Jodie Turner-Smith to play Anne Boleyn in new series

Jodie Turner-Smith is changing the way viewers will forever see Anne Boleyn. The actor and model has been cast in an upcoming three-part psychological drama revolving around the famous Tudors character, who has previously been played on television by actors like Natalie Dormer (The Tudors) and Claire Foy (Wolf Hall).

The untitled project belongs to U.K. broadcaster Channel 5, and according to Variety, follows the final months of Boleyn’s life from her point of view as she tries to survive and secure a future for her daughter, Elizabeth. It’s a feminist take on an era of history when the patriarchy often made being a female quite frightening. In that regard Boleyn, who had a bad rep, is often considered an early feminist.

In real life Boleyn’s husband, King Henry VIII, had her executed in 1536 on false charges of incest, witchcraft, adultery and conspiracy against the king after she failed to birth a male heir. The pair were married in 1533 after Boleyn refused to become his mistress, and Henry annulled his first marriage to Catherine of Aragon (basically creating an early version of divorce). To put that in context, before his death in 1547, Henry had a total of six wives, and Elizabeth, of course, went on to become one of England’s most famous queens.

So far, the rest of the cast includes Amanda Burton (White House Farm), Paapa Essiedu (I May Destroy You), Thalissa Teixeira (Trigonometry), Barry Ward (Des) and Jamael Westman (Animals). According to the powers-that-be, this tale will challenge all of people’s perceptions about who Boleyn was. And, according to a statement shared with the publication, having Turner-Smith on board to help tell that story will “encapsulate Anne’s determination to be an equal among men and to pave a path for her daughter… We feel that history has sidelined the voice of this ambitious Queen in favour of the men who brought her down,” they added.

That story—at least in the context of motherhood—may feel even more personal for Turner-Smith in 2020, since she too is now a girl mom. The 34-year-old and her husband Joshua Jackson welcomed Janie Jackson this past April.

“I am so excited to join these exciting filmmakers in bringing the story of one of history’s most controversial queens to the screen,” Turner-Smith said. “Delving deeper into Anne Boleyn’s immense strengths while examining her fatal weaknesses and vulnerabilities… The legend of this formidable queen and fierce mother will be seen as a deeply human story that is still so relevant for today. I look forward to bringing my heart and spirit into this daring retelling of the fall of this iconic woman.”