I am going to look into common traits that actors and actresses that appear in period dramas or costume dramas share. Firstly I will look into actors that has appeared in one film or TV show that has appeared in other films or shows in another or a similar period, and see whether those who star in one of these dramas appears in many. The ones I have chosen are The Tudors, The Virgin Queen and Emma (2009 adaptation). All of these were popular at their time of release.
The Tudors
Jonathan Rhys Meyers – Alexander (Film), The Lion in Winter (TV)
Sam Neill – Merlin (Film), Merlin’s Apprentice (TV), Dean Spanley (Film)
Natalie Dormer – Casanova (Film)
The Virgin Queen
Anne-Marie Duff – The History of Mr. Polly (TV), The Magdalene Sisters (Film)
Emma (2009 adaptation)
Romola Garai – King Lear (TV), Nicholas Nickleby (Film)
Jonny Lee Miller – After Miss Julie (Play), Byron (TV)
Michael Gambon – Amazing Grace (Film), Plunkett & Macleane (Film)
The above shows how main actors and actresses from TV or film in that subject do multiple shows or films, despite some of them being quite young and have a fairly short acting career so far, whereas other actors are considerably older and have been in many different things over their long career. From this, most of the actors and actresses shown have been in at least one film or film specific for television.
On further investigations, male actors within these dramas are usually quite young or old, giving either a wise-type character in the drama, or the butch strongman, the key dominant character is male in most cases i.e. The Tudors, female actresses are made to be shown as usually quite weak and feable, however, occasionally a strong female character will come into the mix and sometimes is the key character into the drama. Getting the right actor or actress to fit common archetypes is pivotal if they are to get everything into place.
