Harriet Walter has joined the cast of the BBC and Masterpiece PBS’ Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light, the upcoming series based on Hilary Mantel’s final novel, Deadline reports.
Mantel’s book, published in the U.S. in 2020 by Henry Holt, was the third installment in a trilogy that began with Wolf Halland Bring Up the Bodies. The novels told the story of the life and career of Thomas Cromwell, the English statesman and officer of state to King Henry VIII. In 1540, the king ordered Cromwell beheaded.
The first two novels in the trilogy, both Booker Prize winners, were adapted into a limited series, Wolf Hall, for the BBC in 2015. The series won critical acclaim and was nominated for eight Emmy Awards.
Walter, known for her roles in films including Atonement and Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and in television series such as The Crown, Ted Lasso, and Succession, will play Lady Margaret Pole, the noblewoman who was also executed by Henry VIII.
Timothy Spall (Secrets and Lies, Mr. Turner) will also appear in the adaptation as Thomas Howard, Duke of Norfolk. He and Walter join previously announced cast members Mark Rylance and Damian Lewis, reprising their roles as Cromwell and Henry VIII, respectively.
Director Peter Kosminsky said, “Casting director Robert Sterne has done a truly extraordinary job assembling the most stunning cast with which I’ve ever had the privilege to work. Led by Mark Rylance and Damian Lewis, they’ve been drawn by the quality of Hilary Mantel’s writing and Peter Straughan’s adroit adaptation.”
Michael Schaub is a contributing writer.
