Tag: Thomas Cromwell

Happy Birthday Henry VIII: Revisiting Damian Lewis in Wolf Hall

“Henry VIII is a monster, but he’s our monster. No other nation has a king who had six wives and cut the heads off two. We’re perversely proud of Henry.” – Hilary Mantel

source: BBC
source: BBC

Welcome to year 1535! In the most delightful deleted scene in Wolf Hall,  King Henry declares his age to the women in Thomas Cromwell’s household: “45 in June…”

Well, Henry is 534 years old today and popular as ever — to quote Damian Lewis:

“Henry, as a brand, is right up there with Coca Cola!”

I don’t think anyone can deny the recent contributions of Hilary Mantel’s brilliant work Wolf Hall & Bring up the Bodies — the books, the play and the TV drama to Henry’s as well as Tudors’ popularity in general! And BBC has completed filming of Mantel’s final installment in Thomas Cromwell series The Mirror and The Light with Mark Rylance and Damian Lewis resuming their roles. We’re looking forward to having the limited series on our screens later this year or early next year.

And now, in celebration of King Henry’s birthday, it is my utmost pleasure to take you back to the most memorable Henry moments in Wolf Hall TV Drama.

Long Live the King! Continue reading “Happy Birthday Henry VIII: Revisiting Damian Lewis in Wolf Hall”

My Decade Long “Wolf Hall” Journey Came Full Circle

Henry VIII is a monster, but he’s our monster. We’re perversely proud of Henry. -Hilary Mantel

My decade-long Wolf Hall journey came full circle at the BAFTA TV Awards on Sunday. It was especially lovely to see that it was a true family affair for Damian — his daughter Manon, his son Gully, and his father, Mr. Watcyn Lewis, were all there to support our favorite guy. And I couldn’t help but be moved seeing the two kids who once adorably called the Emmy Award “Emma” now grown into such poised, beautiful young adults. I just love this family.

I’ll be honest — I always dreamed, perhaps selfishly, that my Wolf Hall journey would come full circle with Damian receiving one of those iconic masks for his phenomenal portrayal of Henry VIII in Wolf Hall: The Mirror and The Light. That recognition wasn’t in the cards. But my decade-long Wolf Hall journey has been nothing short of magical and so all is good.

What follows is my way of saying thank you. To everyone behind and in front of the camera: thank you for bringing us the sharpest, smartest, most brilliant historical drama ever made.

THANK YOU.

Continue reading “My Decade Long “Wolf Hall” Journey Came Full Circle”

Damian Lewis as Henry VIII in Wolf Hall: The Mirror and The Light

“It seems fairly redundant to say “Damian Lewis is a good actor”, but, well, here we are: his Henry is outstanding, the biggest guy in the room in name and stature if not ever actual presence, something flawed in the hull and he knows it.”

– The Guardian

Wolf Hall is one of the best things that ever happened to TV. A slow-cooking, dark, and witty political drama, it has a contemporary feel. Peter Straughan’s script is wonderfully condensed, with most of the conversation coming directly from Mantel’s pen. Hearing some of the best lines I have ever read spoken by the characters is delightful. Peter Kosminsky’s directing is flawless. Every shot feels like a painting. And while some characters needed to be recast, the continuity is beyond impressive that you don’t feel the nine-year interval between the two productions.  The entire cast gives a masterclass in acting. Mark Rylance and Damian Lewis, as the two leads, are electric together. Thus, the long wait was entirely worth it.

Continue reading “Damian Lewis as Henry VIII in Wolf Hall: The Mirror and The Light”

Lady Tudors’ Fun Facts About Wolf Hall: The Mirror And The Light – Ep 6 Light

Welcome back to Court and to the final episode of “Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light”

We have come to episode six, Light, and this may be my favorite of the entire two seasons. This episode did something I did not think was possible – make me feel sympathy for Thomas Cromwell. This series did what I feel the books did not do – show that Cromwell did feel remorse or at least questioned the actions he took to stay at the top of Henry’s good graces. As someone who is an “Anne Stan” I will always have a negative opinion of the real Cromwell. The absolute horrible lies he created to take Anne Boleyn down are unforgiveable. Yes, Henry tasked him to help him put Anne aside, but to manufacture the tales of her sleeping with basically every man at Court (and an incestuous relationship with her brother George) was overkill. He had to know that this was going to lead to the death of six innocent people. One can only imagine that is exactly what he wanted. Continue reading “Lady Tudors’ Fun Facts About Wolf Hall: The Mirror And The Light – Ep 6 Light”

Best of Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light, Episode 6 Finale “Light”

Step inside the Tudor Dynasty with us as we handpick our favorite superlatives for each episode of Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light – from ‘who wore it best’ fashionable costume and top villain, to outstanding scene and perfect cinematography – and everything else in between!

You can revisit any previous “best of” reviews here:
episode 1 Wreckage
episode 2 Obedience
episode 3 Defiance
episode 4 Jenneke
episode 5 Mirror

Up this week for our final installment:

Episode 6: Light
USA Air Date: Sunday, April 27, 2025
Plot Summary: Cromwell is stripped of his titles and brought to the Tower of London on a charge of treason. He has no friends to speak for him but plenty of enemies among his prosecutors.

Continue reading “Best of Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light, Episode 6 Finale “Light””