Oscar-nominated muse Samantha Morton returns as Catherine de Medici in Starz’s wickedly fun second season ofThe Serpent Queen.But keep your eyes onMinnie Driverthis season, who winds up being the ultimate scene-stealer asElizabeth I of England. She’s so excellent in the role, and enjoyed it so much, that the idea of a stand-alone series or some kind of spin-off is already being discussed. “I can’t even tell you how much I would love it," Driver told MovieWeb, “to get to be with her every day, and that sounds funny, butshe is someone that you could spend a lifetime trying to figure out and enjoying.”
“We’ll see,” quipped executive producer Erwin Stoff about the possibility of aSerpent Queenspin-off.Creator Justin Haythewas quick to note, “There’s a whole lot of story for Queen Elizabeth, and a whole lot for Minnie’s take on Queen Elizabeth.”
The Serpent Queen
Based on the life of Queen Catherine de' Medici of France, The Serpent Queen is a historical period drama created by Justin Haythe. The series follows Catherine’s rise into the monarchy, from her introduction into the French court as a young teenager to her eventual spot as the ruling Queen of France in the 16th century.
Season 1 ofThe Serpent Queentracked Catherine’s frenzied rise to power, going from a mere orphaned commoner in Italy to ruling France as its Queen. She also had a penchant for mysticism and poisoning people, two stellar historical tidbits that were nicely sprinkled into the series. Season 2 delves deeper into Catherine’s relationship with her children, and also exposes the conflicts she faces in fighting to maintain her power.
Enter Driver. As Elizabeth I, the Best Supporting Actress nominee forGood Will Huntingeventually arrives on scene — marvelously done up, uninhibited, and unfiltered. The queen is also a potential match-up for Catherine’s eldest yet suddenly ailing son, King Charles IX (Bill Milner). “I was so far away from me, Minnie [in this role], which is what you want as an actor,” Driver told MovieWeb, “and so convincingly this other person, that it was just the best starting off point to begin filming.”
Minnie Driver’s Take on Queen Elizabeth in The Serpent Queen
How well do you know your royalty? Outspoken and lavish, Elizabeth I was Queen of England and Ireland from 1558 until her death in 1603. She’s known as being the very last monarch of the House of Tudor and, perhaps most interesting to history and drama buffs, the only surviving child of Henry VIII and his plagued second wife, Anne Boleyn — one of two wives that Henry beheaded. Of becoming Elizabeth I, Driver said:
“A huge amount of the heavy lifting had already been done for me — the hair and the makeup, the wigs, the makeup, the clothes. They did so much of the work creating this character, because you cannot wear all of that and not look at yourself in the mirror and [see] you are so altered…Every day I got to actually see her [Elizabeth] appear in front of me and there would just be a moment of sort of settling into the queen. She met me every day.”
Related:The Serpent Queen Season 2 Review: A Royal Treasure Gets Even Better
Two Queens Go Crown to Crown
Expect plenty of queen-on-queen drama in Season 2. There’s also a third “queen” to contend with: Edith (Isobel Jesper Jones ofThe Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes),a commoner who emerges as a genuine threat to Catherine’s rule. Catherine is eager to establish a political alliance with England. Elizabeth seems fine with it at first, but our Serpent Queen quickly realizes that she has met her match in this equally cunning and devious monarch. When asked about what it was like working alongside Morton and Jesper Jones, Driver said:
[It was] brilliant to have two exceptionally strong women who are still interested in being actors at this point in their careers, to be in really well-written scenes, scenes where there are stakes and where the power seems to be shifting, and nobody knows exactly what’s going on, and lots is implied. It was colorful and powerful, and it was a treat.
Related:How Starz is Leading the Way With Historical TV Dramas
On the other side of the camera, creator/showrunner Justin Haythe told us, “I’d had a whole season to work with Samantha…there’s no end to her talent. And when you work with an actor for a season… you know who you’re writing, you know her rhythms, and they start to influence me. Then you bring this entirely new energy in… that’s going to up your game.” Haythe continued:
“And Minnie just delivered that in spades. I mean, when you cast somebody to play an iconic character like Queen Elizabeth, we all have an idea of her, there’s been great performances, you have to bring something new.Minnie brings something deeply modern and unique. Suddenly to put those two people in the same room, it was just…. you need to stand back and watch.”
You can do just that by watchingThe Serpent Queenon Starz, with new episodes weekly. Stream it through the link below:
