Who plays Stephen Gardiner in Wolf Hall and why was Mark Gatiss recast?
The scheming Bishop will feature in The Mirror and The Light.
A dangerous character from the original Wolf Hall returns in The Mirror and The Light – but there's a chance you might not recognise him.
That's because Stephen Gardiner, the Bishop of Winchester, is one of several roles to be recast for the sequel series, with the Duke of Norfolk, Gregory Cromwell and Lady Rochford being other roles that have changed hands.
Doctor Who and Sherlock star Mark Gatiss portrayed Gardiner in the first season, bringing his comic timing to a role that has moments of dark wit as the scheming Bishop attempts to outmanoeuvre Thomas Cromwell (Mark Rylance).
He's up to his old tricks once again in Wolf Hall: The Mirror and The Light, with his sudden return to the king's court posing a serious risk to the once-untouchable Cromwell.
Here's everything you need to know about the new actor playing Gardiner in season 2, and some theories as to why Gatiss could not reprise the role in this belated follow-up.
Who plays Stephen Gardiner in Wolf Hall: The Mirror and The Light?
Alex Jennings plays Bishop Stephen Gardiner in Wolf Hall: The Mirror and The Light.
The actor is known for his work on stage with the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre, while this is certainly not his first screen project related to the British monarchy.
On the contrary, Jennings played Prince Charles in acclaimed 2006 film The Queen, Edward VIII in Netflix's The Crown and Leopold I of Belgium in ITV drama Victoria.
His other credits include A Very English Scandal, This is Going to Hurt, A Very Royal Scandal and Mr Bates vs The Post Office, where he played Conservative MP James Arbuthnot.
Jennings also earned a BAFTA Television Award nomination for his turn in the third season of ITV crime drama Unforgotten.
While certainly a notable recast in the show, Jennings has retained some of the qualities of Gatiss's incarnation of Gardiner, most notably his apparent glee in stirring up arguments and trouble at Cromwell's expense.
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Why was Mark Gatiss recast in Wolf Hall: The Mirror and The Light?
Mark Gatiss could not return as Stephen Gardiner in Wolf Hall: The Mirror and The Light due to a scheduling conflict.
RadioTimes.com understands that, while The Mirror and The Light was filming, Gatiss was appearing on stage as Sir John Gielgud in The Motive and The Cue – a West End production directed by James Bond filmmaker Sam Mendes.
A spokesperson for the actor said that he was "very sad" not to be able to reprise the role of Gardiner in Wolf Hall's second season.
Wolf Hall: The Mirror and The Light airs Sundays on BBC One and iPlayer.
Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Authors
David Craig is the Senior Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest and greatest scripted drama and comedy across television and streaming. Previously, he worked at Starburst Magazine, presented The Winter King Podcast for ITVX and studied Journalism at the University of Sheffield.
