Wolf Hall season 2 cast: Full list of characters in The Mirror and the Light
Sir Mark Rylance, Damian Lewis, Sir Jonathan Pryce, and Kate Phillips reprise their roles.
It's been years in the making but we are finally getting Wolf Hall season 2.
The acclaimed BBC drama is returning for its sequel season, based on the third novel by the late Dame Hilary Mantel in her Thomas Cromwell, The Mirror and the Light, and we've already been treated to first-look images.
Continuing directly from the end of Wolf Hall, the official plot synopsis for the follow-up run reads: "May 1536. Anne Boleyn, Henry’s second wife, is dead. As the axe drops, Thomas Cromwell emerges from the bloodbath to continue his climb to power and wealth, while his formidable master, Henry, settles to short-lived happiness with his third queen, Jane Seymour.
"Cromwell, a man with only his wits to rely on, has no great family to back him, and no private army. Navigating the moral complexities that accompany the exercise of power in this brutal and bloody time, Cromwell is caught between his desire to do what is right and his instinct to survive. But in the wake of Henry VIII having executed his queen, no one is safe."
Here's the full confirmed cast for Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light.
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Wolf Hall season 2 cast: List of characters in The Mirror and the Light
The following cast members have been confirmed for Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light.
- Sir Mark Rylance as Thomas Cromwell
- Damian Lewis as King Henry VIII of England
- Sir Jonathan Pryce as Cardinal Thomas Wolsey
- Kate Phillips as Jane Seymour, Queen of England
- Lilit Lesser as The Lady Mary
- Dame Harriet Walter as Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury
- Harry Melling as Thomas Wriothesley, Earl of Southampton
- Thomas Brodie-Sangster as Rafe Saddler
- Timothy Spall as Thomas Howard, Duke of Norfolk
- Alex Jennings as Bishop Stephen Gardiner
- Charlie Rowe as Gregory Cromwell
- Lydia Leonard as Lady Jane Rochford
- Joss Porter as Richard Cromwell
- James Larkin as Master Treasurer Fitzwilliam
- Richard Dillane as Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk
- Will Keen as Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury
- Hannah Steele as Mary Shelton
- Paul Clayton as Sir William Kingston
- Maisie Richardson-Sellers as Bess Oughtred
- Corentin Fila as Christophe
- Tom Mothersdale as Richard Riche
- Karim Kadjar as Eustache Chapuys
- Lucy Russell as Lady Anne Shelton
- Will Tudor as Edward Seymour
- Viola Prettejohn as Mary Fitzroy
- Thomas Arnold as Hans Holbein
- Jordan Kouamé as Martin The Gaoler
- Agnes O’Casey as Lady Margaret Douglas
- Cecilia Appiah as Nan Seymour
- Ellie de Lange as Jenneke
- Hubert Burton as Thomas Howard the Lesser
- Pip Carter as Sir Geoffrey Pole
- Josef Altin as Thomas Avery
- Sarah Priddy as Lady Margery Seymour
- Hannah Khalique-Brown as Dorothea
- Amir El-Masry as Thomas Wyatt
- Didier Vinson as Castillon
- German Segal as Olisleger
- Summer Richards as Catherine Howard
- Dana Herfurth as Anne of Cleves, Queen of England
Here is all you need to know about the major players in the drama.
Sir Mark Rylance plays Thomas Cromwell
Who is Thomas Cromwell? Fresh from the execution of his former patron Anne Boleyn, Thomas Cromwell is a rising star and socially mobile political mastermind who is now the chief advisor to King Henry VIII and presses ahead with social and political reforms. However, the power of Cromwell invites many enemies and there is only so long a single person can please such a mercurial monarch.
Where else have you seen Mark Rylance before? Aside from starring in the first run of Wolf Hall, the esteemed Mark Rylance is a star of stage and screen, having won an Oscar for his role in Bridge of Spies, along with three BAFTA awards, two Olivier Awards, and three Tony Awards. Rylance's biggest film roles came after Bridge of Spies, including Ready Player One, Dunkirk, The Trial of the Chicago 7, Don't Look Up, Bones and All, and The Outfit.
Damian Lewis plays King Henry VIII of England
Who is Henry VIII? The fickle monarch is now wed to his third wife Jane Seymour and agrees to the plans for further Reformation of the English Church. However, will his fickle moods one day turn on Thomas Cromwell just as they did on Cardinal Wolsey and Anne Boleyn before him?
Where else have you seen Damian Lewis before? The award-winning actor is best known for his television roles including Band of Brothers, Homeland, and Billions. He has also had film roles, including as Steve McQueen in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
Kate Phillips plays Jane Seymour, Queen of England
Who is Jane Seymour? The third wife and queen consort of Henry VIII, Jane Seymour is a quiet but shrewd ally to Thomas Cromwell and one for whom he has shown desire in the past. Yet, will Jane be tempted to make the same mistakes her predecessor did by questioning the King? Sadly, another form of tragedy beckons for the new queen...
Where else have you seen Kate Phillips before? Outside of Wolf Hall, Phillips is best known for her roles as Linda Shelby in Peaky Blinders and her turns in Miss Scarlet and the Duke, The Crown, War & Peace, and the film Downton Abbey: A New Era.
Lilit Lesser plays The Lady Mary
Who is The Lady Mary? Formerly Princess Mary, the eldest child of King Henry VIII has been bastardised as a result of his break with the Roman Catholic church and the annulment of his marriage to first wife Katherine of Aragon. Now politically adrift, the rise of Jane Seymour allows the King's daughter to return to court...
Where else have you seen Lilit Lesser before? The daughter of actor Anton Lesser (who played Sir Thomas More in Wolf Hall), Lesser's other roles include Medusa Deluxe and Domina.
Sir Jonathan Pryce plays Cardinal Thomas Wolsey
Who is Cardinal Thomas Wolsey? The late chief advisor of King Henry VIII and the mentor of Thomas Cromwell, Cardinal Wolsey died in disgrace but his memory continues to haunt his loyal servant and eventual successor, Cromwell.
Where else have you seen Jonathan Pryce before? The veteran Welsh actor has won two Olivier Awards and two Tony Awards, as well as starring in countless iconic films including Brazil, the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, Evita, Tomorrow Never Dies, The Age of Innocence, and The Two Popes, to name a few. Pryce has also had numerous television roles, most recently as Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh in the final two seasons of The Crown.
Dame Harriet Walter plays Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury
Who is Margaret Pole? A cousin of King Henry VIII's mother and with royal Plantagenet blood flowing through her veins, Lady Pole is a conservative figure in the Tudor court and loyal to The Lady Mary.
Where else have you seen Harriet Walter before? The veteran thespian has been a major star of stage and screen, with Walter's major television roles include Law & Order: UK, Downton Abbey, London Spy, The Crown, Patrick Melrose, Succession, The Spanish Princess, Killing Eve, Ted Lasso, and Silo.
Harry Melling plays Thomas Wriothesley, Earl of Southampton
Who is Thomas Wriothesley? A cunning political player, Wriothesley serves King Henry VIII in matters of the Reformation and in subsequent marriage plans.
Where else have you seen Harry Melling before? Following his iconic role as Dudley Dursley in the Harry Potter franchise, Melling is best known for his turns as Harry Beltik in The Queen's Gambit, plus film roles in The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, The Tragedy of Macbeth, The Devil All The Time, and The Pale Blue Eye.
Thomas Brodie-Sangster plays Rafe Saddler
Who is Rafe Saddler? The loyal ward, surrogate son and assistant to Thomas Cromwell returns to serve at his side.
Where else have you seen Thomas Brodie-Sangster before? A child star known for his roles in Love Actually and Nanny McPhee, Brodie-Sangster has become a successful actor in adulthood too with roles in Game of Thrones, The Maze Runner franchise, Bright Star, Nowhere Boy, Accused, Godless, and The Queen's Gambit.
Timothy Spall plays Thomas Howard, Duke of Norfolk
Who is the Duke of Norfolk? One of the leading politicians in the land and the outspoken uncle of Anne Boleyn who led her rise and then turned on her, the Duke of Norfolk is back in favour at the Tudor court.
The role was portrayed by Bernard Hill in the first run of Wolf Hall.
Where else have you seen Timothy Spall before? A renowned character actor of stage and screen, Spall is known for his film work with director Mike Leigh (Home Sweet Home, Life is Sweet, Secrets & Lies, Topsy-Turvy, All or Nothing, and Mr. Turner), the Harry Potter film franchise, Hamlet (1996), Still Crazy, Nicholas Nickleby, The Last Samurai, Enchanted, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, The Damned United, The King's Speech, Ginger and Rosa, Denial, The Party, and Spencer.
Alex Jennings plays Bishop Stephen Gardiner
Who is Bishop Stephen Gardiner? A conservative but wily religious figure who is an enemy of Thomas Cromwell.
The role was portrayed by Mark Gatiss in the first run of Wolf Hall.
Where else have you seen Alex Jennings before? A three-time Olivier Award winner, Jennings is also known for roles in The Wings of the Dove, Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, Babel, Belle, The Lady in the Van, plus series including The Crown, Victoria, A Very English Scandal, and Small Axe: Mangrove.
Charlie Rowe plays Gregory Cromwell
Who is Gregory Cromwell? The only son and heir of Thomas Cromwell who rises with his father, Gregory becomes engaged to marry the widowed sister of Jane Seymour, Bess Oughtred.
The role was portrayed by Tom Holland in the first run of Wolf Hall.
Where else have you seen Charlie Rowe before? The British actor is best known for his roles in Never Let Me Go, The Boat That Rocked, The Golden Compass, the Peter Pan prequel Neverland, and the medical comedy-drama series Red Band Society.
Rowe was also once considered as a potential Peter Parker in the MCU Spider-Man films, a role which went to his Wolf Hall predecessor Tom Holland.
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