Lest you think I hated literally every second of the The White Queen (2013), I want to showcase some of the fabulous actors in the show.
Max Irons – Edward IV
The king, THE GUY, the one that sets all of this nonsense in motion by marrying Elizabeth Woodville. Played by Jeremy Irons‘ son, Max, he’s pretty and, well, that’s enough.
Aneurin Barnard – Richard, Duke of Gloster/Richard III
I never really thought Aneurin Barnard was attractive until I watched this series and then all of a sudden, I was SUPER Team Aneurin. He got the brooding, but also soulful thing down perfectly. Made Richard III a sympathetic character, despite being an utter bastard.
David Oakes – George, Duke of Clarence
One of these days I will make a Snark Week post about actors that always play assholes, and David Oakes will be on it. He’s handsome, but for some reason, he’s always cast as the douchebag in every period film I’ve ever seen him in.
James Frain – Duke of Warwick
James Frain is another actor that could go on the Always An Asshole list. I have pretty much loved him in everything I’ve seen him in, The White Queen included, but he’s ALWAYS playing a dick.
Rupert Graves – Lord Stanley
Rupert Graves gets cast as an asshole a lot, but he’s also had a fair share of non-asshole roles, so he really doesn’t belong on the above list. I will always love him because of his Buckingham in The Last King.
Ben Lamb – Anthony Rivers
I don’t think I’ve seen Ben Lamb in any other shows, but he’s a good looking guy. So, here is is.
Tom McKay – Jasper Tudor
I guess we’re all supposed to believe that Tom McKay is THE HOTTEST as Jasper Tudor, the alleged love of Margaret Beaufort’s life. He’s not a bad looking guy, but he just doesn’t bring the Aneurin Barnard vibes.
Michael Marcus – Henry Tudor/Henry VII
Michael Marcus comes in late in the series as the adult Henry Tudor. Don’t have a lot to say about him as an actor, because I think I’ve not seen him in anything else that was memorable, but he was handsome so … I guess that’s good enough!
Who was your favorite actor in The White Queen (2013)? Tell us in the comments!
Fun fact: Kings and Queens walk barefoot from Westminster hall to Westminster Abbey as a show of humility. Probably why Anthony is holding Elizabeth’s shoe
I love Rupert Graves most from “The Madness of King George”…he was so sensitive toward the poor old king…and of course adorable in “Room with a View”
For a minute I thought they were implying for some mad reason that the Earl of Warwick was a field marshal, then I twigged that this is Elizabeth’s coronation scene for which they snapped the George & Dragon finial off a modern field marshal’s baton to create a cheap nasty substitute for a sceptre, and for some reason he’s carrying it while escorting her from the ceremony, presumably to the coronation banquet. (Which is daft; a sceptre, like a crown or orb, was and is an important, almost sacred object. It gets brought in to the ceremony in a gilded casket or on a velvet cushion, and as soon as the sovereign divests themself of it, it is reverently taken back by the senior ceremony-droid responsible for it. The queen would simply not hand it to her escort with a ‘Here, carry this for me on the way to the banquet, will you?”)
😄 the regalia is heavy and escorting nobles might support the queen’s arms as she carries them but they would not, as you say, hold them for her.
Aneurin Barnard, YES! Olivier was the definitive Richard III, but Barnard is the cutest.
Agreed. On the other hand, Max Irons looks–clueless, which I don’t find attractive (unless it’s Hugh Laurie doing comedy).
Team Max. I like a good classical nose, slightly floppy hair. And that gambeson. It’s not the gambeson, but the way he just owns it, while holding wine because WTF not. Yup.
I generally enjoy James Frain because he seems like he has fun with his roles (see voice of goat in “What We Do in the Shadows”). Rupert is one of the Ruperts that I can never remember the surnames of, so sadly he gets yeeted out of my brain as soon as I see another of the Ruperts (who all seem honestly quite lovely).
I’m glad I’m not the only one who can’t keep the Ruperts straight. :)
Is it just me or does Mr Aneurin Barnard look a great deal like the historic Henry VII?
It might be amusing to see him play The Tudor after having played the artist formerly known as Gloucester …
Also, while Mr Max Irons is quite handsome in THE WHITE QUEEN, I tend to believe he does his best work in a tuxedo (or similar early-to-mid 20th Century elegance).
Also, whenever I see Mr James Frain one thinks of how much he and Mr Henry Cavill resemble each other: if not enough to be brothers, then certainly enough to be close cousins.
David Oakes he is such a great actor and I hope he will play Nice Guys one day.
But I also like Aneurin Barnard a lot!
David Oakes plays a nice guy in PBS’s Victoria as Prince Albert’s brother Ernest! He’s a bit of a playboy compared to the very moralistic Albert, but definitely a nicer guy than his usual role.
Also in the David Oakes NOT an asshole column, his role on the “Bixby” episode Endeavour.
I really liked the chemistry between the 3 bothers/sons of York. They lay down a good foundation in their portraying their feelings/dealings with eachother (which were being shown in this TV series), to hang the real History of these 3 bothers up on.
During the 30 years, they lived they changed their tunes/allegiances so often: while The War of the Roses dragged on.
Does anyone know if season 2 of Vikings:Valhalla is worth watching? David Oakes’ character (Godwin, father of doomed king Harold Godwinson) was pretty much the only thing that interested me in season 1.
I LOVE the idea of a MEN Candy Monday post!! Yay!!! In my opinion 5 of the 7 guys here are hotties. I’ll be diplomatic and not name names! Thanks for this one!
Gloucester!
Max is beautiful to look at, but doesn’t have one ounce of his daddy’s acting talent.
His mother’s a great actor too! Maybe charisma skips a generation.
I’m not feeling as sorry for you as I did. At least you had a lot of handsome men to look at, even if they were wearing trousers instead of hose, why?
Anthony Rivers was a very inter3sting man who deserves to be fleshed out. Though viciously hated by some he was acknowledged to be a fine knight, a patron of learning and deeply religious. His only crime seems to have been supporting his sister and her husband. Jasper Tudor was Margaret Beaufort’s loyal brother in law and Henry VII’s devoted uncle. There is no reason to believe his feelings towards Margaret went beyond family affection and solidarity.
Team Aneurin here as well.
It’s difficult. I had bad armour in movies. Just look in a museum …
OK, but there is Rupert Graves. Great actor!