Blood, Sex and Royalty cast: Meet the stars of Netflix history series
Emmerdale and Coronation Street stars take on Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn in Netflix's latest period docudrama.
If The Crown has piqued your interest in monarchy madness, then prepare to head back to the 16th century in Netflix's docudrama Blood, Sex and Royalty.
The new series looks at the story of Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII's second wife, from her own perspective, exploring her time as "an extraordinary woman who rewrote the rules".
With Coronation Street's Amy James-Kelly and Emmerdale's Max Parker starring as the Tudor couple, this three-parter combines the insights of historians with all the "sexy, action-packed, high-stakes" scripted drama of their doomed relationship.
Read on to learn more about the cast behind Blood, Sex and Royalty.
By entering your details, you are agreeing to our terms and conditions and privacy policy. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Amy James-Kelly plays Anne Boleyn
Who is Anne Boleyn? Anne Boleyn is a reformist and freethinker whose outspoken ways catch the eye of Henry VIII, who is at the time married to Catherine of Aragon.
More like this
Speaking about her portrayal of the Tudor monarch's second wife, James-Kelly said: "I play Anne Boleyn – although not the version of her we have learned about at school – this is the real Anne Boleyn. And this docudrama is certainly a twist on anything Tudor-related you have seen before!"
Where have I seen Amy James-Kelly before? Amy James-Kelly is best known for playing Maddie Heath in Coronation Street – a role she left in 2015. She has since appeared in Jericho, Moving On, Safe, Military Wives, The Bay, Three Families and Gentleman Jack.
Max Parker plays King Henry VIII
Who is King Henry VIII? Henry is the King of England, who becomes desperate to find a way out of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon in order to pursue the outspoken Anne Boleyn.
On playing the role of the notorious monarch, Max Parker said that viewers will learn much more about both King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn's personalities.
"I always thought he was born bad, and he stayed bad, but he didn’t. In those days a lot of people were influenced by the company they kept, and he had a lot of people whispering in his ear," he said. "Although he was a pretty terrible guy towards the end, the stuff he did in the beginning was all for love. He created a new section of Christianity, although maybe just so he could get divorced."
Where have I seen Max Parker before? Many soap fans will recognise Max Parker from his time playing Luke Posner on Emmerdale. The actor has also appeared in Casualty, World on Fire, COBRA, Love Sarah and Vampire Academy.
Lois Brabin-Platt plays Mary Boleyn
Who is Mary Boleyn? Mary Boleyn is Anne Boleyn's sister and a mistress of King Henry VIII.
Where have I seen Lois Brabin-Platt before? Lois Brabin-Platt has previously appeared in Red Rage, EastEnders, Bull and The Bezonians.
Callum Coates plays Cardinal Wolsey
Who is Cardinal Wolsey? Cardinal Wolsey was a Catholic bishop who was King Henry VIII's almoner and Lord Chancellor. The King tasked him with negotiating his annulment with Catherine of Aragon so he could marry Anne Boleyn.
Where have I seen Callum Coates before? Callum Coates is best known for his roles in Emmerdale, Grace, Life After Life, Gentleman Jack, The Crown, EastEnders, The Witcher and Inside No. 9.
Stephen Fewell plays Thomas Cromwell
Who is Thomas Cromwell? Thomas Cromwell was the lawyer and statesman who Henry VIII turned to in order to annul his marriage to Catherine of Aragon. He went on to spearhead the move away from Catholicism and towards the Church of England.
Where have I seen Stephen Fewell before? Stephen Fewell has appeared in The King, The Courtroom, Knightfall and The Girlfriend Experience.
Jhon Lumsden plays George Boleyn
Who is George Boleyn? George Boleyn is Anne Boleyn's brother who went on to adopt the title of Viscount Rochford.
Where have I seen Jhon Lumsden before? Jhon Lumsden has appeared in Doctors and Karen Pirie.
Adam Astill plays Thomas Boleyn
Who is Thomas Boleyn? Thomas Boleyn was an English politician and the father of Anne Boleyn.
Where have I seen Adam Astill before? Adam Astill is best known for playing Luke Browning in EastEnders, Anthony Harker in Doctors and Dan Hamilton in Holby City. He has also appeared in Grantchester, Unforgotten, World's End, Our Girl and All the Money in the World.
Nikhita Lesler plays Lady Worcester
Who is Lady Worcester? Lady Elizabeth Somerset, the Countess of Worcester, was Anne Boleyn's lady-in-waiting who is rumoured to have been one of King Henry VIII's mistresses.
Where have I seen Nikhita Lesler before? Nikhita Lesler has previously appeared in Casualty.
Sophie Boettge plays Jane Boleyn
Who is Jane Boleyn? Jane Boleyn, the Viscountess Rochford, was married to Anne Boleyn's brother George Boleyn. She was a member of Catherine of Aragon's household and some believe that she may have played a role in the executions of Anne and her husband.
Where have I seen Sophie Boettge before? Sophie Boettge has previously appeared in The Power.
Matas Dirginčius plays King Francis
Who is King Francis? King Francis I was France's monarch from 1515 until 1547, who tried to arrange an alliance with Henry VIII but failed. Mary Boleyn, the sister of Anne Boleyn, is rumoured to have been one of his mistresses.
Where have I seen Matas Dirginčius before? Matas Dirginčius has appeared in Chernobyl, The Gates of Riga and Nova Lituania.
Georgia Sansom plays Marguerite D'Angouleme
Who is Marguerite D'Angouleme? Marguerite D'Angouleme was the sister of King of France, Francis I. She is a friend of Anne Boleyn and encourages her to embrace her inner feminist.
Where have I seen Georgia Sansom before? Blood, Sex and Royalty is Georgia Sansom's first on-screen role.
Blood, Sex and Royalty is available to stream on Netflix now.
If you're looking for more to watch, check out our TV Guide or Streaming Guide, or visit our Drama hub for all the latest news.
The latest issue of Radio Times magazine is on sale now – subscribe now. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to the Radio Times View From My Sofa podcast.
