Mary & George, the sharp drama series that’s already a hit in the UK, premiered in March at The Biltmore in Downtown Los Angeles, and stars Nicholas Galitzine and Tony Curran spoke all about getting to have fun in a deliciously sexy, horny, and messy (in a good way!) period piece.
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The provocative drama stars Galitzine and Curran, alongside Oscar-winner Julianne Moore, and is based on the true story of a mother and son who “schemed, seduced and killed to conquer the Court of England and the bed of King James I.”
The first episode opens with Mary (Moore) bloodily giving birth to her second son, George (Galitzine), then quickly cuts to her stumbling upon his limp body mid-suicide attempt over 20 years later. It’s immediately clear that Mary & George is not afraid to shock audiences.
One of the most titillating parts of the first episode was the sex scenes. One depicts a wild French orgy, while another is a tender (and simultaneously steamy) exploration of George’s sexuality. (And yes, you see Galitzine’s butt.)
“George, he's so fallible in so many ways and so textured,” Galitzine told Out while walking the red carpet at the Mary & George premiere when asked about getting to play a complex queer character like George. “He undergoes this amazing emotional journey and I think who he is as a seductor is part of his power in a way, and that was certainly really fun to play.”
The 29-year-old actor also opened up about the love his LGBTQ+ fanbase has given him recently, especially since he starred in last year's Red, White & Royal Blue alongside Taylor Zakhar Perez, a smash-hit queer romantic comedy (also with royal themes).
“It's so overwhelmingly humbling in a lot of ways,” he said. "I feel very lucky that I've played roles that resonate with people and mean something to people, and if I had to have a remit in this job, it would be to do that. These are wonderfully textured, fun characters to play. George undergoes this massive arc throughout the show. I just feel very taken in and supported," which is lovely.”
During a panel after the screening of the first episode at the premiere, Galitzine also took the time to share why the nudity is so necessary to the plot.
“There's this notion of sex in film and TV as kind of in this hot topic, with actors saying they want less of it,” Galitzine reflected. “In a show like ours, so much is said in these scenes. Sometimes there is a tenderness. But for George Villiers, this was his way of dominating people. This was how he crossed the threshold of power and was able to accrue so much power by seducing this king.”
Galitzine is “extremely proud of the intimacy work. You completely fall into your character and the confidence that they bring, or the yearning they bring in James' case,” and sex is a vital part of that. “I love the work that we did,” he concluded.
On a lighter note, Curran (who plays King James) shared an interaction he recently had with Graham Norton at the Scottish BAFTAs. When the comedian asked him how filming went on set, he shared that “the first three days of shooting, I didn't actually wear a costume. [Norton] went, How so? I said, ‘because I was in a room with six naked men having an orgy,’ and he was like, ‘Oh, that sounds very interesting.’”
After years of begging for a leading queer love story on Netflix’s hit period drama Bridgerton, Mary & George feels like the chaotic bisexual tale we’ve been impatiently waiting for.
Mary & George premieres Friday, April 5 on Starz.
