“We don’t see a lot of leading disabled characters,” says Arthur Hughes, who plays the title character. “Well, we might, but they might not be played by disabled actors.”
Shardlake is a clever lawyer who solves puzzles and problems during the reign of King Henry VIII. He is also disabled. The character is referred to as a “hunchback” by a rude rival in the books — an example of the attitude of the Tudor period, with no allowance or acceptance of differences.
“I really hope the disabled audience can see that and see maybe some of the parallels with the world we live in today. And also just to show that that a disabled actor can play a leading part,” says Hughes, who was born with radial dysplasia.
Joining him in the show are Anthony Boyle, as codpiece-wearing rogue Jack Barak, and Sean Bean portraying Thomas Cromwell, the notorious and real-life political player who sends Shardlake on a mission to solve a murder at a monastery. The show airs Wednesday on Disney+ in the U.K. and Hulu in the U.S.
The cast spoke about the importance of casting, the comfort of a codpiece and coldness of old castles. The interview was conducted before Sansom’s death Saturday at 71. Answers have been edited for brevity and clarity.
Q: SO WHO READ THE BOOKS?
BEAN: I read the first three but a long time ago. Forty years or so.
Q: WAS THE APPEAL THAT YOU ALREADY KNEW THIS WORLD?
BEAN: Yes, when I found out it was based on C.J. Sansom’s books, I thought, I’ve read those, you know. It was something I really wanted to be involved with and when I was offered the role of Cromwell, (I was) delighted.
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