''Wolf Hall'' is a British television series adaptation of two of

Hilary Mantel Dame Hilary Mary Mantel ( ; born Thompson; 6 July 1952 – 22 September 2022) was a British writer whose work includes historical fiction, personal memoirs and short stories. Her first published novel, ''Every Day Is Mother's Day'', was releas ...

's novels, ''

Wolf Hall ''Wolf Hall'' is a 2009 historical novel by English author Hilary Mantel, published by Fourth Estate, named after the Seymour family's seat of Wolfhall, or Wulfhall, in Wiltshire. Set in the period from 1500 to 1535, ''Wolf Hall'' is a sym ...

'' and ''

Bring Up the Bodies ''Bring Up the Bodies'' is an historical novel by Hilary Mantel, sequel to the award-winning ''Wolf Hall'' (2009), and part of a trilogy charting the rise and fall of Thomas Cromwell, the powerful minister in the court of King Henry VIII. It won ...

'', a fictionalised biography documenting the life of

Thomas Cromwell Thomas Cromwell (; – 28 July 1540) was an English statesman and lawyer who served as List of English chief ministers, chief minister to King Henry VIII from 1534 to 1540, when he was beheaded on orders of the king, who later blamed false cha ...

. The six-part first series was initially broadcast on

BBC Two BBC Two is a British free-to-air Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's second flagship channel, and it covers a wide range of subject matte ...

in January 2015. It documented the rapid rise to power of Thomas Cromwell in the court of

Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is known for his Wives of Henry VIII, six marriages and his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. ...

, through the death of Sir

Thomas More Sir Thomas More (7 February 1478 – 6 July 1535), venerated in the Catholic Church as Saint Thomas More, was an English lawyer, judge, social philosopher, author, statesman, theologian, and noted Renaissance humanist. He also served Henry VII ...

, to Cromwell's success in freeing the king of his marriage to

Anne Boleyn Anne Boleyn (; 1501 or 1507 – 19 May 1536) was List of English royal consorts, Queen of England from 1533 to 1536, as the Wives of Henry VIII, second wife of King Henry VIII. The circumstances of her marriage and execution, by beheading ...

. It was first broadcast abroad in April 2015 in the United States on

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...

and in Australia on

BBC First BBC First is an entertainment subscription television channel featuring comedy, crime, drama and film programming, originating from UK and mostly from the BBC. The channel is wholly owned and operated by BBC Studios. The channel began rolling ...

. The first series was a critical success and received eight nominations at the

67th Primetime Emmy Awards The 67th Primetime Emmy Awards honored the best in US prime time television programming from June 1, 2014, until May 31, 2015, as chosen by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. The ceremony was held on Sunday, September 20, 2015, at the Mi ...

and three nominations at the

73rd Golden Globe Awards The 73rd Golden Globe Awards honored the best in 2015 in film, film and 2015 in American television, American television of 2015. It was broadcast live on January 10, 2016, from The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California beginning at 5:00&n ...

, winning for Best Miniseries or Television Film. The second series, adapted from ''

The Mirror & the Light ''The Mirror & the Light'' is a 2020 historical novel by English writer Hilary Mantel and the final novel published in her lifetime, appearing two and a half years before her death. Following ''Wolf Hall'' (2009) and '' Bring Up the Bodies'' (201 ...

'', the final novel in the trilogy, featured

Mark Rylance Sir David Mark Rylance Waters (; born 18 January 1960) is an English actor, playwright and theatre director. He is known for his roles on stage and screen, having received numerous awards including an Academy Award, three BAFTA Awards, two Oliv ...

, director

Peter Kosminsky Peter Kosminsky (born 21 April 1956) is a British writer, director and producer. He has directed Hollywood movies such as '' White Oleander'' and television films like ''Warriors'', ''The Government Inspector'', '' The Promise'', ''Wolf Hall'' a ...

, and writer

Peter Straughan Peter Straughan (born 1968) is a British playwright, screenwriter and author. He won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for ''Conclave'' (2024), and was previously nominated in the category for '' Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy'' (2011). ...

returning; it was filmed between November 2023 and April 2024 and was first broadcast on 10 November 2024.

Plot

The series centres on the character of

, a lawyer who has risen from humble beginnings. The action in Series 1 opens at a point in Cromwell's career where his master, Cardinal

Thomas Wolsey Thomas Wolsey ( ; – 29 November 1530) was an English statesman and Catholic cardinal (catholic), cardinal. When Henry VIII became King of England in 1509, Wolsey became the king's Lord High Almoner, almoner. Wolsey's affairs prospered and ...

, is about to fall from power because of his failure to secure a marriage annulment for King

Henry VIII of England Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is known for his Wives of Henry VIII, six marriages and his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. ...

. It proceeds through Cromwell's own rise to political power, and ends with the execution of

. Series 2 picks up after Anne's execution, following Cromwell's continued rise and Henry's marriage to his third and fourth queens,

Jane Seymour Jane Seymour (; 24 October 1537) was Queen of England as the third wife of King Henry VIII from their marriage on 30 May 1536 until her death the next year. She became queen following the execution of Henry's second wife, Anne Boleyn, who was ...

and

Anne of Cleves Anne of Cleves (; 28 June or 22 September 1515 – 16 July 1557) was List of English royal consorts, Queen of England from 6 January to 12 July 1540 as the Wives of Henry VIII, fourth wife of Henry VIII. Little is known about Anne before 1527, ...

, the latter of which will ultimately lead to Cromwell’s fall from power and execution.

Cast

Principal

Damian Lewis Damian Watcyn Lewis (born 11 February 1971) is a British actor, musician and producer. He rose to prominence portraying U.S. Army Major Richard Winters in the HBO miniseries ''Band of Brothers (miniseries), Band of Brothers''. Lewis won a Prime ...

Claire Foy Claire Elizabeth Foy (born 16 April 1984) is a British actress. She is best known for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II in the Netflix drama series ''The Crown (TV series), The Crown'' (2016–2023), for which List of awards and nominations r ...

Bernard Hill Bernard Hill (17 December 1944 – 5 May 2024) was an English actor. He was known for his versatile roles in both television and film, and his career spanned over fifty years. Hill first gained prominence as the troubled hard man Yosser Hughes ...

^{'' eries 1'} and

Timothy Spall Timothy Leonard Spall ( ; born 27 February 1957) is an English actor. He gained recognition for his character actor roles on stage and screen. In 2000, he was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by Queen Elizabeth II. S ...

^{'' eries 2'} as

Duke of Norfolk Duke of Norfolk is a title in the peerage of England. The premier non-royal peer, the Duke of Norfolk is additionally the premier duke and earl in the English peerage. The seat of the Duke of Norfolk is Arundel Castle in Sussex, although the t ...

Anton Lesser Anton Lesser (born 14 February 1952) is a British actor. He is known for his roles as Qyburn in the HBO series ''Game of Thrones'', Harold Macmillan in ''The Crown'', Clement Attlee in '' A United Kingdom'', Chief Superintendent Bright in '' E ...

Mark Gatiss Mark Gatiss (; born 17 October 1966) is an English actor, comedian, screenwriter, director, producer and novelist. Best known for his acting work on stage and screen as well as for co-creating television shows with Steven Moffat, he has received ...

^{'' eries 1'} and

Alex Jennings Alex Michael Jennings (born 10 May 1957) is an English actor of the stage and screen who has worked extensively with the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal National Theatre. For his work on the London stage, Jennings has received three O ...

^{'' eries 2'} as

Stephen Gardiner Stephen Gardiner (27 July 1483 – 12 November 1555) was an English Catholic bishop and politician during the English Reformation period who served as Lord Chancellor during the reign of Queen Mary I. Early life Gardiner was born in Bury St Ed ...

Mathieu Amalric Mathieu Amalric (; born 25 October 1965) is a French actor and filmmaker. He has won several César Awards and the Lumière Awards. He is best known internationally for his roles in the James Bond film '' Quantum of Solace'', in which he pla ...

^{'' eries 1'} and Karim Kadjar^{'' eries 2'} as Eustache Chapuys *

Joanne Whalley Joanne Whalley (born 25 August 1961) is an English film and television actress. She was credited as Joanne Whalley-Kilmer from 1988 to 1996 during her marriage to Val Kilmer. Whalley came to fame through television with appearances in drama se ...

Katherine of Aragon Catherine of Aragon (also spelt as Katherine, historical Spanish: , now: ; 16 December 1485 – 7 January 1536) was Queen of England as the first wife of King Henry VIII from their marriage on 11 June 1509 until its annulment on 23 May ...

* Lilit Lesser as Princess Mary *

Jonathan Pryce Sir Jonathan Pryce (born John Price; 1 June 1947) is a Welsh actor. He is known for his performances on stage and in film and television. He has received numerous awards, including two Tony Awards and two Laurence Olivier Awards as well as nom ...

Cardinal Wolsey Thomas Wolsey ( ; – 29 November 1530) was an English statesman and Catholic cardinal. When Henry VIII became King of England in 1509, Wolsey became the king's almoner. Wolsey's affairs prospered and by 1514 he had become the controlling f ...

Thomas Brodie-Sangster Thomas Brodie-Sangster (born 16 May 1990) is an English actor. As a child actor, he gained recognition for his roles in the commercially successful films ''Love Actually'' (2003) and ''Nanny McPhee'' (2005). He voiced Ferb Fletcher, Ferb in the ...

Ralph Sadler Sir Ralph Sadler or Sadleir PC, Knight banneret (1507 – 30 March 1587) was an English statesman, who served Henry VIII as Privy Councillor, Secretary of State and ambassador to Scotland. Sadler went on to serve Edward VI. Having signed the ...

Tom Holland Thomas Stanley Holland (born 1 June 1996) is an English actor. The recipient of numerous accolades, including a BAFTA Award, he featured on the ''Forbes'' 30 Under 30 Europe list of 2019. Some publications have called him one of the most ...

^{'' eries 1'} and Charlie Rowe^{'' eries 2'} as Gregory Cromwell *

Harry Lloyd Harry Charles Salusbury Lloyd (born 17 November 1983) is an English actor. His performance in the Channel 4 miniseries '' The Fear'' (2012) earned him a British Academy Television Award nomination. He gained prominence through his roles as W ...

as Harry Percy * Jessica Raine^{'' eries 1'} and Lydia Leonard^{'' eries 2'} as Jane Rochford *

Saskia Reeves Saskia Reeves (born 16 August 1961) is a British actress, known for her roles in films including '' Close My Eyes'' (1991) , ''I.D.'' (1995), and '' Our Kind of Traitor'' (2016), in the 2000 miniseries '' Frank Herbert's Dune'', and in TV seri ...

as Johane Williamson * Charity Wakefield as

Mary Boleyn Mary Boleyn, also known as Lady Mary, (Antonia Fraser, ''The Wives of Henry VIII'' (Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1992), p. 119 – 19 or 30 July 1543) was the sister of List of English royal consorts, English queen consort Anne Boleyn, whose fami ...

Supporting

Richard Dillane Richard Dillane (born 1964) is an English actor. He appears in ''Soldier Soldier'' (1995), ''Cold Feet'' (2000), ''Space Race'' (2005), '' Tristan & Isolde'' (2006), '' Spooks'' (2007), ''Casualty'' (2008-2009), ''Oranges and Sunshine'' (2010), ' ...

Duke of Suffolk Duke of Suffolk is a title that has been created three times in the peerage of England. The dukedom was first created for William de la Pole, who had already been elevated to the ranks of earl and marquess, and was a powerful figure under Henr ...

David Robb David Robb (born 23 August 1947) is a Scottish actor. Early life Robb was born in Wandsworth, London, the son of David Robb and Elsie Tilley. He grew up in Edinburgh and was educated there at the Royal High School, where he played Henry II i ...

as Sir Thomas Boleyn * Edward Holcroft as George Rochford * Joss Porter as

Richard Cromwell Richard Cromwell (4 October 162612 July 1712) was an English statesman who served as Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland from 1658 to 1659. He was the son of Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell. Following his father ...

Jonathan Aris Jonathan Aris is an English actor who has appeared in films, television, and theatre. He is known for his roles as the irascible policeman Anderson in the BBC series '' Sherlock'', the angelic quartermaster in the Amazon Prime series '' Good O ...

James Bainham James Bainham (died 30 April 1532) was an English lawyer and Protestant reformer who was burned as a heretic in 1532. Life According to John Foxe he was a son of Sir Alexander Bainham, who was sheriff of Gloucestershire in 1497, 1501, and 1516; ...

Natasha Little Natasha Emma Little (born 2 October 1969) is an English actress. She is best known for her roles as Edith Thompson in the film '' Another Life'', Lady Caroline Langbourne in the BBC miniseries '' The Night Manager'', and Christina Moxam in the B ...

as Liz Cromwell * Will Keen as

Thomas Cranmer Thomas Cranmer (2 July 1489 – 21 March 1556) was a theologian, leader of the English Reformation and Archbishop of Canterbury during the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI and, for a short time, Mary I. He is honoured as a Oxford Martyrs, martyr ...

* Tim Steed as Lord Chancellor Audley *

Ed Speleers Edward John Speleers (born 7 April 1988) is an English actor. He is best known for playing the Eragon (character), title role in the 2006 film ''Eragon (film), Eragon'', antagonist Stephen Bonnet in the TV series ''Outlander (TV series), Outlande ...

^{'' eries 1'} and

Will Tudor William James Sibree Tudor (born 11 April 1987) is an English actor, known for his role as Olyvar in the HBO series ''Game of Thrones'' from 2013 to 2015. He has also appeared in the miniseries ''The Red Tent (miniseries), The Red Tent'', and t ...

^{'' eries 2'} as Edward Seymour *

Kate Phillips Kate Phillips (born 21 May 1989) is a British actress. She became known for her role as Jane Seymour in the miniseries ''Wolf Hall'' (2015). She subsequently appeared in the miniseries '' War & Peace'' (2016), the first season of the television ...

Paul Ritter Simon Paul Adams (20 December 1966 – 5 April 2021), known professionally as Paul Ritter, was an English actor. He had roles in films including ''Son of Rambow'' (2007), ''Quantum of Solace'' (2008), ''Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (f ...

as Sir John Seymour *

Enzo Cilenti Vincenzo Leonardo "Enzo" Cilenti (born 8 August 1974) is a British actor. Film credits include '' Wonderland'' (1999), ''24 Hour Party People'' (2002), '' Millions'' (2004), ''Guardians of the Galaxy'' (2014), '' The Theory of Everything'' (201 ...

as Antonio Bonvisi * Luke Roberts as Harry Norris *

Alastair Mackenzie Alastair John Mackenzie (born 8 February 1970) is a Scottish actor and writer. Early life Alastair Mackenzie was born in Trinafour, near Perth, and educated at Westbourne House School and Glenalmond College in Perthshire. He left home at ...

as William Brereton * Max Fowler as

Mark Smeaton Mark Smeaton ( – 17 May 1536) was a musician at the court of Henry VIII of England, in the household of Queen Anne Boleyn. Smeaton – together with the Queen's brother George Boleyn, Viscount Rochford; Henry Norris, Francis Weston, and Wi ...

Robert Wilfort Robert Kenneth Wilfort (born 20 April 1977) is a Welsh actor from Porthcawl, who has made many appearances on British television and film. He is best known for his role as Jason West in BBC's ''Gavin & Stacey''. His other television appearance ...

as George Cavendish *

Aimee-Ffion Edwards Aimee-Ffion Edwards (born 1986 or 1987) is a Welsh actress. She is best known for her television roles as Sketch in '' Skins'', Esme Shelby in ''Peaky Blinders'', Sophie in '' Detectorists'', Abi in '' Loaded'', and Shirley Dander in '' Slow H ...

Elizabeth Barton Elizabeth Barton (1506 – 20 April 1534), known as "The Nun of Kent", "The Holy Maid of London", "The Holy Maid of Kent" and later "The Mad Maid of Kent", was an English Catholic nun. She was executed as a result of her prophecies against the ...

Felix Scott Felix Scott is a British actor who played the role of Charlie Thomas in the BBC Radio 4 soap ''The Archers'' from 2014 to 2016.BBC Radio 4 - The Archers -Charlie Thomas, 5 December 2014 He has also appeared in the television series ''Holby Cit ...

Francis Bryan Sir Francis Bryan (June 1490 – 2 February 1550) was an English courtier and diplomat during the reign of Henry VIII. He was Chief Gentleman of the Privy chamber and Lord Justice of Ireland. Unlike many of his contemporaries, Bryan always reta ...

* Jacob Fortune-Lloyd as

Francis Weston Sir Francis Weston (1511 – 17 May 1536) was a gentleman of the Privy Chamber at the court of King Henry VIII of England. He became a friend of the king but was later accused of high treason and adultery with Anne Boleyn, the king's second wi ...

Bryan Dick Bryan Dick (born 1 February 1978Birthdayday (from Twitter)) is a British television, stage and film actor from Carlisle, England. He is perhaps best known for playing Ernie Wise in the BBC's BAFTA-winning biopic of Morecambe and Wise, '' Eric ...

^{'' eries 1'} and Tom Mothersdale^{'' eries 2'} as

Richard Rich Richard Rich, 1st Baron Rich (July 1496 – 12 June 1567), was Lord Chancellor during King Edward VI of England's reign, from 1547 until January 1552. He was the founder of Felsted School with its associated almshouses in Essex in 1564. He was ...

* Lucy Russell as Lady Shelton *

James Larkin James Larkin (28 January 1874 – 30 January 1947), sometimes known as Jim Larkin or Big Jim, was an Irish republicanism, Irish republican, socialist and trade union leader. He was one of the founders of the Irish Labour Party (Ireland), Labou ...

as Master Treasurer FitzWilliam * Joel MacCormack^{'' eries 1'} and Harry Melling^{'' eries 2'} as

Thomas Wriothesley Sir Thomas Wriothesley ( ; died 24 November 1534) was a long serving officer of arms at the College of Arms in London. He was the son of Garter King of Arms, John Writhe, and he succeeded his father in this office. Personal life Wriothesley ...

* Thomas Arnold as

Hans Holbein the Younger Hans Holbein the Younger ( , ; ; – between 7 October and 29 November 1543) was a German-Swiss painter and printmaker who worked in a Northern Renaissance style, and is considered one of the greatest portraitists of the 16th century. He ...

Richard Durden Mark Richard Durden-Smith (born 8 February 1944), known as Richard Durden, is an English actor, with a range of television, film and stage credits. Personal life Durden-Smith was educated at Haileybury and Imperial Service College and Merton Co ...

as Bishop Fisher * Sarah Crowden as Lady Exeter *

Janet Henfrey Janet Ethne Anne Henfrey (born 16 August 1935) is a British stage and television actress whose career has spanned over 50 years. A familiar face on stage and screen since the 1960s starring in a variety of British Television favourites. She is ...

^{'' eries 1'} and

Harriet Walter Dame Harriet Mary Walter is an English actress. She has received an Olivier Award and nominations for a Tony Award, five Emmy Awards, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. In 2011, Walter was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British E ...

^{'' eries 2'} as Lady Margaret Pole * Nigel Cooke as Sir Nicholas Carew *

Benjamin Whitrow Benjamin John Whitrow (17 February 1937 – 28 September 2017) was a British actor. He was nominated for the BAFTA TV Award for Best Actor for his role as Mr Bennet in the 1995 BBC version of ''Pride and Prejudice'', and voiced the role of Fowle ...

Archbishop Warham William Warham ( – 22 August 1532) was the Archbishop of Canterbury from 1503 to his death in 1532. Early life and education Warham was the son of Robert Warham of Malshanger in Hampshire. He was educated at Winchester College and New Colleg ...

* Hannah Steele as

Mary Shelton Mary Shelton (1510/15 – 1570/71) was one of the contributors to the Devonshire manuscript. Either she or her sister Madge Shelton may have been a mistress of Henry VIII of England, King Henry VIII. Family Both Margaret and Mary were daught ...

* Paul Clayton as

William Kingston Sir William Kingston, KG ( – 14 September 1540) was an English courtier, soldier and administrator. He was the Constable of the Tower of London during much of the reign of Henry VIII. Among the notable prisoners he was responsible for was ...

Kerry Ingram Kerry Danielle Ingram (born 26 May 1999) is an English actress, known for her roles as Shireen Baratheon in the HBO series ''Game of Thrones'' and Rebecca Sidebottom in the Netflix series ''Free Rein''. Career Before being cast in ''Matilda'' ...

as Alice Williamson * Emma Hiddleston as Meg More * Florence Bell as Helen Barre * Iain Batchelor as Thomas Seymour * Emilia Jones as Anne Cromwell * Athena Droutis as Grace Cromwell

Production

On 23 August 2012, BBC Two announced several new commissions, one of which was ''Wolf Hall''. According to ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

'' £7 million was to be spent on the adaptation. BBC Two controller

Janice Hadlow Janice Vivienne Hadlow (born November 1957 in Lewisham) is a former BBC television executive. She was the controller of the BBC television channel BBC Two, taking over this position in November 2008 having previously been controller of BBC Four. At ...

said it was "very fortunate to have the rights" to the two novels and called ''Wolf Hall'' "a great contemporary novel".

, the director of the series, said: "This is a first for me. But it is an intensely political piece. It is about the politics of despotism, and how you function around an absolute ruler. I have a sense that Hilary Mantel wanted that immediacy. ... When I saw Peter Straughan's script, only a first draft, I couldn't believe what I was reading. It was the best draft I had ever seen. He had managed to distil 1,000 pages of the novels into six hours, using prose so sensitively. He's a theatre writer by trade." The drama series features 102 characters and Kosminsky began casting the other parts in October 2013. Although originally set to film in Belgium, most of the filming took place on location at some of the finest British medieval and Tudor houses and buildings, including

Berkeley Castle Berkeley Castle ( ; historically sometimes spelled as ''Berkley Castle'' or ''Barkley Castle'') is a castle in the town of Berkeley, Gloucestershire, England. The castle's origins date back to the 11th century, being designated by English ...

Gloucester Cathedral Gloucester Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of St Peter and the Holy and Indivisible Trinity and formerly St Peter's Abbey, in Gloucester, England, stands in the north of the city near the River Severn. It originated with the establishme ...

and Horton Court in Gloucestershire,

Dover Castle Dover Castle is a medieval castle in Dover, Kent, England and is Grade I listed. It was founded in the 11th century and has been described as the "Key to England" due to its defensive significance throughout history. Some writers say it is the ...

and

Penshurst Place Penshurst Place is a historic building near Penshurst, Kent, south east of London, England. It is the ancestral home of the Sidney family, and was the birthplace of the great Elizabethan poets and courtiers, siblings Mary Sidney and Philip ...

in Kent,

Broughton Castle Broughton Castle is a medieval fortified manor house in the village of Broughton, which is about southwest of Banbury in Oxfordshire, England, on the B4035 road (). It is the home of the Fiennes (in full Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes) family, ...

and

Chastleton House Chastleton House () is a Jacobean country house at Chastleton, Oxfordshire, England, close to Moreton-in-Marsh (). It has been owned by the National Trust since 1991 and is a Grade I listed building. History Chastleton House was built betwee ...

in Oxfordshire,

Wells Cathedral Wells Cathedral, formally the , is a Church of England cathedral in Wells, Somerset, England. It is the seat of the bishop of Bath and Wells and the mother church of the diocese of Bath and Wells. There are daily Church of England services in ...

Barrington Court Barrington Court is a Tudor architecture, Tudor manor house begun around 1538 and completed in the late 1550s, with a vernacular stable court (1675), situated in Barrington, Somerset, Barrington, near Ilminster, Somerset, England. The house w ...

, Cothay Manor and

Montacute House Montacute House is a late Elizabethan era, Elizabethan mansion in Montacute, South Somerset, England. An example of English architecture created during a period that was moving from the medieval Gothic architecture, Gothic to the more Classica ...

in Somerset,

Stanway House Stanway House is a Jacobean architecture, Jacobean manor house near the village of Stanway, Gloucestershire, Stanway in Gloucestershire, England. The manor of Stanway was owned by Tewkesbury Abbey for 800 years, then for 500 years by the Tracy ...

in Gloucestershire, and

Sherborne School Sherborne School is a full-boarding school for boys aged 13 to 18 located beside Sherborne Abbey in the Dorset town of Sherborne. The school has been in continuous operation on the same site for over 1,300 years. It was founded in 705 AD by Ald ...

in Dorset,

Bristol Cathedral Bristol Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of the Holy and Undivided Trinity, is a Church of England cathedral in the city of Bristol, England. It is the seat of the Bishop of Bristol. The cathedral was originally an abbey dedicated to St ...

in Bristol,

St Donat's Castle St Donat's Castle (), St Donats, Wales, is a medieval castle in the Vale of Glamorgan, about to the west of Cardiff, and about to the west of Llantwit Major. Positioned on cliffs overlooking the Bristol Channel, the site has been occupied s ...

in the Vale of Glamorgan,

Hospital of St Cross The Hospital of St Cross and Almshouse of Noble Poverty is a medieval almshouse in Winchester, Hampshire, England. It has been described as "England's oldest and most perfect almshouse". Most of the buildings and grounds are open to the publ ...

in Hampshire, and

Great Chalfield Manor Great Chalfield Manor is an English country house at Great Chalfield, about northeast of the town of Bradford on Avon in the west of the county of Wiltshire. History Nikolaus Pevsner describes Great Chalfield as "one of the most perfect exa ...

and

Lacock Abbey Lacock Abbey in the village of Lacock, Wiltshire, England, was founded in the early 13th century by Ela, Countess of Salisbury, as a nunnery of the Augustinian order. The abbey remained a nunnery until the Dissolution of the monasteries in ...

in Wiltshire. In all, 28 locations were used, mostly in the south-west of England. The series was filmed from May to July 2014. The series, which was made in association with Masterpiece Entertainment and

Playground Entertainment The Playground, LLC, commonly referred to as Playground Entertainment, is an independent television, film, and theater production company based in New York and London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the Unit ...

, consists of six episodes and was broadcast on BBC Two in the UK from 21 January 2015. ''

'' speculated that the BBC's hiring of Kosminsky with Straughan showed they wanted "a darker and grittier take on British history" than more fanciful programmes such as ''

The Tudors ''The Tudors'' is a historical fiction television series set primarily in 16th-century England, created and written by Michael Hirst and produced for the American premium cable television channel Showtime. The series was a collaboration among ...

'' or '' The White Queen''. Mantel called Straughan's scripts a "miracle of elegant compression and I believe with such a strong team the original material can only be enhanced". Kosminsky determined to undertake much of the interior filming by candlelight; this led some of the actors to collide with the scenery and raised concerns about the risk of fires. ''Wolf Hall'' was filmed in two locations in

Kent Kent is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Essex across the Thames Estuary to the north, the Strait of Dover to the south-east, East Sussex to the south-west, Surrey to the west, and Gr ...

doubled for the Tower of London, and the Long Gallery, Tapestry Room, and Queen Elizabeth Room at

were used as specific rooms in Whitehall (York Place), which was Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII's residence. The Long Gallery doubled as Anne Boleyn's chamber. Some scenes were filmed at

Gloucestershire Gloucestershire ( , ; abbreviated Glos.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by Herefordshire to the north-west, Worcestershire to the north, Warwickshire to the north-east, Oxfordshire ...

. The series' executive producer,

Colin Callender Sir Colin Nigel Callender (born May 1952) is a British television, film and theater producer. He is the former President of HBO Films and Founder/Chairman of Playground Entertainment, a production company based in New York and London. Callend ...

, stated in February 2015 that he hoped that the BBC would commission an extension of the series based on the final novel in Mantel's trilogy, ''

'', which was published in 2020.Ben Dowell
BBC poised to commission Wolf Hall series two
''

Radio Times ''Radio Times'' is a British weekly listings magazine devoted to television and radio programme schedules, with other features such as interviews, film reviews and lifestyle items. Founded in September 1923 by John Reith, then general manage ...

'', (9 February 2015). Retrieved 7 October 2019. Callender said that lead performers Mark Rylance and Damian Lewis were "eager" to return. A second series of ''Wolf Hall'' was confirmed on 27 May 2019, officially announced as '' Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light'', and began filming on 24 November 2023 with Mark Rylance, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Damian Lewis, Jonathan Pryce, Kate Phillips and Lilit Lesser all reprising their roles from the previous series. On 4 April 2024 the BBC announced that filming of the second series had been completed, and revealed details of several roles that had been recast, including

as the Duke of Norfolk (replacing

as Lady Margaret Pole (replacing

), and Harry Melling as Thomas Wriothesley (replacing Joel MacCormack).

Episodes

Series 1 (2015)

Series 2: ''The Mirror and the Light'' (2024)

Reception

Critics have been "almost unanimous" in their praise of the series, with particular reference to the attention to period detail, the faithful adaptation of the source novels, Kosminsky's direction, and the performances of the leading cast members, particularly Rylance as Cromwell and Foy as Boleyn. Review aggregator

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...

gave the show a 98% rating based on 53 reviews with an average rating of 8.4/10. The website's critical consensus states, "Beautifully filmed and brilliantly acted, Wolf Hall masterfully brings Hilary Mantel's award-winning novels to life." Sam Wollaston in ''

'' called it "sumptuous, intelligent, event television." Will Dean in ''

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...

'' felt that it did not compare favourably with the stage adaptation of the book, yet he predicted that it would "secure a devoted following." James Walton in ''

The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a British daily broadsheet conservative newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed in the United Kingdom and internationally. It was found ...

'' gave the first episode five stars out of five, commenting: "it’s hard to see how this one could have been done much better." Mick Adam Noya from the television review show Channel Crossing called Wolf Hall "the best show of 2015". Sophie Gilbert of ''

The Atlantic ''The Atlantic'' is an American magazine and multi-platform publisher based in Washington, D.C. It features articles on politics, foreign affairs, business and the economy, culture and the arts, technology, and science. It was founded in 185 ...

'' wrote, "Magnificent...a tour de force." A few dissenting voices found some flaws. ''

'' alleged that there was a substantial drop in ratings between the first and second episodes, despite all the following episodes holding high and consistent ratings.

Simon Schama Sir Simon Michael Schama ( ; born 13 February 1945) is an English historian and television presenter. He specialises in art history, Dutch history, Jewish history, and French history. He is a professor of history and art history at Columbia Uni ...

stated concerns about how the series depicted historical figures.

Emily Nussbaum Emily Nussbaum (born February 20, 1966) is an American television critic. She served as the television critic for ''The New Yorker'' from 2011 until 2019. In 2016, she won the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism. Early life Nussbaum was born in the ...

of ''

The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. It was founded on February 21, 1925, by Harold Ross and his wife Jane Grant, a reporter for ''The New York T ...

'' cited "small weaknesses", but wrote "the show’s deliberately paced six hours turn out to be riveting, precisely because they are committed, without apology or, often, much explanation, to the esotericism of their subject matter."

The Mirror and the Light ''The Mirror & the Light'' is a 2020 historical novel by English writer Hilary Mantel and the final novel published in her lifetime, appearing two and a half years before her death. Following ''Wolf Hall'' (2009) and ''Bring Up the Bodies'' (2012 ...

also generated controversy over the inclusion of non-white actors, a departure from the first series. Colin Callender, the founder of

, the company that produced the series, addressed the "color-blind" casting issue, saying, "The world has changed since the first series. We felt that diverse casting was appropriate and something we should and wanted to do. It’s as simple as that." However, the choice drew criticism, including from the journalist and author, Petronella Wyatt, a descendant of Thomas Wyatt who was portrayed in the series by a British actor originally from Egypt. Writing in ''The Daily Telegraph'', she called the decision "absurd" and said "to portray English aristocrats as black or mixed-race is, conversely, an act of reverse racism, as it suggests that ethnic minorities in Tudor Britain had the doors of society flung open to them, when in fact they led drear and oppressed lives." The lighting design, which used historically accurate natural light sources (such as candlelight for evening scenes) prompted criticism from viewers who felt parts of the series appeared too dark.

International broadcast

* Australia:

premiered the series on 11 April 2015 and it was watched by 46,000 viewers. * United States:

broadcast the series on ''

Masterpiece A masterpiece, , or ; ; ) is a creation that has been given much critical praise, especially one that is considered the greatest work of a person's career or a work of outstanding creativity, skill, profundity, or workmanship. Historically, ...

'' from 5 April 2015 to 10 May 2015. The series was subsequently licensed to

Amazon Prime Amazon Prime (styled as prime) is a paid subscription service of Amazon which is available in many countries and gives users access to additional services otherwise unavailable or available at a premium to other Amazon customers. Services inclu ...

. * Germany / France:

Arte Arte (, , ; ' ('), sometimes stylised in lowercase or uppercase in its logo) is a European Union, European public service Television channel, channel dedicated to culture. It is made up of three separate companies: the Strasbourg-based Europea ...

broadcast the series on 21 and 28 January 2016.

Accolades

For the

5th Critics' Choice Television Awards The 5th Critics' Choice Television Awards ceremony, presented by the Broadcast Film Critics Association#Broadcast Television Journalists Association, Broadcast Television Journalists Association (BTJA), honored the best in primetime television pro ...

, the series received four nominations: Best Limited Series,

for Best Actor,

for Best Supporting Actor, and

for Best Supporting Actress.

References

External links