Jonathan Pryce, who played Game of Thrones’ High Sparrow, will now be portraying another head of church: the pope.
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The esteemed actor has just been hired to play the current head of Roman Catholicism, Argentinian Pope Francis (alter ego: Jorge Mario Bergoglio), as he ascends to power in upcoming Netflix feature film The Pope. And the casting couldn’t be more perfect, with meme-makers making a point for years of how similar the two look...
Not only do the High Sparrow and Pope Francis look the same, but Pryce has indicated the two are very similar characters. Speaking previously to RadioTimes.com, he said both leaders were “seen as a man of the people”.
“All the photo opportunities that the Pope took when he took office, almost washing the feet of the poor – which is what the High Sparrow does,” Pryce explained. “He’s there, down with the poor, and feeding them, clothing them, washing them. And giving them spiritual comfort. Very like the Pope.”
But it’s not the only casting to praise the heavens for. Deadline reports that Westworld star Anthony Hopkins is in talks to play Francis’ predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI.
In case you can't tell, Anthony Hopkins is on the left, Pope Benedict is on the right
The film will tell the tale of Pope Benedict’s election, subsequent resignation from the papacy and then Pope Francis’ selection as the new head of the church – the first pope from the Americas and the first from outside Europe since the 8th Century.
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The Pope will be directed by City of God’s Fernando Meirelles and scripted by The Theory of Everything writer Anthony McCarten. Filming will begin in November in Argentina, so we’re praying for a late 2018 release.
Thomas is Digital editor at BBC Science Focus. Writing about everything from cosmology to anthropology, he specialises in the latest psychology, health and neuroscience discoveries. Thomas has a Masters degree (distinction) in Magazine Journalism from the University of Sheffield and has written for Men’s Health, Vice and Radio Times. He has been shortlisted as the New Digital Talent of the Year at the national magazine Professional Publishers Association (PPA) awards. Also working in academia, Thomas has lectured on the topic of journalism to undergraduate and postgraduate students at The University of Sheffield.
