Otley actor to star as Henry VIII in new Channel 5 thriller

Mark Stanley, of White House Farm fame, will be playing the wicked Tudor king in Channel 5’s new historical thriller.

The Leeds-born actor, also known for his role in Game of Thrones, will star alongside Jodie Turner-Smith as Anne Boleyn in the new mini-series.

It will premiere on 1st June across three consecutive nights.

The show will depict Anne Boleyn’s struggles with Tudor England’s patriarchal society and her attempts to secure a future for her daughter, who went on to become Queen Elizabeth I, before her untimely death in 1536.

Filmed in Yorkshire, it features some recognisable landmarks including Bolton Castle in Wensleydale. The medieval castle features in a number of scenes, and appears as the Tower of London in the scene depicting Boleyn’s beheading.

Speaking on the show earlier this month, Turner-Smith said:

“The biggest thing that jumped out to me was how this was a story about mothers.

“[It’s about] Anne as a mother and how she was trying to manipulate her circumstances in order to protect her children, how her ability to provide an heir affected her own life and viability as a Queen, and how she manipulated her rivals’ children in order to get what she needed.

“As a mother, there was just so much about this that resonated with me.”

The new drama airs at 9pm on Channel 5, 1st June.

Feature image –  PA Photo/ViacomCBS Networks International.