To think Wolf Hall / Damian Lewis is the best ever portrayal of Henry VIII?

[Bluelane]

Just that really. You can feel the tension, impulsiveness, and danger every time he’s on screen. You can feel the threat that must have felt by those around him at the time, it feels really accurate. Amazing writing / acting, such a contrast to the pantomime villain we often get.

I recently watched DL in 'Band of Brothers' and had no idea he was playing Henry VIII until I sat down to watch the current series of 'Wolf Hall'. I was fascinated by his transformation from a military tactician in BoB to a mercurial monarch.

Damien Lewis and Mark Rylance are both amazing in every episode, the series is the highlight of Sunday nights at the moment

I always measure every TV adaptation against I Claudius. This is way inferior.

No, I disagree with you, even though I loved I Claudius - I watched it when it first came out and several times since. They're different, but equally good. As was the original Smiley's People.

He has great range. I watched "Life" after I saw BoB and had no idea it was the same actor, even though he was hardly in heavy disguise!

I see the odd flash of his Soames Forsyte in Henry at times

ETA the penny dropped after a few eps

I think he shows some of the vulnerability because he isnt playing it really visciously, plus the paranoia is good. He is well proportioned, I like the screwed up face a lot because if you look at pictures of Henry as he aged, he turned quite scrunched up in the face, horrible little pursed lips and squinty eyes

Much better than bloody Ray Winston who can only play Ray Winston and also Rhys thingy mabobby, who was too pretty, too thin

Or Glenda Jackson as Elizabeth, similar age. She is phenomenal, cant take your eyes off her, or the others.

No he is in old age (for him) during this period, he was 47 when he had Edward and he died 9 years later, his young days are long gone even by the time he is with Anne Boleyn

Ray Winston was the strangest approach to Henry that I ever hope I see.

Have you ever seen Charles Laughton?

He still wasn't what he became by Catherine Howard I don't think. He had so much wrong with him (known and very interestingly speculative) that his degeneration was very marked.

I do agree that Holbein flattered him and he wouldn't have compared well to DL.

Mark Rylance is simply a brilliant actor - spellbinding without being show-offy. He almost under-acts, but I find I can't take my eyes off him when he's on the screen.

I'd love to see him on the stage, see if he has the same presence IRL.

He and DL together are so good, I almost forget it's not real.

No he certainly got worse but Jane was also nursing him too.

Yes many did live long beyond that. It was that ulcerated leg that must have done it for him.

Lost a para. Essentially I dont mind too much if physical representation is not quite there. Apart from the representation of OJ Simpson by Otis (?). That didnt work for me.

DL and MR have the ability to drive the representation through their personalities and movements.

I can't believe no-one has mentioned Sid James!

He’s astonishing onstage, but something like his Rooster Byron in Jerusalem has a completely different physicality to his Cromwell — boozy, leery, gabby, faded daredevil type. I once saw him out of character, walking into a play at the RSC. He looked short, slight and watchful. Hat tipped back on his head.

Oh now you're talking!

Damian Lewis is excellent. Mercurial, paranoid, spoilt, narcissistic, charming.
I like the soft voice, it's actually quite frightening.

I've described this before, but anyway here goes. I had the opportunity to see MR as Iago at the Shakespeare Globe (2018?). I am not the world's greatest Shakespeare fan, but give it a go periodically because I know I should! Production starts, going well, lots of clowning around. Slightly surprising. 1/3 of the way through MR leans in to the audience for a soliloquy (do not be upset if I misquote) - The Moor I do but hate him. MR then moves the audience physically as he drops and raises his voice/tone. The whole Shakespeare Globe audience moving (seats or not) in/out to hear him, to catch the venom. Breathtaking.

Im sure I read somewhere that in real life apparently he had quite a high voice, not like you would imagine.

Sat behind him at Lord's many many moons ago. Sounded a bit "Sloane Ranger" ish for those who remember them but not overly high pitched.

@Fourquenelles I think @soupfiend was talking about Henry VIII

Amazing actor, but I think we can all agree Mark Rylance’s finest performance is Flop in Bing.

Nope didn't sit behind him! 😂

Such a good portrayal. You really see how a young, charming prince turns into a paranoid monster but they are still the same man all the way through.

I am finding TMATL almost unbearable to watch, as I found the book to read. It's the tension as the noose is silently tightening around Cromwell!