Jodie Turner-Smith to play Anne Boleyn in new Channel 5 drama

By Neil Wilkes, Editor-in-chief | 7h

Jodie Turner-Smith is cast as the lead in a new Channel 5 miniseries about Henry VIII's iconic second wife Anne Boleyn.

Jodie Turner-Smith has been cast in the role of Anne Boleyn for a new Channel 5 drama series.

The 34-year-old, who starred in Queen & Slim and is the wife of Hollywood actor Joshua Jackson, will play Henry VIII's iconic second wife in a new three-part miniseries for the channel.

The as-yet untiled "psychological thriller" will focus on the final few months of Boleyn's life as she looks to avoid execution and safeguard her daughter - the future Queen Elizabeth I.

"It is no secret that I'm a huge Anne Boleyn fan and we know she's a proven success as a subject with factual and film audiences," said Channel 5 head Ben Frow.

"This project re-frames her story as a propulsive psychological thriller, told from a new perspective, with top talent like Jodie Turner-Smith attached.

"It was simply too irresistible to say no to and I'm very excited to see the finished product."

News of the series has drawn some controversy on Twitter, with some users questioning the casting of a black actress to play Boleyn and claiming double standards.

"Anne Boleyn was white," one wrote. "A white person would not be picked to play a well known historical black person, it would be classed as white washing. The same applies the other way around in my opinion."

Another said: "Anne Boleyn - 2nd wife of Henry V111 - both were white. If a white woman was cast to play Rosa Parks there would quite rightly be outrage. Similarly with this casting - it's not acceptable."

The miniseries is expected to air on Channel 5 in 2021.