Five stars who brought a legendary king to life 

Five stars who brought a legendary king to life

A big personality, a big challenge for an actor – there have been many screen versions of Henry VIII but which is your favourite?

We’ve only had the briefest glimpse of the TV version of Wolf Hall that will hit our screens this January as trailers for the BBC show begin but already excitement over the show is mounting. Mark Rylance plays Thomas Cromwell and is seen in parts of these teasers in tense exchanges with the man who would make and break him – Henry VIII, brought to life in this production by Damian Lewis.

It is a plum of a royal role – after all, which actor could resist the chance to play a man who changed history? As we get ready for a new version of Henry to hit our screens, here’s a look back at five men who have given us famous portrayals of the most famous King of England. Here’s how the Henrys line up for a right royal curtain call.

It might be over eighty years old but this portrayal of Henry VIII remains among the most famous ever to hit the screen. Charles Laughton played the much married monarch in a comedy -yes, a comedy – about Henry’s life after the execution of Anne Boleyn in a film that became an instant classic on its release in 1933.

The Private Life of Henry VIII became the first British movie nominated for a Best Picture Oscar and won Charles Laughton an Academy Award as Best Actor. He went on to play Henry again in the 1953 film Young Bess but his first portrayal remains one of the most famous in film history.

Henry hit the Oscars again when Welsh superstar Richard Burton took on the role in the 1969 movie ‘Anne of the Thousand Days’.  He was nominated for the Best Actor Academy Award for his portrayal of the most famous and feared man of the Tudor dynasty in the widely acclaimed movie.

The film is based on a play by Maxwell Anderson which tells the story of Anne Boleyn. It picks up her tale in 1536 just after she has been found guilty of adultery and treason and shows the relationship and marriage between her and Henry in flashback. Richard Burton was also nominated for a Golden Globe for this portrayal of Henry.

For many British TV viewers of a certain age, there’s just one name that springs to mind when actors and Henry VIII are mentioned – Keith Michell. The Australian star took on the role in 1970 for a hugely popular series of television plays, The Six Wives of Henry VIII.

Each episode featured the story of one of the king’s wives but while six actresses took starring royal roles in the different plays, the king remained the same. Keith Michell’s portrayal took Henry through the most famous part of his reign. He won an Emmy and a Best Actor BAFTA for his role.

Meanwhile, for many TV viewers of the 21st century Henry VIII looks very much like actor Jonathan Rhys Meyers. The Irish star totally changed the way the king of legend was shown on screen. We’d had passionate Henrys before but this version was smouldering, sultry and all about being sexy.

Jonathan Rhys Meyers played the king in all four seasons of The Tudors which followed the epic reign of Henry VIII and which ran from 2007 until 2010. The first two series focused on his relationship with Anne Boleyn but the later parts called on the actor, then in his early thirties, to turn into an ageing villain. He was duly rewarded with a Golden Globe nomination.

One of the most famous, lasting and critically acclaimed films ever made about the events of the reign of Henry VIII is A Man for All Seasons which told the story of Sir Thomas More. And in this legendary piece of cinema the king was played by Robert Shaw.

Based on the play by Robert Bolt, the film was released in 1966 and still regularly makes countdowns of the best movies of all time. The picture won Paul Scofield a Best Actor Oscar as Sir Thomas More but Robert Shaw was also nominated at that year’s Academy Awards in the Best Supporting Actor Category and got a nod as well at the Golden Globes.

There are many Henrys to choose from and in just a few days time we will have another portrayal of Henry VIII to add to this illustrious list as Damian Lewis’ version hits our screens. Everyone has their own favourite and the part is never short of drama while stepping into Henry’s shoes often seems to lead to awards. The Tudor monarch is still a dominant force, five hundred years after taking centre stage himself.

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