Oscar winner Julianne Moore (Still Alice) and Nicholas Galitzine (Red, White & Royal Blue) lead the cast of Starz’s new period drama Mary & George. Episode one, “The Second Son,” premieres on April 5, 2024 at 9pm ET/PT and finds Moore as Mary Villiers plotting how to improve her family’s standing.
The cast also includes Tony Curran (Mayflies) as King James I, Nicola Walker (The Split) as Lady Hatton, Niamh Algar (The Wonder) as Sandie, Trine Dyrholm (The Legacy) as Queen Anne, and Sean Gilder (Slow Horses) as Sir Thomas Compton. Adrian Rawlins (Living) plays Sir Edward Coke, Mark O’Halloran (The Miracle Club) is Sir Francis Bacon, Laurie Davidson (Masters of the Air) is Earl of Somerset, Samuel Blenkin (The Witcher: Blood Origin) is Prince Charles, and Jacob McCarthy (SAS: Rogue Heroes) as Kit Villiers.
“The Second Son” Plot: Mary Villiers develops a cunning plan to transform her family’s fortunes forever, but first, she must convince her beautiful but disobedient son George to rise to the occasion and claim their destiny. Oliver Hermanus directed from a script by DC Moore.
D.C. Moore (Killing Eve) wrote the limited series, which is inspired by Benjamin Woolley’s nonfiction book The King’s Assassin. Moore executive produces along with Liza Marshall, Sam Hoyle, Oliver Hermanus, and Julianne Moore.
Mary & George Series Description:
Mary & George is inspired by the unbelievable true story of Mary Villiers (Moore), who molded her beautiful and charismatic son, George (Galitzine), to seduce King James I (Curran) and become his all-powerful lover. Through outrageous scheming, the pair rose from humble beginnings to become the richest, most titled and influential players the English court had ever seen, and the King’s most trusted advisors. And with England’s place on the world stage under threat from outside forces and rioters taking to the streets to denounce the King, the stakes could not have been
higher.
Prepared to stop at nothing and armed with her ruthless political steel, Mary married her way up the ranks, bribed politicians, colluded with criminals and clawed her way into the heart of the Establishment, making it her own. Mary & George is a dangerously daring historical psychodrama about an outrageous mother and son who schemed, seduced and killed to conquer the court of England and the bed of King James I.
