others
Film: Bienvenue Au Gite, Twelfth Night, American Reel, Hamlet, Othello, In The Bleak Midwinter and Truly Madly Deeply, among many others
Theatre: Mouth to Mouth, King Lear, Sleuth, Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, Henry IV, Peer Gynt, Anthony & Cleopatra, The Tempest and Macbeth, among others
Clare Holman plays Katherine Parr
Television: Sparkling Cyanide, Silent Witness, Midsommer Murders, Murphy’s Law, Murder Rooms, The Innocent, Harm Done and Kid In The Corner, among
others
Film: Let Him Have It, Tom and Viv, Boiling Point and Afraid of the Dark
Theatre: Ten Rounds, Tartuffe, Danny Crowe Show, Twelfth Night, Angels in America, Romeo and Juliet and Hamlet, among many others .
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Charles Dance plays Duke of Buckingham
Television: Trial and Retribution, Foyle’s War, Bloodlines, Rebecca, Phantom of the Opera, Goldeneye, First Born and Out of the Shadows, among others
Film: Swimming Pool, Black and White, Ali G IndaHouse, Gosford Park, Dark Blue World, Nicholas Nickleby, Justice in Wonderland and The Labyrinth, among
others
Theatre: Hamlet, Perkin Warbeck, Richard III, Henry IV, As You Like It, Henry V, Henry VI, The Jail Diary of Albie Sachs and Coriolanus, among others
Mark Strong plays Duke of Norfolk
Television: Fields of Gold, The Jury, Anna Karenina, Births, Marriages and Deaths and Prime Suspect, among many others.
Film: Heartlands, All About Love, Hotel, Superstition, The Martins, To End All Wars and Fever Pitch, among others
Theatre: Twelfth Night, Speed The Plow, The Ice Man Cometh, Closer, Death of a Salesman and Thickness of Skin, among others
Emily Blunt plays Katherine Howard
Television: Boudica, Foyle’s War
Theatre: Romeo and Juliet, Vincent in Brixton, The Royal Family, Bliss and Guys and Dolls
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PRODUCTION BIOGRAPHIES
PETE TRAVIS
- DIRECTOR Pete Travis’s most recent productions include the six part drama The Jury for ITV1, Other People’s Children, a four-part drama for the BBC and two episodes of
Cold Feet, which was nominated for a BAFTA.
Other credits include Andrew Davies’ adaptation of Anne Fine’s novel Bill’s New Frock and Home Farm Twins.
Pete’s first short film was Faith. He directed and wrote the screenplay, adapting it from a Nick Hornby short story.
Pete is currently writing and will direct his screenplay Whisper Who Dares.
FRANCIS HOPKINSON
- PRODUCER Francis started his career at Zenith productions before moving on to Action Time working on Entertainment projects.
Between 1994-97, Francis worked on The Bill as a Script Editor. In 1997 he was Associate Producer on the first series of the BAFTA award-winning The Cops
for World Productions (BBC2).
In 1998 he moved to Granada and was producer of the first two series of A& E, Little Bird, The Jury and most recently Danielle Cable: Eyewitness.
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ANDY HARRIES
GRANADA
- EXECUTIVE PRODUCER Andy Harries was appointed Controller of Drama and Comedy for Granada in 2000 having spent seven years creating and running Granada's acclaimed
Comedy Department.
In his capacity as Controller of Comedy, he oversaw the production of numerous multi award-winning programmes including Cold Feet for ITV1, which won a
BAFTA (Best Drama 2002), The Mrs Merton Show (1997 BAFTA Best Talk Show) and The Royle Family for BBC1 (2000 BAFTA Situation Comedy).
As Controller of Drama, Comedy and Factual Drama, Andy’s departmental output has been prolific. Productions range from singles such as Hot Money and My
Beautiful Son (2002 BAFTA Best Actress for Julie Walters) for ITV1 to the recent adaptation of Galsworthy’s The Forsyte Saga, and the adaptation of
Pasternak’s epic love story Doctor Zhivago. Forthcoming productions include a sixth series of the award winning Prime Suspect with Helen Mirren and Life
Begins, written by Cold Feet creator Mike Bullen, starring Caroline Quentin.
Andy has also recently taken control of Granada Film. Andy has a long history in film having both produced and directed productions such as Lenny Henry Live
And Unleashed in 1989.
Current projects in development are Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey, adapted by Andrew Davies, and Living In Hell And Loving It written by Rian Malan.
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REBECCA EATON
WGBH
- EXECUTIVE PRODUCER EXXONMOBIL MASTERPIECE THEATRE, AMERICAN COLLECTION, MYSTERY!
Since taking over the popular PBS drama series Masterpiece Theatre and Mystery! in 1985, Rebecca Eaton has shepherded such high-profile titles as House of
Cards, Prime Suspect, Moll Flanders, Inspector Morse, Touching Evil, David Copperfield, Wives & Daughters, Tony Hillerman’s Skinwalkers, The Forsyte Saga
and Doctor Zhivago.
Eaton has accrued a host of accolades, including eleven Primetime Emmy Awards, six International Emmy Awards, thirteen Peabody Awards, a Golden Globe,
and two Academy Award nominations for the EXXONMOBIL MASTERPIECE THEATRE co-production, Mrs. Brown.
Her instinct to keep branching out—with more contemporary stories, innovative scheduling, theatrical distribution, AMERICAN COLLECTION and the new AMERICAN
MYSTERY! specials—has won Masterpiece Theatre and Mystery! a new and more diverse audience, while maintaining the loyalty of their committed core of
classic drama and mystery fans.
An alumna of Vassar College, Eaton was a science radio producer for the BBC World Service before coming to PBS’s flagship station WGBH, where she began
in arts radio and later produced television documentaries on subjects ranging from business to sports to dance to drama.
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JUSTIN BODLE
CHAIRMAN AND CEO POWERCORP
- EXECUTIVE PRODUCER Justin Bodle began his television career at Thames Television in 1983 selling airtime for ITV. In 1986 he joined Henson International Television, working on
such series as Fraggle Rock, The Muppet Show and various Muppet Specials. He was later appointed Sales Director and completed the first ever barter deal in
Europe on the Muppet Show, for its creator Jim Henson.
In 1989, he became Chief Executive of Carat Entertainment, the programming division of Carat Espace, the largest media buying company in Europe at the
time.
Considered one of the world’s leading experts in International Programming Syndication, from 1991 Bodle founded a series of programming and advertising
related businesses, from which the current Powercorp Holdings was formed in February 1996. Now a leading independent distribution company, Powercorp
uses the business formulas devised and implemented by Bodle.
Powercorp sells approximately 12,000 hours of programming internationally each year, including many of the world’s award-winning television mini series and
movies. Bodle is directly concerned with programming, sales and production. In 1999 he was Executive Producer on Watership Down, as seen on ITV, and
during 2001-2 he produced six Mary Higgins Clark thrillers for PAXNET in the US and France 2.
During 2003 Bodle has been Executive Producer of three event mini series: Henry VIII for ITV, Jessica for Australia’s Network Ten and Shattered City for CBC
Canada, and he is currently working on Powercorp’s ongoing slate of international production.
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