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Natalie Dormer: I don’t regret undressing in The Tudors

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Updated on July 6, 2023

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As she transitions from cult supporting parts to her first starring role in a movie, Natalie Dormer has defended the bare moments of her early acting career.

Prior to portraying Cressida in The Hunger Games, the actress first gained notoriety as Anne Boleyn in The Tudors.

She regularly found herself taking her clothes when playing Anne Boleyn alongside Jonathan Rhys Meyers’ Henry VIII.

The Tudors, which has been criticized for being sensual and historically incorrect, gave the actress’ acting career a big boost, but she only accepted the role because she needed the money to pay her bills.

“When I started my career, I was grateful to get the job,” she tells Britain’s ES Magazine. “People would say, ‘The Tudors was so hyper-sexualised, why on earth would you make that decision?’ Well, I made the decision because I was unemployed. I didn’t know what The Tudors was going to be, I didn’t have all 10 scripts; I’d just got a job, for f**k’s sake.”

Because of the popularity of female-fronted movies like The Hunger Games, Natalie is also confident that Hollywood is becoming more inclusive of women: “The money men now know that it’s not going to damage their revenue to have a fully fleshed-out, three-dimensional female in the lead. Like, hello, guys? It doesn’t hurt to write for 50 per cent of the population. But, you know, it’s not just the film industry. It’s a society problem – we just have the platform to talk about it in our industry.”

Dormer faced criticism earlier in 2015 for remarks she made regarding her portrayal as cunning Queen Margaery Tyrell in Game of Thrones. Tyrell makes a push for dominance on the program by courting a youthful King Tommen (aged 12 in the books, but played by 17-year-old Dean Charles Chapman). However, when Dormer was questioned about the incident in an interview, her remarks were egregiously misinterpreted online to indicate that she approved of having s=x with minors. The star clarified that her statements had been misinterpreted in an August statement posted on the website Gossip Con.

“There are several things at play here,” she sighs. “The first point is that the male actors in the show don’t get a lot of flak when they’re raping and murdering, because people understand it’s fantasy, and yet if a female actress has to portray something – which isn’t portrayed explicitly – I get flak, personally.”

And the second? “That everyone in Game Of Thrones, from Emilia Clarke to Sean Bean, is aged up. When I did those scenes I never imagined I was portraying someone going to bed with an underage child.” Dormer was still concerned enough prior to filming to call the show’s creators, David Benioff and DB Weiss, to ensure she wasn’t put in a “compromising position”. Yet, had that age gap been the other way round, would the world have batted an eyelid? Dormer takes the words out of my mouth. “Frequently the age gap between a male actor and his female love interest in movies is 15 years-plus. Frequently,” she emphasises. “And the same comments are not made.”

The Tudors

The Tudors is a historical drama that was broadcast on Showtime from 2007 to 2010. The show focuses on the life of King Henry VIII and his relationships with his wives and mistresses, and it was a popular and critically acclaimed series.

Dormer played the role of Anne Boleyn in The Tudors. Anne Boleyn was the second wife of King Henry VIII, and she is a central figure in the show.

Dormer’s portrayal of Anne Boleyn was praised for its complexity and depth, and for the way that she was able to capture the character’s ambition, intelligence, and strength.

In The Tudors, Anne Boleyn is shown as a savvy and ambitious woman who is determined to become queen. She is intelligent and cunning, and she is not afraid to use her wits and her charm to advance her own interests.

Anne is also shown to be a strong and independent woman who is not afraid to speak her mind and to challenge the men around her.

Despite her ambition and intelligence, Anne is also shown to be a deeply flawed character. She is prone to jealousy and insecurity, and she is often shown to be manipulative and scheming.

She is also shown to be willing to use her body and her sexuality to achieve her goals, and she is not afraid to undress and to seduce the men around her.

Overall, Dormer’s performance as Anne Boleyn in The Tudors was praised for its complexity and depth. She was able to portray Anne as a strong and independent woman who is also deeply flawed and vulnerable.

Dormer’s performance helped to make Anne Boleyn one of the most memorable and compelling characters in the show.

Facts about Anne Boleyn

She was born in 1501 in England and was the daughter of Sir Thomas Boleyn and his wife, Lady Elizabeth Howard.

Anne was well-educated and was fluent in several languages, including French, Italian, and Latin. She was also well-versed in classical literature, music, and dance.

Anne was married twice before she married King Henry VIII. Her first husband was Sir William Carey, and her second husband was Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland.

Anne became the mistress of King Henry VIII in 1526, and he began pursuing her as a potential wife soon after.

Anne was a Protestant and was known for her religious convictions. She was also a patron of the arts, and she was instrumental in bringing the Renaissance to England.

Anne and Henry VIII were married in 1533, but their marriage was not recognized by the Pope because Henry had divorced his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, in order to marry Anne.

Anne and Henry VIII had one daughter, Elizabeth, who later became Queen Elizabeth I.

Anne was accused of adultery, incest, and conspiracy to murder, and she was arrested and imprisoned in the Tower of London in May 1536.

Anne was found guilty of all charges and was sentenced to death by beheading. She was executed on May 19, 1536 at the Tower of London.