Social media was recently abuzz when news broke about how Jodie Turner-Smith was cast as the first Black actress to play the role of English Queen Anne Boleyn.
Smith has been selected for Channel 5’s upcoming three-part drama series, with the news causing a stir amongst social media users, especially Twitter. Speaking her mind during a recent Radio Times event that was held on Tuesday, the 34-year-old star from The Queen and Slim boldly acknowledged how she was sure that this piece of news would be a major stretch for a wide array of viewers.
Seeing a Black actress play the role of the doomed second wife of Henry VIII would definitely be perplexing for the majority. At the same time, Smith spoke about how she was confident that many fans were eager and ready to witness her in this new and revolutionary role.
Jodie Smith will be the very first actress to play the character of Queen Anne Boleyn, following in the footsteps of names like Natalie Dormer, Natalie Portman, and Claire Foy- who have all played a historical part.
Reflecting on this very matter, Jodie revealed how the recent publication is a much more approachable as well as attractive character to a rather contemporary audience. “When you go about casting this way, you are actually distilling it all down towards a more human or life-life experience,” she went on to reveal.
“Whenever you request anyone to actually view a movie or to see any form of art, you actually ask them to silence all of their beliefs.”
The star welcomed her baby daughter in the month of April in 2020, explaining how the charm of motherhood has gone about altering the exact ways she views women and all of their experiences in general.
“Anne, like all other women during that time, tried to navigate all of the patriarchy that surrounded motherhood and women. Therefore, that is what makes this particular tale so powerful,” she mentioned.