New Delhi: British actor Edward Bluemel, who stars in the historical fantasy series "My Lady Jane," says the trend of treating period dramas in an irreverent way is welcome as audiences can enjoy a piece of history from a different way.
What also helps is the popularity of shows set in a bygone era thanks to elaborate costumes and sets, added the 31-year-old actor, known for "Killing Eve" and "A Discovery of Witches."
Starring Emily Bader in the title role, “My Lady Jane” is one of the latest additions to the roster of reimagined period dramas like “Bridgerton” and “The Buccaneers.” It streams on Prime Video.When asked if the trend of irreverent historical shows was increasing, Bluemel responded: "Absolutely!"
"It's something that people love. People love period dramas. They love the costumes, the sets, but people also love to have a lot of fun. The reality is that the Tudor period in real life probably It wasn't that fun. So, it's nice to be able to take this and add a fantasy element and basically treat it a little more irreverently.
"People can watch it in a very different way and enjoy it in a different way. There is definitely room for historically accurate period dramas and they are incredibly important and can be very educational and captivating. But we live in a world where we can have both, which "It's great," the actor said in an interview. Starring in "My Lady Jane" was a full-circle moment for Bluemel, whose all-time favorite movie as a kid was 2001's "A Knight's Tale," starring Heath Ledger. .
"I first saw it when I was about seven years old and it completely changed what a movie could be. I saw that story could be fun. I saw that story didn't have to be precise or stuffy.
"It feels amazing to come full circle and be on a TV show that actually had 'A Knight's Tale' in its mood panel at the beginning. It feels like I've accomplished what I came here to do." he said."My Lady Jane" is a retelling of the story of Lady Jane Grey, the young Tudor noblewoman who was queen of England for nine days and then beheaded in 1553. In Prime Video's alternate universe version, based on the 2016 novel "My Lady Jane", Lady Jane is saved from execution.
If Bluemel could rewrite English royal history, what would he revise or change?
"I think overall we could do better without the royal family," he responded. Continuing with the revisionist aspect of its narrative, "My Lady Jane" has cast Jordan Peters, a black actor also known for the British film "Pirates." , like King Edward VI.
The fantasy element is one of the aspects that allows the series to have fun with the narrative, the actor said.
"We live in an incredibly diverse society today. There's a lot of that on this show. We're having fun with it. Historically, it also doesn't matter at all what kind of ethnicity you have." As long as you can play the character and find the truth in it , so that's great for me. Besides, the show is a fantasy anyway. If people focused on people's color, they would be seriously missing the point."
The actor, who stars alongside Bader as Lord Guildford Dudley, said he consciously did not read the novel and decided to be part of the show based on the script the writers had prepared.
"I was convinced by the script... I decided not to read it (the novel) because I didn't want there to be too many different types of things in my head. I really wanted to stick with the script that was given to me. I wanted to play the role, in which Guildford came to life so strikingly on the page."Bluemel, a graduate of the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama, described his character Guildford as someone running away from who he is.
"He's constantly trying to escape his past and finds himself in some pretty dubious circles because of it. In the traditional sense of this story, he's the hero. But we find out that maybe he's the one who needs saving more than ever." any. And Jane is the key to that," he added.
The actor said that he and Bader had met a couple of times before they started filming the show, something that helped them develop a good relationship. It was so amazing to find a connection with someone... I could see so quickly that he was going to be my friend. It's always a pleasure to be on set with a friend. He just made everything very easy and we felt like we were in a very safe place. All the hardest scenes to do, the arguments, the fights or the intimate scenes suddenly became much easier to do because they seemed like part of the job."
Having an intimacy coordinator on set is a plus. Ita O'Brien, known for "Sex Education," "The Great" and "Normal People," was the intimacy coordinator on "My Lady Jane."
"This helps a lot. It's absolutely important. Every actor feels safe on set and an intimacy coordinator always contributes to that." We had Ita O'Brien, who is kind of a legendary intimacy coordinator. She has done many big shows and her experience was very helpful. "She makes those scenes infinitely more comfortable and you feel so much safer," she said.
Bluemel also previewed the show's second season.
"If there is a second season, people can expect more drama, romance and fun fantasy. There is a lot more to potentially explore." "My Lady Jane" also stars Dominic Cooper, Anna Chancellor, Rob Brydon and Jim Broadbent. Creator Gemma Burgess and Meredith Glynn are co-showrunners/executive producers. It is directed by Jamie Babbit and Stefan Schwartz.
What also helps is the popularity of shows set in a bygone era thanks to elaborate costumes and sets, added the 31-year-old actor, known for "Killing Eve" and "A Discovery of Witches."
Starring Emily Bader in the title role, “My Lady Jane” is one of the latest additions to the roster of reimagined period dramas like “Bridgerton” and “The Buccaneers.” It streams on Prime Video.When asked if the trend of irreverent historical shows was increasing, Bluemel responded: "Absolutely!"
"It's something that people love. People love period dramas. They love the costumes, the sets, but people also love to have a lot of fun. The reality is that the Tudor period in real life probably It wasn't that fun. So, it's nice to be able to take this and add a fantasy element and basically treat it a little more irreverently.
"People can watch it in a very different way and enjoy it in a different way. There is definitely room for historically accurate period dramas and they are incredibly important and can be very educational and captivating. But we live in a world where we can have both, which "It's great," the actor said in an interview. Starring in "My Lady Jane" was a full-circle moment for Bluemel, whose all-time favorite movie as a kid was 2001's "A Knight's Tale," starring Heath Ledger. .
"I first saw it when I was about seven years old and it completely changed what a movie could be. I saw that story could be fun. I saw that story didn't have to be precise or stuffy.
"It feels amazing to come full circle and be on a TV show that actually had 'A Knight's Tale' in its mood panel at the beginning. It feels like I've accomplished what I came here to do." he said."My Lady Jane" is a retelling of the story of Lady Jane Grey, the young Tudor noblewoman who was queen of England for nine days and then beheaded in 1553. In Prime Video's alternate universe version, based on the 2016 novel "My Lady Jane", Lady Jane is saved from execution.
If Bluemel could rewrite English royal history, what would he revise or change?
"I think overall we could do better without the royal family," he responded. Continuing with the revisionist aspect of its narrative, "My Lady Jane" has cast Jordan Peters, a black actor also known for the British film "Pirates." , like King Edward VI.
The fantasy element is one of the aspects that allows the series to have fun with the narrative, the actor said.
"We live in an incredibly diverse society today. There's a lot of that on this show. We're having fun with it. Historically, it also doesn't matter at all what kind of ethnicity you have." As long as you can play the character and find the truth in it , so that's great for me. Besides, the show is a fantasy anyway. If people focused on people's color, they would be seriously missing the point."
The actor, who stars alongside Bader as Lord Guildford Dudley, said he consciously did not read the novel and decided to be part of the show based on the script the writers had prepared.
"I was convinced by the script... I decided not to read it (the novel) because I didn't want there to be too many different types of things in my head. I really wanted to stick with the script that was given to me. I wanted to play the role, in which Guildford came to life so strikingly on the page."Bluemel, a graduate of the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama, described his character Guildford as someone running away from who he is.
"He's constantly trying to escape his past and finds himself in some pretty dubious circles because of it. In the traditional sense of this story, he's the hero. But we find out that maybe he's the one who needs saving more than ever." any. And Jane is the key to that," he added.
The actor said that he and Bader had met a couple of times before they started filming the show, something that helped them develop a good relationship. It was so amazing to find a connection with someone... I could see so quickly that he was going to be my friend. It's always a pleasure to be on set with a friend. He just made everything very easy and we felt like we were in a very safe place. All the hardest scenes to do, the arguments, the fights or the intimate scenes suddenly became much easier to do because they seemed like part of the job."
Having an intimacy coordinator on set is a plus. Ita O'Brien, known for "Sex Education," "The Great" and "Normal People," was the intimacy coordinator on "My Lady Jane."
"This helps a lot. It's absolutely important. Every actor feels safe on set and an intimacy coordinator always contributes to that." We had Ita O'Brien, who is kind of a legendary intimacy coordinator. She has done many big shows and her experience was very helpful. "She makes those scenes infinitely more comfortable and you feel so much safer," she said.
Bluemel also previewed the show's second season.
"If there is a second season, people can expect more drama, romance and fun fantasy. There is a lot more to potentially explore." "My Lady Jane" also stars Dominic Cooper, Anna Chancellor, Rob Brydon and Jim Broadbent. Creator Gemma Burgess and Meredith Glynn are co-showrunners/executive producers. It is directed by Jamie Babbit and Stefan Schwartz.
