Meet the actor behind George Villiers’s love rival, Robert Carr, in Mary & George.
The steamy and ruthless new historical drama series Mary & George is now finally out on Sky Atlantic and NOW.
The series follows the ambitious Mary Villiers (Julianne Moore) as she seeks to bring about the rise of her second son George (Nicholas Galitzine) in the Stuart court.
To do so, George sets out to seduce King James VI of Scotland and I of England (Tony Curran) but must first bring down the King’s favourite, Robert Carr, Earl of Somerset, played by Laurie Davidson.
Ruthless, sensual, and very much hated, the Earl of Somerset is no easy nemesis to defeat.
So, in the meantime, where have you seen the memorable Mary & George star Laurie Davidson before?
Who is Laurie Davidson?
Laurie Davidson is an actor best known for his roles as William Shakespeare in the series Will and as Mr Mistoffelees in the maligned 2019 film adaptation of the musical Cats.
How old is Laurie Davidson?
Laurie Davidson is 31 years old.
He was born on 1 July 1992.
What nationality is Laurie Davidson?
Laurie Davidson is an English actor.
The actor was born in Dulwich, London.
Who was Robert Carr, Earl of Somerset?
Robert Carr, Earl of Somerset was a notable favourite of King James VI of Scotland and I of England.
A minor English court figure, Carr was mentored by Sir Thomas Overbury to bring about his charismatic rise to prominence.
In 1607, at around the age of 20, Carr broke his leg at a tilting match and was tended to by the King and subsequently knighted and taken into his favour.
The King showered Carr in gifts and the influence of Carr reached such a point that he persuaded the King to dissolve Parliament in 1610.
The death of the King’s chief minister Robert Cecil, Earl of Salisbury in 1612 led to factionalism and the rise of the powerful Howard family in the court, and Carr fell under their influence and began an affair with the married Frances Howard, Countess of Essex.
The Howard clan executed the fall of Overbury from influence and trapped him into refusing a political position in Russia and he was arrested for treason and died of natural causes in the Tower of London.
Thanks to Carr, Frances Howard secured an annulment from the King for her marriage to Robert Devereaux, Earl of Essex, resulting in her marriage to Carr and his elevation to Earl of Somerset.
In 1615, the King and Carr fell out and George Villiers supplanted Carr as the King’s favourite.
The final straw for Carr was in 1616 and this was the exposure of the plot to murder Overbury in the Tower by poisoning, leading to four conspirators being hung and both Carr and his wife being arrested and brought to trial. Frances pleaded guilty, but Carr pled his innocence. James himself pushed Carr to plead guilty to avoid any implication in the murder.
Both were found guilty and were held in the Tower until 1622 when they were released. While Frances secured an early pardon, Carr remained stubborn about his innocence and was not pardoned until 1624.
Bar some legal trouble in 163o, Carr remained largely removed from court life, eventually dying in 1645 around the age of 42.
What has Laurie Davidson previously starred in?
After a minor role in the film Vampire Academy and as a journalist in the BBC television film Diana & I, Davidson’s breakout role was as the legendary playwright William Shakespeare in the fictitious historical drama Will.
The series was made by US network TNT but was cancelled after one season of 10 episodes, but it received mixed to positive reviews from critics when it premiered in 2017.
Following this, Davidson starred in the much-anticipated but then critically panned motion capture musical film Cats, released in 2019.
After this, Davidson went on to star in the Paramount+ series Guilty Party opposite Kate Beckinsale, before guest roles in the Netflix fantasy series The Sandman as Mark Brewer and then the Apple TV+ show Masters of the Air as Lt. Herbert Nash.
Also this year, Davidson portrayed the Viking warlord Ingimundr in the film The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die.
Following Mary & George, Davidson will be seen in the Paramount+ comedy series The Road Trip, based on the novel by Beth O’Leary.
The series description reads: “A romantic comedy, Addie (Emma Appleton) is attending a wedding in Spain with her sister Deb (Isabella Laughland), but is forced to car-share with her ex, Dylan (Davidson) and his best friend Marcus (David Jonsson), as well as a total stranger (Angus Imrie).”
What has Laurie Davidson said about Mary & George?
Speaking about why he wanted to join Mary & George, Davidson revealed: “A lot of historical dramas feel quite dusty, and this felt, bar the odd line or, obviously, the setting, very modern. It feels like an emotional, character-driven drama, comedy, whatever you want to call it, as opposed to some stuff which seems more like a historical re-enactment – that’s unfair, I’m being very mean.
“I think Mary & George is more of a psychodrama than just a typical historical drama. We already know the facts and the dates and the history but we’re giving the motivations, what drives these characters to go after what they go after.”
Is Laurie Davidson on Instagram?
There is no verified account attributed to Laurie Davidson on Instagram.
Is Laurie Davidson on X, formerly known as Twitter?
There is no verified account attributed to Laurie Davidson on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Read More:
- Meet the cast of Mary & George on Sky
- Mary & George goes to places that Bridgerton wouldn’t dare
- Nicholas Galitzine opens up on “exciting” representation in Mary & George
Mary & George is available on Sky Atlantic and NOW from Tuesday 5th March. Find Sky deals here.
Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what’s on.
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