‘She's endlessly fascinating'

Star Jodie Turner-Smith on the challenges of telling Anne Boleyn’s side of the story..

- STEVEN PERKINS

ANNE BOLEYN

NEW TUESDAY-THURSDAY / CHANNEL 5 / 9PM / EPS 1-3 of 3 / DRAMA

Divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived… Many of us are familiar with this school rhyme that tells the fates of Henry VIII’s six wives, but often their stories are portrayed through the eyes of the Tudor monarch.

Now a Channel 5 mini-series, Anne Boleyn, hopes to offer a new perspective by putting his second wife centre stage, with film star and model Jodie Turner-Smith (Queen & Slim) in the titular role.

The three-part thriller explores the final five months of Anne’s life as she struggles to secure a future for their daughter, Elizabeth, and fights to be considered an equal among men, with the patriarchy closing ranks around her.

The star-spangled cast also includes White House Farm’s Mark Stanley as King Henry VIII and Amanda Burton as stoic governess Lady Anne Shelton, with Lola Petticrew (Bloodlands) as Anne’s love rival, Jane Seymour.

Here, Jodie, 34, tells TV Times why she’s so passionate about telling this important story…

Do you think this drama might change our perception of Anne?

For the most part, Anne’s story has been told through the lenses of men, and we were trying to do something different. We wanted to make it about what was making her tick and what she was going through emotionally. I don’t think she’s ever really been explored in that way.

We all know she was beheaded, but what we’re also saying is she was murdered. That’s what makes it a psychological thriller, because it’s leading to a woman’s murder.