One of the challenges in telling a story about a historical character is that we already know the ending. There is no need for mystery or shock factor, so the best way to coax an audience to tune in is to focus on a lesser-known part of their life, challenge our pre-conceived ideas of them or dramatise their life and death.
Writer Eve Hedderwick Turner does all three in the miniseries, Anne Boleyn, where the title role is played by Jodie Turner-Smith, following her memorable role in Queen & Slim. Even those of us who did not study English history would vaguely recognise the name Anne Boleyn, the second of King Henry VIII’s six wives and the first of two he had executed.
Mark Stanley as King Henry VIII and Jodie Turner-Smith as Anne Boleyn. Credit: Fable Pictures
When Henry (played by Mark Stanley) wanted to marry Anne (she was pregnant and he was hoping for a male heir), he was already married to Catherine of Aragon. Henry asked the Pope to dissolve the marriage so he could marry Anne, but when the Pope refused, Henry broke from Rome and installed himself as head of the Church in England causing major scandal and rupturing the Catholic Church. How do you tell a fresh story about one of history’s most polarising characters?
The series does not start at the beginning of their relationship even if it is teeming with salacious stories, and political and religious upheaval. Instead, Anne Boleyn is billed as a psychological thriller and focuses on the last few months of her life when she is under immense pressure to produce a male heir and is literally and figuratively fighting for her life when Henry starts to lose interest in her. We know how this story ends (Anne is beheaded for treason, adultery and incest) but it is still difficult to look away.
Anne Boleyn (Jodie Turner-Smith) with her brother George (Paapa Essiedu). Credit: Fable Pictures
Much of this has to do with the script, which presents Anne as a multi-faceted and nuanced character instead of the more popular option, which is to show her as a temptress or manipulator who is blamed for causing a rift in the church and kingdom.
Yes, she is not always likeable but just like the often-repeated line by reality TV contestants, she was not there to make friends. She wanted to secure a place in history and in her King’s bed, two very difficult things for a woman to do in the 1500s. Even then, she is dismissive of people, indulges in gossip although she should be above it and suffers from nightmares when life in the Tudor household becomes oppressive.
In this miniseries, Anne is at the centre of the story, rather than one of the many characters in King Henry’s life. It means we get to see the different and complex relationships she has with the people around her: her brother George (Paapa Essiedu), Thomas Cromwell (Barry Ward), the ‘vultures’ who circle the King, and her lady-in-waiting Jane Seymour (Lola Petticrew) who eventually becomes Henry’s third wife.
Anne Boleyn’s lady-in-waiting and future wife of Henry, Jane Seymour (Lola Petticrew). Credit: Fable Pictures
With each interaction, we see a different side to Anne as she oscillates between being vulnerable and fierce. Even when she interacts with the King, she often refuses to cower or be demure, choosing to hold her steely gaze until the end.
Turner-Smith is a Black British actress, and when she won the lead role, there was a lot of heated discussion about how she did not remotely fit the bill of what Anne would have looked like. Other actresses who have played Anne Boleyn include Natalie Portman in the movie The Other Boleyn Girl and Claire Foy in the TV series Wolf Hall. This creative leeway to cast Turner-Smith is not new. After all, pop culture in the last few years has enjoyed reimagining history. Look no further than Lin-Manuel Miranda's vibrant examination of American politics, the phenomenally successful Hamilton, or Six, the musical about King Henry’s six wives. In the narrative fiction realm, Bridgerton takes on a later period of England’s past, and 2019 film The Personal History of David Copperfield which cast Dev Patel in the lead role.
Jodie Turner-Smith is ‘Anne Boleyn’. Credit: Fable Pictures
If you think casting Turner-Smith as Anne Boleyn is controversial, remember that in Argo, Ben Affleck played real-life spy Tony Mendez (a man of Latin American descent), Elizabeth Taylor famously portrayed Cleopatra, and Angelina Jolie played a mixed-race woman in A Mighty Heart and won accolades for it.
Irrespective of those examples, Turner-Smith carries the series and dominates every frame. Her facial expression, demeanour and delivery propel the story forward, especially in the second of the three episodes. The supporting cast members also deliver strong performances, particularly Essiedu who perfectly captures George’s conflicted loyalties and moral dilemmas. When everyone turns on Anne, he becomes her sole ally. Together, the Boleyn siblings stand out as the intelligent, ambitious, headstrong duo compared to the flighty, insecure, petty people around them.
By the end, we empathise with Anne Boleyn, which is high praise for both the actress and writer.
Three-part miniseries Anne Boleyn continues Wednesdays at 9.30pm on SBS. All three episodes are now streaming .
STREAM FREE AT SBS ON DEMAND
Anne Boleyn - episode 1
