Actor Nicholas Galitzine discusses new historical drama series “Mary and George”

British actor Nicholas Galatzine is playing the historical figure George Villiers in a new TV series. Villiers infamously seduced King James I of England in the 17th century, and his rise to power is the inspiration for the new Starz series Mary and George. Actor Julianne Moore plays his calculating mother Mary. Will you show me your wife? I'm sure you have just the girl in mind. I think we aim higher. James dines soon at Apthorpe with his brother-in-law, the Danish king, and a new friend tells me there are openings for cup bears. You want me to hold a man's cup while he swallows? I'll leave the specifics to you, but it's not a man. It's a king. Sir. Wow! Nicholas Galatzine joins us now. Nicholas, thank you very much for being here. This is a steamy series. That is an accurate word to describe it. It's pretty steamy. I liked your introduction there before. It was very apt. It was getting me. It's very watchable. Starz is reliable on that point. This George character that you're playing, a historical figure, a real person, George Villiers, what did you know about him? Nothing. Zero? Nothing at all. And I was blown away to see that most of what we include in the show is true to history. It's astounding. You're essentially weaponized sexually by your mother to accrue power. That's a very fitting way of putting it. She's the original momager. That's what we like to call Mary. She sends this young man off, her second son, due to inherit nothing. She sends him off to France to become a Renaissance man. He comes back with this innate power to seduce and to charm. The king is their target. The Duke of Buckingham, the character that you play, beyond the steaminess of the series, was an incredibly powerful man due to his close relationship with James I of England, also King James VI of Scotland, as you know. Describe who he was beyond the steam. He was a true multi-hyphenate, in a way. He came back from France knowing how to ride, to read, to dance. His ability to charm people and to dominate people, in a way, was truly something to behold. There was a point whereby King James stepped back from his role. He was a very pacifist king. George very much took up that mantle and really cast the whole country into a financial ruin at one point. What did you have to learn through this film that you didn't know before? The only thing I came to the filming process with was horse-riding, luckily. That's kind of the hardest thing to do. Then there was some French-speaking, which I don't speak. And there was some viola da gamba playing, which is basically old-school cello. The hardest thing I've ever had to do is play in front of a room of about 200 people trying not to laugh at me, trying to be very elegant in my playing. I was not, frankly. You wanted to be a rugby player before you became an actor. What was the change? A natural progression, I think you'll agree. I got injured multiple times, concussions, rotator cuff injuries. It's very serendipitous that acting kind of happened a few months after I stopped playing. I don't want to turn people away from this, but I want to talk about your next film as well, because you're just at South by Southwest. In the movie you're in, The Idea of You with Anne Hathaway, you play... She's a little-known actress. I've heard of her. It's ringing some bell. But again, it sounds pretty steamy. You play a younger sexual interest. She's a woman in her 40s. Yeah. I think a wonderful movie about a woman turning 40, rediscovering her sexual identity with this younger man. I think it's a really interesting, unique take on genre. What are you thinking there, Jericho? Let's just say I just turned 40. Jericho's got thoughts. I appreciate that. Based on Harry Styles fan fiction? Yes. I think we like to distance ourselves from that, because I think Hayes is very much his own person. The film that we've made is really unique and original, and stands up very well by itself. Hopefully people will watch. I'll be watching. Nicholas Galatine, thank you very much. Mary and George has got that guy in it. It premieres April 5th on Starz. That's really all you need to know.