Jodie Turner-Smith knew playing Anne Boleyn would be ‘a stretch for some’

Jodie Turner-Smith has said she knew that playing Anne Boleyn would be ‘a stretch for some people’ ahead of the launch of her new Channel 5 drama.

The Queen And Slim star portrays King Henry VIII’s second wife in the three-part series, which boasts of a diverse cast.

Commenting on the inclusive and colour-blind approach when it came to signing the actors, Jodie said: ‘It’s much more approachable and appealing to a contemporary audience when you cast this way because we are distilling this down to a human experience.

She continued to Radio Times: ‘If you ask anyone to watch a film or to observe any art, you are asking them to suspend their beliefs.

‘I am aware it’s going to be a stretch for some people because they will feel too distracted by that, but I think for a lot of other people who are finally ready to see the world in a different way, they’re going to see that this is a human story we are telling, and a fascinating one at that.’

The upcoming period drama stars Jodie as Queen Anne Boleyn in the final months of her life as she tries to establish a future for her daughter as the powers that surround her begin to threaten her life.

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The cast also boasts of Mark Stanley, who plays Henry VIII, Paapa Essiedu as Anne’s brother George and Lola Petticrew playing Jane Seymour.

Anne, Henry’s second wife, was notoriously killed for high treason on May 19, 1536, after failing to produce a male heir.

The three-part programme is told from Anne’s own perspective and charts the downfall of her relationship with Henry as she battles to keep his attention, while also securing a future for herself and daughter, Elizabeth I.

As Henry finds a new love in Jane Seymour (Lola Pettricrew), Anne’s life slowly slips out of her hands as she tries to fight against the patriarchy she’s married into. 

Anne Boleyn will show the key moments that caused Anne to topple, unpicking her immense strength, her fatal vulnerabilities and her determination to be an equal among men.

Anne Boleyn will debut on Channel 5 at 9pm on Tuesday, June 1.

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