Wolf Hall season 2 recasts Call the Midwife star with Gentlemen Jack actress in key role
Jessica Raine is one of several cast members to drop out of the period drama.
Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light brings the celebrated Tudor drama back to our screens – but don't expect to see original star Jessica Raine (The Devil's Hour) in the latest episodes.
The actor is one of several Wolf Hall cast members – including Tom Holland and Bernard Hill – who do not appear in this belated follow-up, with former Gentleman Jack star Lydia Leonard drafted in to replace her.
Raine gave a memorable performance in the first season as Lady Jane Rochford – sister-in-law to Anne Boleyn (Claire Foy) – who was a key player in the catastrophic downfall of the second wife of King Henry VIII (Damian Lewis).
Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light picks up after Boleyn's execution, offering a fictionalised account of the next chapter in the life of the king – and the final years of his right-hand man Thomas Cromwell (Mark Rylance).
Who plays Lady Jane Rochford in Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light?
Lady Jane Rochford is played by Lydia Leonard in Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light.
Fans of period drama may recognise the actor from Sally Wainwright's acclaimed – but prematurely cancelled – Gentleman Jack, where she appeared opposite Suranne Jones.
Interestingly, this is not Leonard's first encounter with Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall saga, having previously played Anne Boleyn in the stage adaptation, Bring Up the Bodies, produced by the Royal Shakespeare Company.
The actor is also known for portraying Cherie Blair in Netflix drama The Crown, plus earlier roles in Ten Percent, Absentia and festive romantic comedy Last Christmas.
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Why was Jessica Raine recast in Wolf Hall?
No official reason has been given for why Jessica Raine does not appear in Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light, but it was most likely down to a scheduling conflict.
The actor, who rose to fame on BBC One's Call the Midwife, is currently starring opposite Peter Capaldi in Prime Video's supernatural thriller The Devil's Hour – which may have kept her too busy to take on Wolf Hall too.
In a recent interview with Radio Times magazine, Raine noted that she tends to avoid being locked into long-running roles due to getting "bored very quickly", so it's also possible that she may have chosen not to return.
Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light premieres on BBC One and iPlayer on Sunday 10th November 2024.
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