Coming Soon

JODIE TURNER-SMITH plays Henry VIII’S doomed wife in a powerful period thriller

HERE’S A STRIKING look at Jodie Turner-smith as she takes the title role in Channel 5’s ambitious three-part drama Anne Boleyn.

The dark psychological thriller, airing later this year, sees the model and Nightflyers actor play the spirited second wife of Henry VIII (Mark Stanley) and will follow the queen’s downfall in the final months before her execution for treason in 1536.

It sees Anne try to fight against her terrifying fate and safeguard a life for her daughter, the future monarch Elizabeth I.

Paapa Essiedu plays Anne’s brother George Boleyn, who goes on trial with her, while Lola Petticrew is Jane Seymour, Henry’s next wife, and Jamael Westman is Jane’s scheming brother Edward. Barry Ward is the king’s closest adviser, Thomas Cromwell, who helps topple Anne; Amanda Burton is governess Lady Anne Shelton; and Thalissa Teixeira plays

Anne’s cousin Madge Shelton.

‘Delving deeper into Anne Boleyn’s immense strengths while examining her fatal weaknesses and vulnerabilities, the scripts immediately captured my imagination,’ says Turner-smith. ‘The legend of this formidable queen and fierce mother will be seen as a deeply human story that is still so relevant for today.’

Director Lynsey Miller hopes the series’ colour-blind casting will make audiences think.

‘We have the best actress for the role,’ she says. ‘There are going to be a lot of people who don’t like it, but there has to be space for that, and there are going to be a lot of people who love it.’