The official trailer for Starz’s Mary & George shows the scheming mother and son attempting to trap King James I into a sexual relationship as part of their plot to attain power and wealth. The seven-episode period drama will premiere on Friday, April 5, 2024 at midnight on the Starz app. It’ll debut on the Starz network on 9pm ET/PT in the US and 10pm ET/PT in Canada.
Oscar winner Julianne Moore (Still Alice) stars as Mary Villiers, Nicholas Galitzine (Red, White & Royal Blue) plays George Villiers, and Tony Curran (Mayflies) is King James I. Nicola Walker (The Split) plays Lady Hatton, Niamh Algar (The Wonder) is Sandie, Trine Dyrholm (The Legacy) is Queen Anne, and Sean Gilder (Slow Horses) is Sir Thomas Compton.
The ensemble also includes Adrian Rawlins (Living) as Sir Edward Coke, Mark O’Halloran (The Miracle Club) as Sir Francis Bacon, Laurie Davidson (Masters of the Air) as Earl of Somerset, Samuel Blenkin (The Witcher: Blood Origin) as Prince Charles, and Jacob McCarthy (SAS: Rogue Heroes) as Kit Villiers. Rounding out the cast are Tom Victor (Consent) as John Villiers, Alice Grant (Anthem at Almeida Theatre) as Susan Villiers, Amelia Gething (Emily) as Frances Coke, Mirren Mack (The Nest) as Katherine Villiers, Rina Mahoney (Happy Valley) as Laura Ashcattle, and Simon Russell Beale (The Death of Stalin) as George Villiers.
Inspired by Benjamin Woolley’s nonfiction book The King’s Assassin, D.C. Moore (Killing Eve) wrote the limited series and serves as an executive producer along with Liza Marshall, Sam Hoyle, Oliver Hermanus, and Julianne Moore. Hermanus is the lead director, with Alex Winckler and Florian Cossen also directing.
Starz released this description of Mary & George:
The series is about a treacherous mother and son who schemed, seduced, and killed to conquer the Court of England and the bed of King James I.
Julianne Moore plays Mary Villiers, Countess of Buckingham, who in 17th century England molded her beautiful son, George, to seduce King James I and become his all-powerful lover. Through outrageous scheming, the pair rose from humble beginnings to become one of the richest, most titled, and influential players the English court had ever seen, and the King’s most trusted advisors.
Nicholas Galitzine plays her son, George Villiers, a naïve romantic who alongside his ruthless mother was prepared to stop at nothing to get to the top. Tony Curran stars as King James I, the target of Mary & George’s seductive scheming.
