Tony Curran unleashes the grit and glamour in Sky original drama Mary & George – a royal romp of scandalous intrigues.

King James, poetic license, and a dark twist: the must-watch drama of the year.

In the realm of historical drama, move over Bridgerton – there’s a new show in town, and it’s promising to be more visceral, more cutting, and, let’s face it, a bit more scandalously delightful.

Tony Curran, the charismatic star of the latest Sky Original Drama, Mary & George, waxed lyrical on his role and why this series is about to redefine your historical drama standards.

The seven-episode series, based on the scandalous true story of King James VI of Scotland and I of England, stars Tony Curran as King James, Julianne Moore as the cunning Mary Villiers, and Nicholas Galitzine as her charming son George.

Forget what you know about historical figures, as this drama dives deep into the unknown territories of Mary, a woman from humble beginnings with a knack for outsmarting everyone in the room.

Her rise to power begins by exploiting the King’s love for the finer things in life – fine wine, fine company, and fine men.

Through audacious scheming and seduction, Mary and George orchestrate their way to the heart of the court, determined to become the most powerful family in England.

Tony Curran, who plays the enigmatic King James, shot down comparisons of Mary & George to other historical dramas like The Tudors and Bridgerton during an appearance with host Angela Scanlon on The Graham Norton Radio Show with Waitrose, insisting that their show is ‘a bit more visceral, a bit more gritty.’

“It’s got a darkness about it that goes on a very intricate journey with some of the characters,” Curran added, teasing the complexities of Mary Villiers, a character not as widely known as others in the historical drama realm.

“Mary Villiers, who we haven’t heard from much, the role Julianne Moore plays, and her rise throughout societies is an incredible ascension. They’re all buried in Westminster Abbey, Mary, George, and King James, where she was sort of lowly aristocracy, and she made her way throughout the ranks. It’s such an incredible story about her.”

Curran, who clearly relishes the complexity of his character, continued to unravel the mysteries of King James and the Jacobean period.

“He’s obviously a queer king as well. So there’s those aspects to it, but it’s quite a complex story,” he explained.

But why haven’t we heard much about these historical figures before? Curran sheds light on the overlooked era, saying: “It was only a short time period, the Jacobean period – there were 20 years. King James was on the throne there. During that time, he brokered peace with France and Spain, and Jamestown, of course, is one of the first British colonies in the Americas. The King James Bible that still occupies hotel rooms these days, he translated it.”

However, King James wasn’t just a peaceful peacemaker; he had quirks too.

“He wasn’t a fan of smoking. Okay, yeah, he wrote a paper on smoking. He was the first anti-smoking campaign. But then when he realised that was fiscally and economically advantageous to him, he’s like, ‘Alright, fair enough. We’ll take it in,'” Curran chuckled, unveiling the multifaceted character he portrays.

As the charismatic actor delved into the historical quirkiness of King James, his narration unfolded like a riveting historical comedy, revealing beyond James’s anti-smoking stance and his flip-flop into acceptance for economic gains.

And let’s not forget his run-ins with witches, inspiring none other than William Shakespeare himself.

“And he wrote a thing about demonology about witches as well. So he was a little witch hunter.

“So the beginning of Macbeth is very daring, because Queen Anne was sailing over from Denmark to Edinburgh twice and twice, he got caught in these terrible storms. And he blamed those storms on these three women, which were either hung or burnt at the stake. Bless them. And a certain William Shakespeare heard about this. And it was a sort of inspiration for him for the three witches in the beginning of the Scottish play Macbeth.”

In a world filled with drama, intrigue, and a touch of the absurd, Mary & George is set to be the next must-watch historical sensation, weaving a dark and intricate tale that will leave audiences yearning for more.

So, brace yourself for a rollercoaster of scandal, cunning, and historical hilarity as Mary & George takes the throne of your TV screen.

TONY CURRAN STARS AS KING JAMES IN MARY & GEORGE, ALL EPISODES WILL BE AVAILABLE ON SKY ATLANTIC AND STREAMING SERVICE NOW FROM TUESDAY (5th MARCH).