It never ceases to amaze me when an actor is the spitting image of the real person they are selected to play. I do not think a historical portrayal necessarily lives or dies by the performer’s resemblance to the subject, but I think it is something to appreciate, especially when you consider the amount of biopics starring actors who bear absolutely no resemblance to their role. Here are a few notable examples of actors who were clearly hired for their talents above anything else.

Michael Shannon As Elvis Presley (Elvis & Nixon)

The most requested photo in the National Archives depicts Elvis Presley shaking hands with Richard Nixon in the Oval Office, and the events surrounding this historic meeting at the White House are dramatized in 2016's Elvis & Nixon. Kevin Spacey makes for a visually believable depiction of the 37th United States President, but the otherwise wonderfully talented Michael Shannon simply does not cut it as the one many call the King of Rock 'n Roll, even with a decent jumpsuit and wig.

John Wayne As Genghis Khan (The Conqueror)

Oh, boy, where do we begin with this one? The only visual evidence we have of what Genghis Khan looked like is artist renderings, but it does not take an expert to notice that John Wayne was not Asian. Still, the legendary Western movie star was cast as the Mongol chief in 1956's The Conqueror, which has since been regarded as one of the worst films ever made.

Aaron Taylor-Johnson As John Lennon (Nowhere Boy)

Director Sam Taylor-Johnson's 2009 music biopic Nowhere Boy focuses on the pre-Beatles life of John Lennon, as portrayed by Aaron Taylor-Johnson. If you ask me, the Golden Globe-winning actor might have been a better fit to play, perhaps, Paul McCartney or, better yet, George Harrison.

Tom Cruise As Barry Seal (American Made)

If more people knew about Barry Seal and what he looked like, I believe Tom Cruise's portrayal in 2017's American Made would have been criticized as one of the most egregious miscastings in Hollywood history. The otherwise talented movie star did absolutely nothing to alter his appearance and pass for the ill-fated, heavy-set CIA smuggler, save what I regard as an embarrassing Southern accent.

Julia Roberts As Erin Brockovich (Erin Brockovich)

Julia Roberts gives, arguably, the finest performance of her career as a single mother and paralegal who uncovers a small town pollution scandal in Steven Soderbergh's Erin Brockovich from 2000. However, if a resemblance to the person an actor is portraying were part of the Academy's voting criteria, she might not have won the Oscar.

Denzel Washington As Frank Lucas (American Gangster)

Ridley Scott's 2007 biopic American Gangster dramatizes the career of mobster Frank Lucas, played by Denzel Washington, and also stars Chiwetel Ejiofor as Lucas' brother, Huey. Curiously, Ejiofor actually looks a whole lot more like the real Frank than the two-time Oscar winner. However, Washington was a good friend and frequent collaborator of the director's brother, Tony Scott, so he probably had the role in the bag for that, among other reasons.

Johnny Depp As J.M. Barrie (Finding Neverland)

Oddly enough, J.M. Barrie boasted a striking resemblance to another influential author, Edgar Allan Poe, with his tall forehead and small moustache. However, Johnny Depp, who played the Peter Pan author in 2004's Finding Neverland, does not boast a resemblance to either of them, if you ask me.

Hugh Jackman As P.T. Barnum (The Greatest Showman)

Let's not even bother talking about the many historical inaccuracies from The Greatest Showman, 2017's musical retelling of the origins of the circus, and even ignore the fact that P.T. Barnum was not the kindhearted man Hugh Jackman portrayed him as. All that matters to this list is whether or not the Wolverine star looked the part, and the famously attractive Australian actor most definitely was not a match for Barnum in that regard.

Michael Fassbender As Steve Jobs (Steve Jobs)

Michael Fassbender's Oscar-nominated performance in director Danny Boyle and writer Aaron Sorkin's Steve Jobs from 2015 is widely regarded as superior to Ashton Kutcher's portrayal in Jobs from two years earlier. However, at least the former That '70s Show cast member can say he resembled the tech pioneer more closely.

Jesse Eisenberg As Mark Zuckerberg (The Social Network)

Mark Zuckerberg once made a surprise SNL cameo, during which he stood right next to host Jesse Eisenberg on the Studio 8H stage, proving that they are certainly not a visual match. The actor does not even bother to imitate the Facebook founder's distinctly low voice when portraying him in 2010's The Social Network, but his Oscar nomination proves that that is not what really matters in the end.

Tom Hanks As Fred Rogers (A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood)

Casting a universally beloved actor such as Tom Hanks to play a universally beloved children's television personality like Fred Rogers, of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood fame, is brilliant in theory. However, even giving the Oscar winner the icon's signature haircut and sweaters is not quite enough to distract from the fact that you are still unmistakably watching Hanks on screen.

Leonardo DiCaprio As Howard Hughes (The Aviator)

A major inspiration for Marvel's Tony "Iron Man" Stark was Howard Hughes, whose resemblance is actually a striking match for both Robert Downey Jr. and Dominic Cooper, who plays Howard Stark in his early years in the MCU. In fact, I think either one of them would have been a better visual fit for the eccentric millionaire in The Aviator than Leonardo DiCaprio, even if his performance in the 2005 biopic makes it one of his best collaborations with the director, Martin Scorsese.

Warren Beatty And Faye Dunaway As Clyde Barrow And Bonnie Parker (Bonnie And Clyde)

From a performance standpoint, Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway make a great onscreen duo portraying the titular notorious bank robbers in 1967's Bonnie and Clyde. However, the screen legends' casting does not earn the film any points for historical accuracy, considering Beatty does not have Clyde Barrow's jug ears, nor does Dunaway boast Bonnie Parker's sharp, thin face.

Taraji P. Henson As Katherine G. Johnson (Hidden Figures)

Taraji P. Henson gives an undeniably commanding performance in 2016's Hidden Figures as Katherine G. Johnson, a mathematician who was pivotal in helping NASA figure out space travel. Yet, when comparing the Empire star to photos of the real Johnson, it is clear the actor does not resemble her much at all.

Anthony Hopkins As Richard Nixon (Nixon)

Reportedly, Anthony Hopkins had some hesitation about taking on the lead role of Oliver Stone's 1995 biopic about Richard M. Nixon. Ultimately, I would say the Academy Award winner went on to give a great performance in Nixon, but I find myself distracted by his struggle to hide his accent and his obvious fake teeth and hairpiece that really do not help make him look any closer in resemblance to the disgraced U.S. president.

Margot Robbie As Queen Elizabeth I (Mary Queen Of Scots)

Cate Blanchett previously gave an Academy Award-nominated performance as the lead of 1998's Elizabeth, and even bore a strong resemblance to the royal based on artist renderings. I cannot say the same about Margot Robbie, even if the Australian actor's portrayal of Queen Elizabeth I in Mary Queen of Scots was still worthy of praise.

Benedict Cumberbatch As Alan Turing (The Imitation Game)

Benedict Cumberbatch has such a distinct appearance, making it difficult for him to resemble anyone else without heavy alterations. However, nothing was done to make him look any closer to World War II-era computer scientist Alan Turing in The Imitation Game.

Javier Bardem As Desi Arnaz (Being The Ricardos)

Oscar winner Nicole Kidman went above and beyond to physically become Lucille Ball for writer and director Aaron Sorkin's dramatization of what went on behind the scenes of the beloved TV sitcom, I Love Lucy. However, playing her onscreen husband is Oscar winner Javier Bardem, who does not pass for Desi Arnaz in the slightest.

Ray Liotta As Shoeless Joe Jackson (Field Of Dreams)

Technically, Ray Liotta plays the ghost of Shoeless Joe Jackson in Field of Dreams, but even a person's spectral remnant should look something like them. The infamous MLB player had a much narrower face and wider ears, not to mention that he pitched left-handed, while the actor did the opposite in the beloved sports movie.

Beyoncé As Etta James (Cadillac Records)

No one could possibly deny that Beyoncé has the pipes to match Etta James, which had to have been the reason why she was cast in 2008's Cadillac Records. However, the "At Last" singer was short and round-faced, and the former Destiny's Child member is neither.

Dominic West As Prince Charles III (The Crown)

I mean no disrespect to Prince Charles III, but is it just me, or was The Wire star Dominic West just a little too handsome to play the Royal Family member on The Crown? Then again, any one cast member's portrayal on the historical Netflix series might pale in comparison to Elizabeth Debicki's striking resemblance to Princess Diana.

Kane Hodder As Ed Gein (Ed Gein: The Butcher Of Plainfield)

The most famous actor to wear Jason Voorhees' hockey mask in the Friday the 13th films must have seemed like an inspired choice to play one of the most notorious serial killers in history in 2007's Ed Gein: The Butcher of Plainfield. However, the 6'2", broadly built Kane Hodder does not boast Gein's narrower face and small stature.

Clive Owen As Bill Clinton (Impeachment: American Crime Story)

In most cases, prosthetics can be very helpful in making an actor look more similar to the person they are portraying, such as when Charlize Theron became Megyn Kelly for Bombshell. Clive Owen adopted this method to play Bill Clinton on Impeachment: American Crime Story, but the makeup only caused the English actor to resemble the 1990s-era President even less.

Angelina Jolie As Christine Collins (Changeling)

Christine Collins is the subject of Clint Eastwood's 2008 period film, Changeling, which is based on the true story of when her missing son was replaced by an impostor. Had she been an even better-known historical figure, there might have been more criticism over casting Angelina Jolie, an actor known for her voluptuous lips, as the thin-lipped 1920s woman.

Fred Armisen As Barack Obama (Saturday Night Live)

Considering the fact that the otherwise extremely talented SNL star Fred Armisen is a white man with a subpar impersonation of the 44th. U.S. President, I'll just say that I am glad Jay Pharoah eventually took over as Barack Obama.

Tom Hulce As Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Amadeus)

Just based on artist renderings of the seminal composer, Tom Hulce was nowhere near a match to play the title role of director Milos Forman's Best Picture Oscar winner, Amadeus, from 1984. However, the actor is widely admired for his performance as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, which earned him a well-deserved Academy Award nomination.

Robert Redford As Harry Longabaugh (Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid)

I wonder how many others like me had no idea that Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid was based on a true story, which might be how the film was able to get away with casting actors who look nothing like the Western outlaws they play. For instance, Robert Redford's mustache works just fine for the role, but Harry Longabaugh, a.k.a. "The Sundance Kid," did not have long blonde locks.

Diana Ross As Billie Holiday (Lady Sings The Blues)

Most would agree that 1972's Lady Sings the Blues is the superior biopic about the trailblazing "Strange Fruit" singer over The United States vs. Billie Holiday from 2021. However, those same people might also agree that Andra Day was a better fit to play Holiday, physically speaking, than the otherwise wonderfully talented Diana Ross in the earlier film.

Robin Williams As Patch Adams (Patch Adams)

The real Patch Adams hates Tom Shadyac's biopic based on his life, which has nothing to do with the fact that Robin Williams looks nothing like the influential doctor. However, it's still impossible to ignore, especially with how they do not even bother to give the Oscar winner Adams' signature mustache.

Mel Gibson As William Wallace (Braveheart)

In the most well-known illustrations of William Wallace, the Scottish warrior is depicted as having short hair and a beard. Why director Mel Gibson opted against this look when he portrayed Wallace in Braveheart is beyond me.

Serena Scott Thomas As Princess Diana (Diana: Her True Story)

Many actors have portrayed Princess Diana to varying degrees of success, but most consider Serena Scott Thomas from the 1993 two-part miniseries, Diana: Her True Story, to be one of the weakest matches, purely in terms of her physical resemblance.

Zoe Saldaña As Nina Simone (Nina)

The 2016 biopic, Nina, sparked controversy when Zoe Saldaña donned skin-darkening makeup and a prosthetic nose to better resemble singer Nina Simone, which the actor would later admit she regretted.

According to a new report, the latest entry in the 2025 movie schedule is a biopic about The Scorpions. The band was one of the biggest in Europe in the 1980s. Their insane popularity in Europe, especially in their home country of West Germany with huge hits like “Winds Of Change” and “Rock You Like A Hurricane,” was matched all over the world in the late '80s and early '90s. The news has me wondering: will the film touch on a popular conspiracy theory that the CIA was involved in the writing and release of “Winds of Change?”

Dominic West Headlines The Cast Of Winds Of Change

Deadline is reporting that Dominic West, Alexander Dreymon, Ludwig Trepte and Ed Speleers will lead the cast of the biopic, reportedly (and appropriately) called Winds of Change. West will play the German band’s manager, Doc McGhee. Not much else is known about the movie at this point, except that filming is already underway and it could be out later this year.

That leaves a lot of room to speculate about the movie. Certainly it will touch on the band’s huge success in Europe in the 1980s, when they became one of Germany’s biggest bands worldwide. They played a unique role at the tail end of the Cold War as a band from the heart of it, West Germany. According to a podcast titled Winds of Change, they may have even been influential in ending the decades-long standoff between West and East, which has long been a popular setting for movies.

Did The CIA Have Input in “Winds Of Change”

In the podcast, the host, journalist Patrick Radden Keefe, investigates a rumor from within the CIA that the spy agency either wrote the song or gave the band input into the lyrics as a piece of Western propaganda. The lyrics are clear enough,

The Moskva is a river in Moscow that does indeed flow along Gorky Park, a park built in the Soviet era to celebrate all things CCCP. It was a famous park, even in the West, with a movie from 1983 being named after it and protests happening in and around it in the final days of the USSR. The “winds of change” were, of course, the increasing openness in the USSR with the policies of glasnost and perestroika sensing the end of communism in Russia. The song is encouraging more change, more openness and perhaps the collapse of the whole Soviet system.

Including The Conspiracy Could Make A Simple Biopic Into A Cold War Thriller

We’ve seen a lot of great biopics about musicians over the last decade or so, so making Winds Of Change a Cold War spy thriller could really add a fun dynamic. Alas, this might be a long shot. The Deadline article mentions that the band members are involved in the production, and it’s being made with their blessing. Lead singer Klaus Meine, who wrote “Winds Of Change,” has denied that the CIA had anything to do with the song. Still, I want to believe the theory is true, and I really want the movie to be about this.

Either way, this is an exciting addition to the list of upcoming music biopics coming out in the next few months and on the 2026 movie schedule. I’ll be first in line to find out if it’s about a band or a bunch of spies.

Detective Jimmy McNulty (Dominic West) did a lot of stuff to piss off the bosses in The Wire. By far his biggest caper, faking a serial killer in Baltimore to squeeze money out of city hall, became the most divisive storyline of all five seasons of the show. I recently finished up my almost-annual re-watch of the show, available to stream on Max, and it’s time we stopped being so mad at McNulty’s fake serial killer.

It May Be Unrealistic, But What About Hamsterdam?

One of the most common complaints I’ve seen since The Wire wrapped up its final case 17 years ago is that the serial killer plotline is “unrealistic.” McNulty creating the criminal murdering homeless men is not something that could ever happen, the argument goes, and for a show so grounded in reality, it’s too far of a bridge for fans to cross. I honestly understand that argument, but why does it get such scrutiny when other stories don’t?

Take, for example, Hamsterdam. In Season 3, one of the most lauded seasons in the show’s run, Bunny Colven (Robert Wisdom) sets up the “Free Zone,” nicknamed “Hamsterdam” by the corner boys. Colven is tired of fighting the hopeless war on drugs and so he drives all the dealers to a deserted part of town, making life better for “civilians” without the slinging and violence in their neighborhoods. It’s a great idea, but it’s even more unrealistic than McNulty’s serial killer. There's no way an open-air drug market on that scale could exist for a few days, much less weeks like it does on the show.

Season 3 is praised, while Season 5 is derided, yet both have completely unrealistic major storylines. Frankly, both seasons are excellent and among the best TV has ever offered, and neither plot ruins either. Both serve the purpose they intended; Hamsterdam highlighting the fruitless war on drugs, and the serial killer showing the police department is more interested in stats and public relations than actually fighting crime, including providing the money to do so. Sometimes we have to remember that for all its realism, The Wire is not a documentary and it’s meant to entertain as much as it is to inform.

Season 5 Is A Fantastic Finish To The Show

Fans of The Wire know that the show faced trials and tribulations while it was airing. It was never a ratings hit for HBO, and it seemed that after every season, the show’s future was in serious doubt. The fact that the show made it five seasons is a bit of a miracle. We should all be grateful that it did and that it ended as well as it did.

The montage in the finale as McNulty looks over Baltimore is one of the best closing scenes in television history, (and one of McNulty's best moments) wrapping up storylines while it wordlessly highlights that the more things change, the more they stay the same. The corners are still the corners, the schools are the schools, and the police department is the police department. Take a rewatch of Season 5 on Max and tell me it's not better than you remember.

Netflix is known for many of its original shows, from the record-breaking Stranger Things to some of its true crime shows, like Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story. And with its arrival on Netflix this week, we can watch Season 5 of The Crown, about Queen Elizabeth II’s rule, from her younger years into her later ones. 

With this comes a whole new cast to play the famous historical figures. From who is taking over the role of Queen Elizabeth to who will portray Princess Diana, here is where you’ve seen The Crown Season 5 cast before. 

Imelda Staunton (Queen Elizabeth)

First up, we need to talk about Imelda Staunton, who is playing Queen Elizabeth in The Crown Season 5. Staunton is known for plenty of roles, getting her start in the theater and becoming a major name. However, most fans might know her as Dolores Umbridge in the Harry Potter franchise. 

Other than that, she's had many major roles in movies such as Antonia and Jane, Peter’s Friends, Much Ado About Nothing, Sense and Sensibility, Shakespeare in Love, Vera Drake, Another Year, Pride, and more. She also has done voice work for movies like the Christmas film, Arthur Christmas, Chicken Run, and Paddington. 

Jonathan Pryce (Prince Philip)

Jonathan Pryce is taking over the role of Prince Phillip in The Crown Season 5, and he’s done plenty of roles in both movies and television. In terms of TV, one of his most known roles was portraying the High Sparrow in Game of Thrones, but he’s had many other major roles, including in Barbarians at the Gate, Return to Cranford, Wolf Hall, and Taboo. 

He received an Academy Award nomination for his role in The Two Popes. He’s also had major roles in films such as the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, Evita, Tomorrow Never Dies, Glengarry Glen Ross, The Age of Innocence, The New World, and more. 

Elizabeth Debicki (Princess Diana)

Elizabeth Debicki is taking over the role of Princess Diana in The Crown Season 5, earning rave reviews from critics. Debicki has appeared in a variety of films such as the Christopher Nolan 2021 movie, Tenet, The Great Gatsby, Widows, and more. She also portrayed Ayesha in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 - and is set to reprise the role in the third film.

Debicki appeared in the show The Kettering Incident, and in the miniseries, The Night Manager, but The Crown will be her first major TV role in some time.  

Dominic West (Prince Charles)

Next up, we have Dominic West, who is taking over the role of Prince Charles in The Crown Season 5. West has done plenty in television, with one of his most known roles being Jimmy McNulty from the hit HBO show, The Wire, as well as Noah Solloway in The Affair. 

However, West has done plenty in the world of movies as well, appearing in films such as Appropriate Adult, John Carter, Colette, Tomb Raider, the musical film, Chicago, and so many more. 

Jonny Lee Miller (John Major)

Next up, we have Jonny Lee Miller, who portrays John Major in The Crown Season 5. Miller has appeared in several shows before, where he played pivotal characters. He portrayed Sherlock Holmes in Elementary, and played Jordan Chase in the Showtime series, Dexter. Other major show roles were in Emma, Smith, Eli Stone, and Dead Man’s Walk. 

He’s appeared in several films, including Trainspotting, Hackers, Afterglow, The Escapist, Dark Shadows, Settlers, and more. 

Lesley Manville (Princess Margaret)

Taking over the role of Princess Margaret is Lesley Manville in The Crown Season 5, and she has been around for some time and played so many great roles. Some of her most famous have been in Phantom Threat, Another Year, Mr. Turner, both Maleficent movies, Let Him Go, and more. 

She also had a role in the television series, Emmerdale, as well as a part in the television series, Mum. 

Senan West (Prince William)

During the timeframe that The Crown Season 5 is set, Prince William was just starting to come into the public light more, and now, we have a new young actor portraying him in Senan West. The actor is a newcomer to Hollywood, but hopefully after this role, you’ll be seeing a heck of a lot more of him. 

Olivia Williams (Camilla Parker Bowles)

Olivia Williams is taking over the role of Camila Parker Bowles in The Crown Season 5. Some of her most known roles were in The Postman, the M. Night Shyamalan movie, The Sixth Sense, Lucky Break, The Ghost Writer, and 2020’s The Father. 

Williams also had a main role in the television series Dollhouse, and main parts in shows such as Manhattan, Counterpart, and the 2021 series, The Nevers. 

Marcia Warren (The Queen Mother)

In The Crown Season 5, Marcia Warren is taking over as The Queen Mother in The Crown Season 5. Her most famous roles in her long-career have been appearing in Blithe Spirit and The Sea on stage, but she’s been in movies like The Jealous God, Hattie, Don’t Get Me Started, and more. 

With television, she had an appearance on the hit TV show, Sherlock, as well as several appearances on shows such as Don’t Forget the Driver, Vicious, and more. 

Claudia Harrison (Princess Anne)

Claudia Harrison portrays Princess Anne in The Crown Season 5, and her biggest roles thus far in her career were in the shows Murphy’s Law, Humans, Delicious, and more. She’s also had roles in films such as Alone, The Cat’s Meow and the TV film, Murphy’s Law – which the television series was based on. 

James Murray (Prince Andrew)

Portraying Prince Andrew in The Crown Season 5 is James Murray, who has been in several television shows. Some of his biggest roles were in McDonalds & Dodds, Age Before Beauty, Suspects, Cucumber, Chaos, Primeval, North Square, and so many more. 

He’s also appeared in films such as 6 Underground, Phoenix Blue, It’s Alive, and others.  

Natascha McElhone (Penny Knatchbull)

Next up, we have Natascha McElhone, who plays Penny Knatchbull in The Crown Season 5. Earlier in 2022, McElhone was a part of the main Halo cast on Paramount+, but has also been a part of several other TV shows such as Californication, where she portrayed Karen, and in Designated Survivor as First Lady Alex Kirkman. She was also a part of The First, Screen One, Revelations, and many other shows. 

McElhone has also appeared in a variety of films, including Carmen, Believe, The Sea, Romeo and Juliet, Killing Me Softly, Guy X, and more. 

Salim Daw (Mohamed al-Fayed)

Salim Daw portrays Mohamed al-Fayed in The Crown Season 5, and he's been in a variety of both international and American shows. He was a part of The Bureau, Fauda, Tyrant, Prisoners of War, The Promise, and more. He also appeared in movies such as The Flying Camel, The Quarry, and others. 

Khalid Abdalla (Dodi Fayed)

Khalid Abdalla portrays Dodi Fayed in The Crown Season 5, and has been in a variety of movies and shows. Some of his most known roles in film have been in United 93, Green Zone, The Kite Runner, Tigers, and more. He was also a part of Moon Knight on Disney+, and had a main role in the Amazon original series, Hanna. 

Prasanna Puwanarajah (Martin Bashir)

Portraying British journalist Martin Bashir in The Crown Season 5 is Prasanna Puwanarajah. The actor has appeared in films such as Morbius, The Gunman, and – get this – Diana, where he played Martin Bashir before. 

In terms of television, he’s has roles in shows such as Ten Percent, World on Fire, Defending the Guilty, You, Me and the Apocalypse, Silk, Critical, and more. 

Sam Woolf (Prince Edward)

Prince Edward is played by Sam Woolf in Season 5 of The Crown. His role as Prince Edward is his first major role, but he’s had minor appearances in shows such as Humans and Call the Midwife. He also appeared in the film, The Winter’s Tale. 

Andrew Steele (Andrew Morton)

Andrew Steele plays Andrew Morton in The Crown Season 5, and has appeared in a variety of shows. He had a small role in the popular Starz series, Outlander, and appeared in minor guest roles in The Royals, PhoneShope, Doctors, and more. He also portrayed Elliot on Free Rein. 

Humayun Saeed (Hasnat Khan)

Last but not least, we have Humayun Saeed, who plays Hasnat Khan in The Crown Season 5. Saeed has appeared in several films and TV productions across the world, but this will be his first major role in a British television series, so it’ll be super interesting to see where he goes next. 

With so many amazing actors and actresses, it’s no wonder you’ve seen them in so many different things. And, I’m sure after Season 5 of The Crown, you’ll only continue to see them more. 

The Crown Season 5 arrives on Netflix on Wednesday, November 9. 

The iconic cast of legendary drama “The Wire,” including Dominic West (Det. Jimmy McNulty), Wendell Pierce (Det. William ‘Bunk’ Moreland), David Simon (Creator/Exec. Producer), Nina Noble (Exec. Producer), Jim True-Frost (Det. Roland ‘Prez” Pryzbylewski), Lance Reddick (Lt. Cedric Daniels), Jamie Hector (Marlo Stanfield) and Andre Royo (Bubbles), joined CinemaBlend’s Managing Director Sean O’Connell to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the show. Watch them tackle a variety of topics spanning all five seasons, including the show’s Emmy snubs, the American issues they would cover on the show today, and a touching tribute to the late Michael K. Williams.

The Wire is available to own on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital and to stream on HBO Max.

Video Chapters:

00:00 - Intro
00:18 - The season of “The Wire” that should have won an Emmy
02:52 - The importance of filming on location in Baltimore
07:50 - The cast and creators of “The Wire” pay tribute to Michael K. Williams
13:06 - The current topics “The Wire” would cover if it was still on the air
16:16 - Outro

At long last, Downton Abbey: A New Era (which CinemaBlend’s Mike Reyes gave 3.5 out of 5 stars) is showing in theaters and we can finally see what the extended Crawley family has been up to since we last saw them in 2019’s delightful Downton Abbey, which itself continued on the story of the landmark TV historical drama series of the same name.

But, after watching the latest addition to ever-popular story about the wealthy, aristocratic family, their trusty staff, and those not-so-familiar faces on the silver screen, you may be wondering where you’ve seen the members of the Downton Abbey: A New Era cast before. Worry no more, for we are about to break it all down…

Hugh Bonneville (Robert Crawley)

Back again as Robert Crawley, 7th Earl of Grantham, in Downton Abbey: A New Era is accomplished film and TV actor Hugh Bonneville, who has been with the franchise from the very beginning.

When he’s not playing the distinguished head of the household, Bonneville shows up in movies like Paddington (and its sensational sequel), Notting Hill, and even Tomorrow Never Dies. Over on the small screen, Bonneville has appeared on programs like The Hotel, Twenty Twelve, and dozens of other scripted series and docuseries.

Michelle Dockery (Lady Mary Talbot)

Michelle Dockery is back as Lady Mary Talbot in Downton Abbey: A New Era, once again being the voice of reason in her father’s ear.

Outside of her time in Julian Fellowes’ sprawling historical drama franchise, Dockery has appeared in movies like Hanna, Non-Stop, and The Gentleman. She has also popped up on a number of TV shows (and made-for-TV movies) throughout her career, including Red Riding, Good Behavior, Godless, and Anatomy of a Scandal. 

Dominic West (Guy Dexter)

The first of the newcomers to world of Downton Abbey is Dominic West, who steps in as Guy Dexter, the actor at the center of the film production taking place at the estate in A New Era.

Though he is new to this franchise, West is no stranger when it comes to taking on prominent roles on decorated drama series. Over the years, he has given outstanding performances on shows like The Wire, The Hour, The Affair, and most recently The Pursuit of Love. And, expect on seeing West step in as Prince Charles when the highly anticipated The Crown Season 5 debuts on Netflix later this year.

Hugh Dancy (Jack Barber)

Another new addition, Hugh Dancy shows up in the Downton Abbey: A New Era cast as Jack Barber, the film director and producer who has his eyes on Lady Mary.

Throughout his career, Dancy has appeared in everything from the Black Hawk Down cast to The Jane Austen Book Club, and Confessions of a Shopaholic to Martha Marcy May Marlene, and so much more. Over on the small screen, he’s landed memorable roles on Hannibal, The Path, Homeland, and most recently on the Law & Order revival series.

Joanne Froggatt (Anna Bates)

Golden Globe winner Joanne Froggatt is back once again as Anna Bates, one of the Crawley’s most trusted maids in Downton Abbey: A New Era.

When she’s not playing one of the main characters in the historical drama franchise, Froggatt has shown up in movies like Mary Shelley, Filth, and In Our Name. Her TV work, however, is her bread and butter and includes shows like Coronation Street, Bob the Builder (a voice role), Robin Hood, and Life on Mars (the UK original), to name a few.

Sophie McShera (Daisy Parker)

Also back for Downton Abbey: A New Era is Sophie McShera, who once again plays Daisy Parker, the Crawley’s assistant cook.

Most of McShera’s career has been spent appearing on shows like Waterloo Road, The Job Lot, and most recently, The Queen’s Gambit. But she also landed roles in movies like Cinderella and The Personal History of David Copperfield in addition to the two Downton Abbey movies.

Robert James-Collier (Thomas Barrow)

Robert James-Collier, who has been with the franchise since the beginning, is back once again in Downton Abbey: A New Era, playing Thomas Barrow, the estate’s conflicted under-butler.

Throughout his career, James-Collier has popped up on shows like Coronation Street, Ackley Bridge, and The Level. His film work includes The Ritual, A Christmas Star, and several other productions.

Laura Haddock (Myrna Dalgleish)

Laura Haddock is another new addition to the Downton Abbey family, showing up in A New Era as Myrna Dalgleish, an actress who comes to the estate to star in a new film production.

Fans of the MCU will surely recognize Haddock from her portrayal of Meredith Quill in Guardians of the Galaxy and its sequel, which are two of the best Marvel movies. Her other film credits include Transformers: The Last Knight, Superbob, and Storage 24. Over on the TV side of things, Haddock has appeared on Da Vinci’s Demons, How Not to Live Your Life, and White Lines.

Maggie Smith (Violet Grantham, The Dowager Countess)

Returning once more as Violet Grantham, the Dowager Countess of Grantham in Downton Abbey: A New Era is Dame Maggie Smith, who has been a part of the series since the beginning. 

The two-time Academy Award winner (The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, California Suite) is probably best known for her work in the Harry Potter movies, having portrayed Minerva McGonagall in all eight movies. Her other notable works include Death on the Nile (the 1978 version), Gosford Park, Travels with My Aunt, and countless others.

Elizabeth McGovern (Cora Crawley)

Back again as Cora Crawley in Downton Abbey: A New Era is Elizabeth McGovern, who has portrayed the character since the original series kicked off more than a decade ago.

In addition to her work in the Downton Abbey franchise, McGovern has appeared in movies like Kick-Ass, Woman in Gold, and Once Upon a Time in America. Her TV work includes Freezing, Agatha Christie’s Poirot, and the 2019 BBC production of War of the Worlds.

Laura Carmichael (Lady Edith)

Returning to Downton Abbey: A New Era as Edith Pelham, Marchioness of Hexham, is Laura Carmichael, another longtime fixture of the franchise.

Since landing her breakout role on the original Downton Abbey series, Carmichael has shown up in movies like Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, and A United Kingdom. Her TV work includes The Spanish Princess, The Secrets She Keeps, and Marcella.

Jim Carter (Charles Carson)

Jim Carter returns in Downton Abbey: A New Era as Charles Carson, the former butler at the massive estate who still has the Crawley family, and their home, in his best interests.

Throughout his career, Carter has appeared in film and TV projects like Richard III, The Witches, Top Secret!, Shakespeare in Love, Screen Two, Murder Most Horrid, and countless others going back to the early 1980s. But his career didn’t start there, as Carter was an accomplished stage performer dating back to the early 1970s.

Phyllis Logan (Elsie Carson)

Phyllis Logan returns once more as Elsie Carson, the head housekeeper of the Crawley’s estate in Downton Abbey: A New Era.

Since breaking out with her lauded performance in 1983’s Another Time, Another Place, Logan has gone on to appear in movies like Nineteen Eighty-Four, Nativity!, The Dark Sun, and a few dozen others. Her TV work is even more prolific, thanks to appearances on shows like Lovejoy, Midsomer Murders, Hope and Glory, The Good Karma Hospital, and many, many more.

Nathalie Baye (Madame Montmirail)

Nathalie Baye joins the fray in Downton Abbey: A New Era as Madame Montmirail, one of the owners of the French estate the Crawley’s visit while their home is being used as a film shoot.

Throughout her career, Baye has appeared in everything from Catch Me If You Can to Day for Night, and Strange Affair to The Assistant, with dozens upon dozens of other credits to her name.

Jonathan Zaccaï (Monsieur Montmirail)

Jonathan Zaccaï, another notable newcomer to the franchise, shows up in Downton Abbey: A New Era as the Marquis de Montmirail.

Zaccaï has spent the vast majority of his career starring in French-speaking films like Seaside, Room of Death, and With Love… from the Age of Reason, but some may recognize him from his portrayal of King Philip of France in Ridley Scott’s 2010 film, Robin Hood. 

Allen Leech (Tom Branson)

Allen Leech returns as Tom Branson in Downton Abbey: A New Era, a role he has played since the show got its start back in 2010.

Even before he landed what some would call the role of a lifetime, Leech built up a nice career for himself with shows like Rome and The Tudors, though he has found some success since then with the likes of Black Mirror (which is returning, per Variety) and The Good Doctor. His film work includes The Imitation Game and Bohemian Rhapsody.

Penelope Wilton (Isobel Grey, Lady Merton)

And back again once more is Penelope Wilton, who portrays Isobel Grey, Lady Merton on the Downton Abbey: A New Era cast.

Throughout her legendary career, Wilton has landed roles in movies like Shaun of the Dead, Match Point, BFG, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Pride & Prejudice, and the 2022 Netflix movie schedule entry, Operation Mincemeat. Her TV work includes several episodes of Doctor Who, Bob & Rose, and After Life.

Other Members Of The Downton Abbey: A New Era Cast

But, that is just the beginning of the Downton Abbey: A New Era cast, as the list of actors and actresses popping up in the highly anticipated affair could go on for days and days. Here are just a few more of the stars who appear: Raquel Cassidy, Brendan Coyle, Kevin Doyle, Michael Fox, Harry Hadden-Paton, Tuppence Middleton, Lesley Nicol, Douglas Reith, and Imelda Staunton.

Downton Abbey: A New Era is currently playing in theaters. Don't forget to check out all the other great 2022 movie releases coming your way in the near future.

Anyone who has watched David Simon’s crime epic The Wire is well aware of all the memorable and fully-realized characters that made it one of the best shows of the 21st Century. Michael K. Williams’ Omar Little and Idris Elba’s Stringer Bell were involved in some of the show’s best moments, but there is one person in The Wire cast that was often at the center of the sprawling drama that encompassed essentially every corner, dock, school, and government office in the City of Baltimore: Dominic West’s Jimmy McNulty. Over the course of the show’s five seasons, the embattled and sometimes morally ambiguous detective gave audiences plenty of moments to chew on with some of the richest scenes you’ll see in an HBO Drama.

McNulty’s First Scene (Season 1, ‘The Target’)

In college, a friend lent me The Wire Season 1 DVD boxset and told me the show would change my life. I popped the first disc in when I got home and witnessed one of the greatest character introductions in the history of television: Jimmy McNulty interviewing a potential witness to the murder of Omar Isaiah Betts, a.k.a. Snot Boogie, who presumably attempted to rob the neighborhood dice game.

This brilliant scene tells us everything we need to know about McNulty's character, The Wire, and Baltimore. When McNulty asks why everyone let Snot Boogie come around if he always robbed them, and the witness says “Got to, this is America, man," McNulty just sits there and looks around with this emotive smirk painted on his face that says, "Welcome to The Wire."

The ‘Fuck’ Crime Scene Investigation (Season 1, ‘Old Cases’)

The primary target of The Wire Season 1 is the Barksdale drug-dealing organization and its leaders: Avon Barksdale (Wood Harris) and Stringer Bell. When digging through an old, unsolved murder in the episode “Old Cases,” Jimmy McNulty and his homicide partner, Bunk Moreland (Wendell Pierce), gave audiences what is now considered one of the greatest scenes in modern television history (at least by some of us) that is commonly referred to as the “Fuck” scene.

Over the course of this nearly five-minute scene, McNulty and Moreland say “Fuck” and only “Fuck” dozens of times as they dig through the vacant apartment where a woman was shot and killed. It boils down to two detectives using a single expletive with so much emotion, frustration, and subtext, you know exactly what they’re saying even though they just say “Fuck.”

McNulty Calls Out Rhonda Pearlman (Season 1, ‘The Hunt’)

As the wiretap operation into the Barksdale organization continues in The Wire Season 1, Kima Greggs (Sonja Sohn) is shot and nearly killed. In the immediate aftermath, Jimmy McNulty and assistant state’s attorney, Rhonda Pearlman (Deirdre Lovejoy), visit Barksdale's attorney, Maurice Levy (Michael Kostroff), to get him to convince the gunman to turn himself in. McNulty, being the lovable self-righteous prick he is, calls the ASA out after the meeting doesn’t end the way he wanted and unloads on her and all the other career-driven attorneys in the City of Baltimore.

Out on the street, McNulty tells Pearlman that if half of the “fuckers” in the state’s attorney’s office would be less concerned about the next stage of their career and more worried about actually trying cases, the city wouldn’t be in the shape it is in now. Was it the right thing to say? Probably not. But, does Jimmy McNulty care? Definitely not.

Brianna Barksdale Confronts McNulty Following Her Son’s Death (Season 3, ‘Moral Midgetry’)

Following the death of D’Angelo Barksdale (Lawrence Gilliard Jr.), everyone thinks it was just suicide by a depressed prisoner. Jimmy McNulty (being Jimmy McNulty) isn’t convinced, and later comes to the conclusion that it was, in fact, a murder, but a murder that would never be solved. With his findings, McNulty calls D’Angelo’s girlfriend instead of his mother, who later finds out and is none too happy.

When Brianna Barksdale (Michael Hyatt) confronts McNulty about his findings in the Season 3 episode “Moral Midgetry,” the grieving mother asks why he didn’t call her instead. After hearing what she has to say, the detective comes out swinging with an impassioned speech about how she didn't help D'Angelo get out of the situation earlier, and that he was “looking for somebody who cared about the kid.”

‘I’m Tired, Bunk’ (Season 3, ‘Mission Accomplished’)

By the time The Wire Season 3 wrapped up, Jimmy McNulty was a mess of a man. Alcohol problems, issues with members of his unit, and a despondency following the death of Stringer Bell, all help the detective make a decision to leave the Major Crimes Unit and become a beat cop instead working on Baltimore’s west side. This path to change really kicks off late one night after the bars close down, and McNulty and Bunk are having a nightcap on the tracks like so many nights before. But, when Bunk says he wants more as he throws down an empty bottle, McNulty says, “I’m tired, Bunk.”

Although only three words, this statement sums up how McNulty is feeling about everything in his life and shows that he’s ready to make that change, whatever it may be. After this scene, McNulty ties up all his loose ends and starts a new life as a beat cop and one with Beadie Russell (Amy Ryan).

McNulty And Bodie At The Arboretum (Season 4, ‘Final Grades’)

Preston “Bodie” Broadus (JD Williams) and Jimmy McNulty crossed paths multiple times throughout the first four seasons of The Wire and even though they fell on opposite sides of the law, there was a level of mutual respect shared by the two. In the Season 4 finale, McNulty takes Bodie out for lunch at the Cylburn Arboretum to talk about bringing down Marlo Stanfield’s crew.

As a show of respect, Bodie provides him with information to bring down Marlo and his crew but tells McNulty he won’t snitch on anyone left from the Barksdale organization. McNulty responds by calling Bodie a “soldier” as a way of saying he’s not a pawn in the game but a man who stands and fights for what he believes in.

‘Trapped In The Same Lie’ (Season 5, ‘-30-‘)

One of the major stories of The Wire Season 5 revolves around a fictitious serial killer that Jimmy McNulty created as a way to help his underfunded homicide unit secure additional funding. The entire episode begins to get out of hand when Scott Templeton (Tom McCarthy, who went on to make Spotlight), an over-eager reporter from The Baltimore Sun, is so wrapped up in impressing his publisher that he doesn’t take the time to get details right, when not making them up entirely.

When the serial killer story spirals and the series of articles inspires a copycat in The Wire series finale, McNulty comes to terms with his transgressions and role in the matter and proceeds to call out Templeton for being a journalistic fraud, telling him they are “trapped in the same lie.” McNulty admits he did what he did for a good reason, but he can’t make the same argument for Templeton.

McNulty’s Wake (Season 5, ‘-30-‘)

In the fallout of from the fake serial killer case, Jimmy McNulty and Lester Freamon (Clarks Peters) retire from the Baltimore Police Department instead of being reassigned to dead-end units for their roles in the scheme. On the night of his retirement, McNulty’s fellow detectives hold a wake for him where Jay Landsman (Delaney Williams) runs the retiring detective down for being a prick, not listening to anyone, and never learning from his mistakes. But, in closing his remarks, Landsman admits that McNulty is “good police” and that he wouldn’t want anyone else working his case in the event he was murdered.

McNulty barely does any of the talking for a change, but it would be hard to list his best moments without such a touching and hilarious sendoff by the men and women with whom he worked cases for years, in one of The Wire's best episodes.

Jimmy McNulty will probably forever go down as one of the most complicated and beloved characters to carve out a spot for themselves in the history of television. Who knows when we’ll see another one like him, but some of the characters featured in the new and returning shows on the fall 2021 TV schedule do stand a chance.

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In July 2021, The Pursuit of Love, which sounds a lot like a reality show that would be on VH1 around 2008, came out on Amazon Prime Video and gave everyone something to watch while we wait for Bridgerton Season 2 to arrive on Netflix. With standout performances from Lily James and Dominic West, who made a lot of news earlier in 2020, The Pursuit of Love cast is filled from top to bottom with amazing and talented actors and actresses who have made their mark in film and television on both sides of the pond.

Below is a quick yet comprehensive breakdown of the members of The Pursuit of Love cast and just about everywhere you’ve seen them before whether it be in musicals like Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again or gritty crime dramas like The Wire. If you’ve watched a movie or show in the past couple of decades, chances are you’ve see these faces at one point or another.

Lily James (Linda Radlett)

Lily James appears as Linda Radlett, the fearless, charismatic, and beautiful free spirit front and center throughout The Pursuit of Love and its adventurous story, set between the first and second World War. James is no stranger when it comes to the world of television, having become a massive star following her three-year run on Downton Abbey, where she portrayed Lady Rose Aldridge before leaving and appearing in the 2016 limited series War and Peace. The multi-talented James will soon be seen as Pamela Anderson in the Hulu series Pam and Tommy.

If you don’t recognize Lily James from any of her television roles, then you’ll certainly remember her from movies like Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again, Yesterday, and the Netflix adaptation of Rebecca. Prior to all of those performances, James starred in Baby Driver, Burnt, Darkest Hour, and probably most notably, the 2015 live-action remake of Cinderella.

Emily Beecham (Fanny Logan)

While Lily James’ Linda Radlett is the vibrant free spirited heart of The Pursuit of Love, Emily Beecham has the task of portraying her more reserved cousin and best friend Fanny Logan. Over the years, Beecham has appeared in numerous celebrated television programs, including Into the Badlands, where she portrayed The Widow in all 32 episodes. Her other TV credits included Damages, The Village, and The Musketeers to name only a few.

If you are a fan of the Coen Brothers then you will certainly remember Emily Beecham from her portrayal of Dierdre in the 2016 comedy, Hail, Caesar!, but if not, then Daphne, Berlin, I Love You, or Little Joe may ring a bell or two. More recently, Beecham had a prominent role in the 2021 Netflix science fiction action thriller Outside the Wire which she followed up with another great performance in Disney’s Cruella.

Dominic West (Matthew Radlett)

Taking on the role of the mustachioed Matthew Radlett, father to Linda and uncle to Fanny, is none other than Dominic West, who has one of the most impressive television filmographies of anyone on the list. There are the givens, like the HBO crime drama series The Wire, where he played Baltimore Police detective Jimmy McNulty, and The Affair which netted him a Golden Globe nomination, but there other additions to his resumé that are also worth mentioning. Those are the British drama The Hour and the 2018 television adaptation of Les Misérables. He will also soon join the cast of The Crown Season 5 as Prince Charles.

Dominic West’s film credits are also worth noting, as the actor has appeared in everything from Zack Snyder’s 300 to Chicago and Pride to Finding Dory. Before finding fame, West also had roles in movies like Spice World and Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace.

Andrew Scott (Lord Merlin)

Lord Merlin, the Radlett’s wealthy, eccentric, and artistic neighbor is Andrew Scott. You will probably remember Scott from his celebrated and award-winning portrayal of The Priest on Fleabag Season 2, but the talented veteran of television, film, and the stage has small screen credits going back as far as 1995. Previous TV work includes Band of Brothers, Black Mirror, His Dark Materials, and Sherlock where he portrayed the obsessive criminal mastermind James “Jim” Moriarty.

Over on the film side of things, Andrew Scott has given commanding performances in some of the most highly regarded movies of the past quarter-century including Saving Private Ryan and 1917. Prior to appearing in Sam Mendes' tense World War I drama, Scott worked with the director in 2015’s Spectre, where he took on the role of C, an intelligence official whose actually working for the titular criminal organization.

Emily Mortimer (The Bolter)

Portraying Fanny’s mother, The Bolter, on The Pursuit of Love is Emily Mortimer, who not only stars on the show but also wrote and directed the adaptation of Nancy Mitford’s novel of the same name. Over the years, Mortimer has put together a string of great television projects including The Newsroom and Doll and Em, a show she created and wrote in addition to playing one of the leads. Prior to that, she appeared in a few episodes of 30 Rock and various other shows and made-for-TV movies throughout her career.

Emily Mortimer has also appeared in dozens of feature-length films over the years including Elizabeth, Notting Hill, Dear Frankie, Match Point, and Shutter Island. If you have kids or just like watching Disney movies (not judging if you do), then you will recognize Mortimer from Mary Poppins Returns, or at least her voice from Cars 2.

Dolly Wells (Sadie Radlett)

Dolly Wells portrays Linda Radlett’s mother and Matthew Radlett’s wife Sadie on The Pursuit of Love. Throughout her career, Wells has appeared on dozens of television programs ranging from smaller roles on shows like The Mighty Boosh and The IT Crowd to more recurring roles on the likes of Some Girls, Blunt Talk, and Dracula, where she portrayed Sister Agatha Van Helsing.

No stranger to the silver screen, Dolly Wells has showed up in Bridget Jones’s Diary as well as its 2016 sequel Bridget Jones’s Baby, Home Again, Can You Ever Forgive Me?, and the horror spin on Jane Austen with Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.

Beattie Edmondson (Louisa Radlett)

Taking on the role of Louisa Radlett, Linda’s sister, is Beattie Edmondson, who has made a name for herself the past decade with performances on various British comedies, specifically sitcoms. Prior to landing a spot in The Pursuit of Love cast, Edmondson appeared on sitcoms like Upstart Crow, Patrick, and Josh, where she played one of the main characters by the name of Kate. Edmondson’s work on television goes all the way back to 2008, with a pair of episodes in the second season of the comedy Clatterford. She also had a small role in the 2011 Comic Relief short Uptown Downstairs Abbey.

Assaad Bouab (Fabrice de Sauveterre)

What would a sprawling romantic saga be without romance? That’s where Assaad Bouab comes in as Fabrice de Sauveterre, the man with his heart set on Linda Radlett in The Pursuit of Love. With film, television, and stage credits to his name, Bouab has done a little bit of everything throughout his career, including a recurring role on the Netflix thriller Messiah, the Netflix comedy Call My Agent!, and Homeland, which aired on Showtime.

Assaad Bouab’s film contributions include Made in France, Queen of the Desert, and Outside the Law, to name only a few. Prior to that, Bouab appeared in stage productions of everything from William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night to Voltaire’s Zadig as well as multiple others.

Shazad Latif (Alfred Wincham)

Then, there is Shazad Latif, who takes on the role of Alfred Wincham, who has an eye for Fanny Logan on The Pursuit of Love. Prior to joining the show’s cast, he appeared in a number of popular television shows in recent years, including Penny Dreadful, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, and Star Trek: Discovery. Oh, and like so many other actors, Latif lent his talents to an episode of Black Mirror in 2011.

Over on the film side of things, Shazad Latif has appeared in movies like The Man Who Knew Infinity, The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, The Commuter, and Profile. He is set to share the screen with Lily James again in the upcoming What’s Love Got to Do With It?.

Freddie Fox (Tony Kroesig)

And, finally, our journey through The Pursuit of Love cast comes to an end with Freddie Fox, who plays the dashing Tony Kroesig. If you are a fan of The Crown, then you’ll most likely recognize Fox from his portrayal of Mark Thatcher, the son of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher who went missing for a short time in 1982. Before that, Fox appeared on shows like Parade’s End, Year of the Rabbit, and Lewis.

Freddie Fox’s film roles include King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, Victor Frankenstein, and The Riot Club, to name just a few.

This is just the main actors in The Pursuit of Love cast, as there are multiple other memorable characters from the three-part Amazon series. If you have already binged all the episodes, why not take a look at CinemaBlend’s 2021 Summer TV Schedule to see what else is happening in the streaming world.

Lily James and Dominic West’s collaboration on The Pursuit of Love for BBC has been distracted by their alleged affair behind-the-scenes over a number of months. Back in October, photos were released of the pair vacationing in Rome, with their arms around one another and kissing while dining at an outdoor cafe. For the first time since the scandal, West’s wife, Catherine Fitzgerald, has commented on her relationship with her husband.

Dominic West and Catherine Fitzgerald have been married since 2010 and have three children together. The couple have remained married, even through the rumored affair the paparazzi snapped months back. While speaking to The Irish Independent, Fitzgerald had mostly delightful things to say about her husband, recalling the early days of their relationship when they met one another in college. In her words:

Catherine Fitzgerald gave the interview in light of their property Glin Castle once again becoming open to guests following COVID-19 lockdown protocols. Fitzgerald grew up in the castle and has been running it as a small hotel and event venue for the past seven years alongside West. While reflecting on her marriage to The Wire actor, she also said this:

Catherine Fitzgerald did not speak about the matter head on, but per her words to the Irish publication, she and Dominic West are still very much in their marriage and “devoted” to one another. It doesn’t clear up much in light of those Rome photos coming out, but she’s certainly not bad-mouthing West.

Recently Lily James was asked about the situation and remained tight-lipped about what was going on. She shared this while promoting The Pursuit of Love:

When the photos surfaced, Lily James was reportedly “horrified” by the leak and went on to cancel a few appearances while she was promoting her movie Rebecca. At the time, Dominic West and Catherine Fitzgerald released a joint statement to share that their “marriage is strong” and they are still “very much still together.”

Dominic West plays Lily James’ uncle in Pursuit of Love following their previous collaboration on the stage in 2011. While there’s not exactly any new developments on the affair front, the Baby Driver actress is turning heads for her incredible transformation as Pamela Anderson for the Hulu show Pam and Tommy.

Mamma mia, Lily James has been on fire as of late with a handful of exciting roles. Between recent Netflix period pieces and her recent transformation into Pamela Anderson for Hulu, the British actress has been busy in the spotlight. However, Hollywood fame often means more interest in one’s personal life from the public and, last year, James was caught getting cozy with her married The Pursuit of Love co-star Dominic West.

In late 2020, the paparazzi caught pictures of 32-year-old with 51-year-old Dominic West in Rome, Italy with their arms around each other at the tourist sites and kissing while dining together. The puzzler here is the fact that West is married and “still together” with wife of over ten years Catherine FitzGerald and has four children with her. Now months after the pictures went viral, James has commented on it with these words:

Lily James was brief in her answer and kept details tight-lipped when The Guardian asked her about the media frenzy that came out of the pictures. The actress reportedly was “horrified” about the situation and decided to cancel appearances promoting Netflix’s Rebecca following the paparazzi pictures.

Based on her comments, it sounds like she may decide to address the situation at length at some point but is not willing to at the present moment. This decision makes sense considering she is currently promoting her TV show alongside Dominic West, The Pursuit of Love, which comes out this Sunday, May 9. In the adaptation of Nancy Mitford’s novel, James plays lead Linda Radlett, and West plays her character’s uncle and caretaker.

The actors have known each other for years, originally working together back in 2011 for a production of Othello. It’s still unclear what the situation was between the two, but James’ comments seem to indicate there is something to speak about regarding it, considering she shared that there is a “lot to say” rather than outright deny a relationship of some kind but is "afraid" to do so.

Prior to the alleged affair, Lily James also turned heads when pictures were also taken of her over summer in which she and Chris Evans were spending time together as well while the Marvel actor was in London. James reportedly faced a breakup with Doctor Who star Matt Smith in 2019 following the couple’s five-year relationship.

Lily James is currently filming Pam & Tommy with Sebastian Stan, Nick Offerman and Seth Rogen for Hulu. The series will tell the story of ‘90s icons Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee and their whirlwind romance. The first episode of The Pursuit of Love premieres Sunday night on BBC One.

Armie Hammer has stepped down from his latest movie after unconfirmed reports he may have been sending messages both sexual and cannibalistic in nature to women who were not his then-wife. Now, tabloids are reporting more about his alleged sexual preferences and possible flirtations outside his marriage, also noting that while married, he may have had an affair with Lily James while the two were working together on Netflix’s Rebecca. Ultimately, we don't know exactly what's going on. We may never know exactly what happened, but since the rumors are now out there, let's talk about what we know and what we don't know.

The reports come some months after Armie Hammer split with his wife Elizabeth Chambers in July of 2020, which is a fact; the two did split up and he came home to Los Angeles while she stayed in the Cayman Islands. The two had been married for a decade at the time of the split. About three months later, in October of 2020, Lily James was seen by cameras canoodling with married actor Dominic West in Italy. Those two hit it off while filming the projects The Pursuit of Love together.

However, prior to that Lily James was working with Armie Hammer on the Netflix film Rebecca, where rumors have indicated the two also allegedly hit it off. While no affair came out or was mentioned when Hammer and Chambers split earlier this year, over the last few months the rumor mill has been rampant with the idea that an affair between the two Rebecca actors may have been what split up the marriage.

Unconfirmed reports indicated that Elizabeth Chambers may have found texts from a woman mysteriously referred to as Adeline, which admittedly doesn’t mean much at face value. But The Daily Mail and other outlets stated that Lily James was referred to on the call sheets for Rebecca as Adeline, a nod to another Dauphne Du Maurier novel and the connective tissue between James and the rumors.

The rumor mill on this topic had died down more recently, but then this week Armie Hammer stepped down from the upcoming production of Shotgun Wedding, which would have starred himself and Jennifer Lopez and is also expected to be produced by Lopez and Ryan Reynolds. Ergo, it was a pretty big gig. His reason? He called unverified claims that he had sent sexual texts during his marriage that were cannibalistic in nature “bullshit,” but said he needed to take a step back to spend some time with his family.

Then, Page Six also unearthed some comments from 2013 in which Armie Hammer described himself as someone who did have a bit less vanilla taste in bedroom activities.

The new messages that have emerged -- but again have not been conclusively tied to the actual Armie Hammer -- have seemed to indicate multiple flirtations outside of his marriage to then wife Elizabeth Chambers. One such message reportedly thanked someone, calling them “kitten” before mentioning, “My wife is with me or else I’d have you come meet me, plug in and hungry for daddy.”

Armie Hammer has said the texts cannot be attributed to him, but another of his verified exes, Courtney Vucekovich -- whom he dated briefly -- said that this sort of sexually aggressive language was normal during the tenure of their relationship. She shared a look with The Daily Mail Hammer allegedly wrote that read, “I am going to bite the F K out of you.”

And so Armie Hammer has a bit of a pr nightmare on his hands. Did he cheat with Lily James? Did he send these messages with other women? Is some of this true and some of it false? It’s all pretty murky at this point, but unfortunately for James herself, people are all too willing to believe a rumor given the Dominic West stuff that came out earlier this year. Sexual preferences are no crime, of course, but if there's anything people on the Internet love, it's talking about the possibility of a juicy affair.

It’s been more than a month since Lily James was caught with married actor Dominic West during a weekend jaunt to Rome. The two had been working together during the summer and early fall on The Pursuit of Love, a project based on the popular Nancy Mitford book of the same name. However, apparently Lily James knew Dominic West long before the trip to Rome in which they were caught canoodling and sightseeing together. James recalled how they had worked together early on in her career.

In The Pursuit of Love, Lily James is set to play lead character Linda Radlett, a flighty young woman growing up in Pre-World War II London, who misses the boat on love. In the project, Dominic West, who is 20 years her senior, will play Uncle Matthew, Linda’s eccentric uncle and caretaker. In an interview with The Guardian, James touched on her prior professional relationship with West, also mentioning a lively exchange from their upcoming project.

The two actually met on the set of Othello in 2011, actually playing leads Iago and Desdemona, two characters who come to fairly ill-fated ends, in the famous Shakespearean production. Playing Desdemona was an early role for Lily James, who received early notice at the time. She then went on to star in Downton Abbey in 2012 and in Disney’s Cinderella a few years later, before landing more recent roles in Netflix’s Rebecca and The Pursuit of Love.

Lily James’ comments on the Uncle Matthew character, her relationship with Dominic West and the “great line” we can expect from her character Linda came a few weeks before news broke about their weekend jaunt to Rome. The article was published after the two were seemingly caught out, despite the fact West is married with children. West and his wife addressed the press and said they are "very much still together," though James has not commented.

For her part, James had at the time recently broken things off with her longtime beau Matt Smith and was seen with Chris Evans over the summer. The rumor mill has been rampant with speculation that she might be looking to get back with the Doctor Who star following her short stint in the gossip rags, but I’d take that with a grain of salt. What is definitely true is that she has cut back on appearances in the time since the news broke, though she did touch base with Jimmy Fallon and The Tonight Show for a recent interview.

The Pursuit of Love is still coming together, but it will be interesting to see how that press is undergone once the series, which also stars Emily Mortimer and Emily Beecham, is ready to make its big debut. It’s a highly anticipated project, so we’ll be sure to keep you updated on that front.

As Lily James has been open about the “emotional turmoil” of playing a character in Netflix’s new movie Rebecca, the actress has seen a bit of additional turbulence in her personal life. After photos came out revealing she’d spent an intimate weekend in Rome with married actor Dominic West, James ultimately decided to cancel some of her Rebecca press appearances. Now, following her exit from this week’s The Graham Norton Show, her co-star has stepped in.

In Rebecca, Kristin Scott Thomas plays the housekeeper for the de Winter family. When James' character enters the fold as the second Mrs. de Winter following the death of first wife Rebecca de Winter, the housekeeper does not make it easy on the newcomer. In real life, however, it seems that Kristin Scott Thomas is a sweetie and did a solid for her co-star this week.

For Friday’s appearance on The Graham Norton Show, Kristin Scott Thomas stepped into the red hot seat to talk to Graham Norton about Rebecca. Obviously, Norton’s a man known for asking cheeky questions, but with no Lily James around, the two stuck to the Netflix movie in terms of topics, at least mostly (Four Weddings and a Funeral was touched on). Kristin Scott Thomas gleefully talked about being a good antagonist and not realizing how frightening she could be before she saw her performance in Rebecca. Per The Daily Mail:

Lily James’ brief interlude with married actor Dominic West came earlier this month when the two were seen canoodling in Rome. They had been working on a project together, a BBC production of The Pursuit of Love, before their romantic jaunt. Obviously, Kristin Scott Thomas wasn’t involved in that project with James, so her stepping in was really a solid under the circumstances, likely both for James and The Graham Norton Show, which still needed a guest.

Also set for the episode is The Boss himself Bruce Springsteen, Matthew McConaughey – who is promoting his new book Greenlights – Sam Smith, Stephen Mangan, and Mawaan Rizwan. The episode comes after Lily James also canceled at least one other appearance, though she did keep a gig on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon earlier this week.

Press for Rebecca should be dying down soon and Dominic West and his wife have already presented a united front in terms of the liaison, so this story may be winding its way to an end. Meanwhile, as Lily James recently broke up with her partner Matt Smith, she may be keeping her options open in the future. Though we’ll let you know if she’s spotted out with someone like Chris Evans again.

Lily James was supposed to be out and about promoting her brand-spanking new Netflix movie with Armie Hammer this week, but instead headlines have been caught up in the PDA she was caught in with married actor Dominic West. Most of the dust has settled there, but now a source close to the actress says she’s “horrified” about the news being made public.

It’s been a few days since the images dropped on the Internet, showing Dominic West and Lily James spending time with one another in Rome. The two are co-stars in an upcoming project The Pursuit of Love, so the fact they might be spending time together isn’t all that odd. However, they “kissing and cuddled” on the plane to Rome and later were scene engaged in PDA while dining in the city.

Now a source speaking to US Weekly says Lily James and Dominic West’s wife are “horrified” about the photos. The source is unnamed, however, it is true that Lily James has cancelled a couple of appearances since the interviews were made public. She currently has not spoken out about the images taken by paparazzi, but she still made a scheduled appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon to talk Mamma Mia 3 and more. Fallon did not ask about The Pursuit of Love or West.

For Lily James’ part, the actress recently broke up with her longtime boyfriend Matt Smith, an actor known for Doctor Who. The two had dated for five years as Lily James’ star was on the rise. She was also seen with Chris Evans over the summer. Seemingly, she was untethered when she embarked on the trip with Dominic West.

The Affair actor, on the other hand, is married to Catherine FitzGerald, though he’s seemingly had a laissez-faire attitude toward affairs of the heart in the past. As for FitzGerald, she and West have put up a united front, telling the press they are “still very much together.”

The BBC and Amazon project that brought Dominic West and Lily James together is The Pursuit of Love, a series based on the Nancy Mitford novel of the same name. Filming may have begun as early as July, though some reports also indicate the series has been in production since August. It will follow Lily James as Linda Radlett in a family drama about love and relationships. In it, Dominic West will play the father figure to Linda, Uncle Matthew. Given their working relationship, the age gap, his marriage and more, there has been public interest around what happened.

Lily James wrapped on her role in the series earlier in October, sharing the lovely time she had with the cast and crew on set. Her female co-stars, but not West, were both specifically mentioned.

Lily James can be seen currently in Netflix’s Rebecca, now streaming as part of the service's October offerings.

Lily James has had a big week. Not only did she star in a big Netflix release opposite Armie Hammer, the actress was also seen on a weekend getaway with married actor Dominic West, her co-star in another upcoming project. While she had done some press for Rebecca, she apparently took a step back this week in regards to some major TV appearances after the news with Dominic West broke.

In fact, Lily James cancelled not one but two major TV appearances. The Rebecca and Yesterday actress was expected to appear on an episode of Today this week and ultimately cancelled. Armie Hammer also bowed out of the publicity event, as they both were expected to appear together during the show's third hour, per Page Six. The news comes as James was also expected to appear on The Graham Norton Show this week, though that was allegedly cancelled as well, per The Daily Mail.

Lily James and Armie Hammer had done some of the press circuit for Rebecca even after photos circulated around the internet showing James spending time with married actor Dominic West, recently known for playing a cheater on the TV series The Affair. The two spent time dining and scootering around in Rome together and were spotted kissing by cameras while dining al fresco during the getaway.

Since the news broke, Dominic West and his wife Catherine FitzGerald have faced the press head-on and said they are “very much still together” via a sign to explain their marital situation. For his part, West had also previously told the media he believes people should be "more indulgent" of affairs. Marriages and entanglements can be complicated, but there's certainly still a curiosity around the getaway, given the age gap, Lily James' recent break-up from her own longterm partner, West's marriage, and the fact the two were co-stars.

Earlier in the summer, Lily James had been spotted in London spending a little bit of time with Chris Evans, who left Boston and headed to the U.K. shortly after the quarantine. The two were spotted out one night and later seen having a picnic together, but that short stint hanging out didn't last long. Lily James has only recently split from her longtime partner, Doctor Who actor Matt Smith, after five years of dating one another.

While Lily James has cancelled a couple of appearances, she currently has not cancelled an appearance with softball late night host Jimmy Fallon. She’s scheduled to appear on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Thursday. I’m just saying, you may have seen her in Yesterday and expected her on Today, but you may still be able to catch her in an interview the day after tomorrow.

Next up, you can see Lily James in Netflix's Rebecca, or you can wait for her big project The Pursuit of Love, based on the book by Nancy Mitford and also starring Dominic West, to come out. That project will see James playing lead character Linda Radlett. Dominic West will play the father figure in the movie, Uncle Matthew.

In a moment of life imitating art, The Affair’s Dominic West was spotted with Cinderella actress Lily James. That in itself would not be unusual, as the two are expected to appear together in the upcoming project The Pursuit of Love, but they were also seen pursuing romance outside of set when paparazzi nabbed photos of the two.

According to reports, Lily James and Dominic West were caught snogging together while on a quick trip to Rome. The couple were scene “dining al fresco,” according to the Daily Mail when they were seen publicly flirting and kissing. They later were also seen sightseeing together on their little jaunt away from their working lives.

For her part, Lily James, 31, has been spotted out and about with other actors several times over the past few months. In July, she was seen picnicking and partying with MCU actor Chris Evans, who was in the U.K. for work. At the time, there was a question of social distancing and she was still allegedly in a relationship with Doctor Who actor Matt Smith, though they hadn’t been publicly seen together in a while. They’ve now reportedly officially split after a five-year stint as a couple.

Dominic West, on the other hand, shares four children with wife Catherine FitzGerald. They’ve been married for a decade and together for longer. FitzGerald is standing by her man following the "entanglement," with The Mirror reporting they left their home carrying a sign to reconfirm their commitment toward one another. It read:

Back in 2016, Dominic West, now 50, actually shared his feelings on affairs with the Evening Standard, noting at the time that an affair should not be such a big deal.

Dominic West and Lily James are both set to appear in the upcoming BBC production of The Pursuit of Love. Filming for that project began back in July. Lily James shared on social media that it had wrapped earlier in October, thanking collaborators Emily Mortimer and Emily Beecham, as well as Nancy Mitford, who wrote the original book.

The Pursuit of Love is about a young woman who is married multiple times, at one point becoming the mistress of a French Duke, an affair that ends poorly. The popularity of the wartime-based novel, first published in 1945, led to two sequels, Love in a Cold Climate and Don’t Tell Alfred. A 2001 version of the same story directed by Tom Hooper already exists.

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As crazy as it may seem, 12 years have passed since HBO aired the final episode of The Wire back in March 2008. And over the course of the past decade-plus, the cast of the groundbreaking HBO drama series has gone on to do some pretty remarkable things in on the small-screen, the silver screen, and just about everywhere else. I mean, what would you expect from a collection of acclaimed actors like Dominic West, Idris Elba, and Michael B. Jordan? Expect to find them way down in the hole? No, not this cast.

And now that all five seasons of David Simon's love letter to the city of Baltimore and its residents are streaming for free on HBO, I'm sure some of us are wondering what Bubbles, Omar, Wee-Bey, and the rest of the expansive cast are up to these days. For the sake of brevity, and my own sanity, I'll be sticking with the main cast and a few outliers here. Let's go back to Baltimore…

Dominic West (Jimmy McNulty)

For five seasons, Dominic West portrayed the on-again, off-again alcoholic Baltimore police detective Jimmy McNulty, who despite his issues with his vices was a damn good police officer on the Major Crimes Unit. West has continued to stay busy over the years in shows like The Affair and Brassic, the latter of which is still ongoing on the Sky One British television network. When he's not acting, West partly spends time at Glin Castle in Ireland, the childhood home of his wife, Catherine FitzGerald.

Idris Elba (Stringer Bell)

Between 2002 and 2004, there was no one more feared than Stringer Bell on the fictional streets of Baltimore. Brought to life by the superb acting of Idris Elba, Bell was as ruthless as he was ambitious as he tried to slowly take over the city of Baltimore. Although things didn't end ideally for the character, Elba went on to have probably the most successful career out of anyone on the show. With two films in the works — 2020's Concrete Cowboys and 2021's The Suicide Squad — the English actor and singer is quite busy, especially considering his March 2020 Covid-19 diagnosis.

Wendell Pierce (Bunk Moreland)

Many people might recognize Wendell Pierce as James Greer in the Amazon original series Jack Ryan, but before the celebrated actor was giving it to the young CIA analyst, he portrayed Baltimore homicide detective William "The Bunk" Moreland on The Wire. Following his five-season run on the HBO series, Pierce teamed up with David Simon again for Treme. You can next see Pierce in action when Jack Ryan returns to Amazon sometime in the near future.

Michael K. Williams (Omar Little)

If you've ever wanted to know what Robin Hood would look like in the projects of a major metropolitan city then look no further than Michael K. Williams' portrayal of Omar Little in The Wire. For five seasons, Omar stole from the drug dealers who held the city of Baltimore hostage and took care of matters with his unique form of street justice. Williams has continued to show up in crime films and television series over the years, including the soon to be released Arkansas.

Sonja Sohn (Kima Greggs)

One of the most fearless and dedicated detectives in the Baltimore Police Department, Kima Greggs was a vital member of the team that aimed to bring down the drug trade in Charm City. Sonja Sohn, the actress behind the character, even stayed around Baltimore following the conclusion of the series to help rebuild communities, and even made her directorial debut with the 2017 HBO documentary Baltimore Rising. Sohn is also staying busy with her acting career, which has led to a role on the Showtime series, The Chi.

Lance Reddick (Cedrick Daniels)

The deputy of operations turned attorney Cedric Daniels was a driving force in the wire-tap investigation carried out against the Barksdale organization throughout The Wire, a position that put him at odds with the members of his team and the Baltimore Police Department as a whole. The performance was brought to life by Lance Reddick, who most recently starred in the Amazon series Bosch, which was renewed for a seventh and final season in February 2020.

Andre Royo (Bubbles)

Andre Royo gave audiences one of the best performances on The Wire as the recovering heroin addict and confidential informant Reginald "Bubbles" Cousins. Throughout the series, Bubbles went from an untrustworthy addict to a key member of the cast who could be depended on for street-level information. Royo most recently appeared on the television drama Empire before it wrapped in April 2020.

Seth Gilliam (Ellis Carver)

Ellis Carver was one of the original members of the task force assigned to put a stop to the Barksdale organization in the early seasons of The Wire, with the brash and arrogant police officer being brought to life by Seth Gilliam. The veteran television actor has appeared on everything from Teen Wolf to The Walking Dead, where he currently portrays Gabriel Stokes.

Domenick Lombardozzi (Thomas "Herc" Hauk)

Over the course of five seasons of The Wire, Thomas "Herc" Hauk saw himself go from lowly Baltimore police officer to criminal defense investigator before breaking out on his own as a private eye before everything wrapped up. The actor behind the character, Domenick Lombardozzi, most recently appeared in Martin Scorsese's The Irishman and is set to appear in The King Of Staten Island and Boogie, both of which are in post-production.

Wood Harris (Avon Barksdale)

Wood Harris played Avon Barksdale, one of the most powerful and notorious drug dealers in Baltimore throughout the duration of The Wire. Barksdale was the main target of the wire-tapping operation in the show's first season. Harris, who is mostly known for his role in the 2000 sports drama Remember The Titans, has continued to work in film and television, most recently appearing in Empire.

Clarke Peters (Lester Freamon)

The quiet and meticulous Lester Freamon proved to be major player in the Baltimore Police Department through his investigations as part of the Major Crimes Unit, even if he was roped into the whole mess of the "serial killer" subplot in Season 5. Clarke Peters, the man behind the role, is next set to appear in the Spike Lee joint Da 5 Bloods.

Michael B. Jordan (Wallace)

Although he only appeared in the first season of The Wire, Wallace's story is one that had a ripple effect throughout the entire City of Baltimore. Killed by his best friends under orders from Stringer Bell, the orphaned street kid was one of the most tragic characters featured in the show. Michael B. Jordan, who was barely a teenager when he was hired for the role has gone on to become one of the biggest names in Hollywood, thanks to little movies like Black Panther and the Creed franchise, which is slated to continue in the future.

Aidan Gillen (Tommy Carcetti)

Introduced in Season 3 premiere, Thomas Carcetti went from councilman to mayor of Baltimore and eventually governor of Maryland by the time everything was said and done, no matter what it cost to get there. Aidan Gillen is now best remembered for his portrayal of the master manipulator Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish on Game Of Thrones. He is currently attached to the Taylor Sheridan-directed Those Who Wish Me Dead.

Amy Ryan (Beadie Russell)

Before she was known as Holly Flax on The Office, Amy Ryan joined the cast of The Wire in Season 2 where she played Port Authority police officer Beadie Russell. In the years following her turn in David Simon's crime drama, Ryan has continued to act in film and television, with her latest project, Lost Girls, seeing a March 2020 release from Netflix.

Isiah Whitlock Jr. (Clay Davis)

Clay Davis, the Maryland State Senator from Baltimore is hands down the most corrupt character to show up on The Wire. Known for his shadiness and ability to stretch out the word "shit" longer than anyone before or since, Clay Davis was one of the characters you just couldn't help but love to hate. Isiah Whitlock Jr., the actor behind the insane character, is slated to appear in the Showtime miniseries Your Honor as well as the Spike Lee joint Da 5 Bloods, where he will reunite with former The Wire castmate Clarke Peters.

Hassan Johnson (Wee-Bey Brice)

Unlike characters like Stringer Bell and Clay Davis, Wee-Bey Price was one of the few antagonists on The Wire that you actually felt bad for, despite everything he did. The former gang enforcer and father of Namond Price wound up serving time after confessing to crimes he didn't commit. Hassan Johnson is currently featured on the ABC drama For Life.

Jamie Hector (Marlo Stanfield)

And then there's Marlo Stanfield, who you just can't help but love despite everything he did throughout the final three seasons of The Wire. Portrayed by Jamie Hector, Stanfield was the central antagonist starting in Season 3, and only ramped up his reign of terror over Baltimore as his competitors began to die off. Hector most recently appeared in the Hulu series Wu-Tang: An American Saga.

Those are just a dozen or so of the characters from David Simon's The Wire. I'm sure I left off someone's favorite character due to the fact that there were literally dozens of faces appearing in each of the show's five seasons. If you agree with the list, or if I forgot a big name, make sure to sound off in the comments. And continue to check back on all things HBO here at CinemaBlend.

With the amount of period pieces Keira Knightley has starred in throughout her career, it's no surprise that the actress took on the role of Colette's eponymous turn of the 20th century illustrious French writer. In one of her early films, Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl, Knightley's Elizabeth Swan had her corset on too tight to breathe. Since then, actress has since seen her fair share of uncomfortable old-fashioned wear. However, in Colette, her co-star Dominic West had a much more challenging wardrobe to pull off. In my interview with him, after comparing his character to Kanye West, he explained what's arguably worse than slipping on a corset. Here's what he told CinemaBlend:

Yikes! It just goes to show that making a film isn't as glamorous as one might think. Although looking back, Dominic West seems to be able to step back and laugh about the odd methods he went through to play husband to Colette opposite Keira Knightley. In the film, West portrays French brand-maker Willy, who was once a prominent celebrity who capitalized on his wife's writing talents for his own wealth and fame. Colette follows the young woman's struggle to stand up to her husband and obtain creative ownership of her works.

The role had Dominic West making quite the transformation as a less-than-charming Frenchman, packing a lot more weight than he has. Luckily, he was able to cross paths with John C. Reilly who dealt with the similar uncomfortableness of wearing a fat suit as Oliver Hardy in upcoming Laurel and Hardy biopic Stan & Ollie. On the other hand, Dominic West commented that his onscreen wife in Colette, Keira Knightley, didn't wear a single uncomfortable corset. As he put it, "she fell off corseting" after wearing so many in the past. Although the film has the two intimate, West struggled getting anywhere near the actress because of the big ol' fat suit he had on.

Keira Knightley and Dominic West star as French celebrities Colette and Willy in the highly relevant period piece about a woman's confrontation with challenging gender conformity, Colette, hitting theaters on September 21.

Throughout his career, actor Dominic West has played diverse roles such as police-detective James McNulty on The Wire, family-man Noah Solloway in HBO series The Affair and Richard Croft in Tomb Raider. For his upcoming film, Colette, he is the husband of the titular groundbreaking French writer, played by Keira Knightley, who he proclaims is a 19th-century Yeezy. Aside from the amusing irony of Dominic West comparing his character to a rapper that shares his last name, the parallel checks out. Colette's husband Willy was a prominent celebrity in his time, the life of the party and social influencer. However, his wife ended up going down in history the influencer. I spoke with Dominic about how Willy draws similarities to Kanye West. Here's what he said to CinemaBlend:

Colette follows the country girl as she gets married to Parisian partygoer Willy and is asked to ghostwrite under his name. When her semi-autobiographical novel of her younger years becomes a cultural sensation throughout Paris, the couple hit celebrity status and the talk of the city. Colette timidly continues to write the Claudine novels as the persona becomes not only a bestseller, but a popular brand seen on soap bars and makeup lines, and turns into a fashion influencer. Willy stops at nothing to make some cash off of their brand, encouraging Colette to explore her bisexuality as he also pursues affairs with other women of his own.

It's safe to say that Colette and Willy were pretty close to an old-timey Kanye and Kim Kardashian. The highly-influential couple are known to turn quite a few heads and get people talking with the controversial waves they make on social media, music and television with their products. However, in Colette's case, she is fighting to gain creative ownership for her works that have were wrongly plagued with her husband's name for years.

Dominic West's perspective on his character in Colette spruces up what to expect from this period drama. The French-set film is an entertaining look at the lives of the influencers of France's past, as well as it tells a story of a strong woman who challenged the gender norms of her era and particularly complements the #MeToo era. Colette hits theaters on September 21.

A little over two decades have passed since Lara Croft first made her way to home video game consoles, courtesy of the Tomb Raider series of games. And, it's only been a couple years short of that same mark since we've seen her first take to the silver screen, thanks to Angelina Jolie and Paramount's series of two successful films. But now, just as a new age of the Tomb Raider has dawned in the game series, a new raider will rise in the realm of the cinematic!

This March, Tomb Raider reboots the journey that started with Lara Croft: Tomb Raider in 2001, and with that reboot comes a slew of new faces and even fresher adventures ahead of the heiress turned rogue archaeologist. So, now it's time to look at what's to be expected of this new Croft-y adventure, and go over what we know so far. But before we do, get acquainted with the new world of Lara Croft by watching the Tomb Raider trailer below.

Well, it looks like this Tomb Raider is going to be something we can really look forward to, so let's get into what we know about the new movie!

What Is Tomb Raider's Release Date?

Taking full advantage of the new niche that's been carved out for action / adventure start-ups, Tomb Raider is set to be released on March 16th, 2018. It will have an IMAX 3D and RealD 3D release, in addition to the conventional theatrical release. This puts the film in a bit of a rough patch competition wise, as the week it hits theaters, the film will be pitted against Love, Simon. Meanwhile, the week before Tomb Raider is released, A Wrinkle In Time debuts, and the week after has Pacific Rim: Uprising stomping into the arena.

What Is Tomb Raider's Rating?

Tomb Raider has been rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association of America, for "sequences of violence and action, and some language." Looking at the film's trailer, and even the promo art for the film, it definitely looks like Lara Croft is going to get more than a bit banged up. Thankfully, the official rating gives the impression that teenagers without parental guidance won't see anything too gruesome, or hear anything too sweary. This rating is in line with the original franchise, as both Lara Croft: Tomb Raider and Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life were also handed PG-13 ratings themselves.

Who Is Tomb Raider's Director?

Bringing Tomb Raider into the modern era is Norwegian director Roar Uthaug, who is best known for his 2015 dramatic disaster film The Wave. Previous to that film gaining Uthaug the attention of the folks in Hollywood, he had made other short films such as DX13036 and The Martian Administration, with this being Roar Uthaug's first big budget blockbuster for mainstream audiences. Though Uthaug isn't forgetting his roots just yet, as he's also working on a sequel to The Wave, entitled, The Quake.

Who Are Tomb Raider's Writers?

The new Tomb Raider film has three different writers credited as contributing to the film's script. The story was crafted by writers Geneva Robertson-Dworet and Evan Daughterty, while the screenplay was a collaboration between Robertson-Dworet and writer Alastair Siddons. The mixed pedigree of this bunch is worth paying attention to, as they've all got some interesting projects to their credit.

Daughterty himself is known for blockbusters such as Snow White and The Huntsman and its sequel, the first Divergent film, as well the first Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles reboot for Michael Bay. Meanwhile, Siddons comes from a more indie background, with his major credit being the film Trespass Against Us, which starred Alicia Vikander's husband, Michael Fassbender. But, most interesting is the resume that Geneva Robertson-Dworet holds, which has her as a writer for the third Guy Richie Sherlock Holmes film, as well as the upcoming Marvel Studios film, Captain Marvel.

The Previous Tomb Raider Franchise

The Tomb Raider series is certainly no stranger to the world of the cinematic, as two previous films were made that committed Lara Croft's adventures to the big screen. Both films saw Angelina Jolie bring Lara to life, and in June 2001 Lara Croft: Tomb Raider debuted at the top of the box office - starting its eventual $274.5 million run against a $115 million budget, and giving the world an early glimpse at two future talents. Those up and comers were Game of Thrones' Iain Glen and future James Bond himself, Daniel Craig.

With a pretty solid first time out, a sequel was obviously going to happen, and it did in 2003 with Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life. The follow-up wasn't as well received as its predecessor, as it opened fourth at the box office during the summer that saw Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl making massive waves. The film had a $95 million budget, and yielded a $156.5 million box office draw worldwide, with Gerard Butler co-starring against Jolie's returning rogue archaeologist. Paramount saw this as an encouraging enough sign to continue, but Angelina Jolie was through with the character, and she felt no inclination for a planned third film in a potential trilogy. And so, for the time being, the series went into the Croft family crypt, waiting to be revived.

What Is The Tomb Raider Reboot About?

Fifteen years after Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life, a reboot will take us to an earlier era of Lara Croft, one where she's just starting to become the woman we all know and love. This new film, much like the video game franchise it's based off of, starts its story with material from the 2013 video game Tomb Raider: A Survivor Is Born. After losing her father under mysterious circumstances, Lara Croft uncovers a startling truth: the well respected businessman the world knew as Lord Richard Croft was secretly a rogue archeologist. In the process of investigating her father's disappearance, she's lead to the Dragon's Triangle - his last known location, and current location of a survivor of that expedition, Mattias Vogel. While Lara's out to uncover the secrets her father sought out, Mattias has an agenda all on his own, and both will collide after Lara finds herself shipwrecked in that very same region.

Lara Croft

The character of Lara Croft, and her origins, have changed throughout the three eras of storytelling that Tomb Raider's video game equivalent has evolved through. In the third era, which was started with the 2013 game this film has based itself on, Lara has had experience on archaeological digs since she was a child, but ended after her mother disappeared during one expedition, leading her father to allegedly take his own life years after that fact. We can already see how the film will start to re-write this history, as Lord Richard Croft will disappear during an expedition of his own, which spurs Ms. Croft to undertake this film's adventure. This time out, Lara will be played by Academy Award winner Alicia Vikander, who is best known for her role as Ava in Ex Machina, and for her award-winning turn in The Danish Girl.

Lord Richard Croft

Born into nobility, Lord Richard Croft has primarily been known as an archaeologist throughout the three eras of Tomb Raider lore. That has changed, as Lord Richard now also has a thriving corporate presence in his company, Croft Holdings, thanks to the latest film. While the latest video games depict Lord Richard Croft as someone who was not around much for Lara, the version of the role played by Dominic West looks like it retcons that in favor of a warm man that Lara has many fond memories of. This character was previously played by Jon Voight in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, back when his real life daughter, Angelina Jolie, held the role of Lara.

The Croft Family History

On the outside, Lord Richard Croft and his family looked like the usual success story. Richard was born into nobility, and eventually built up a business empire with Croft Holdings. But Tomb Raider's third age plotline also tells a story about family, more specifically that of Richard and his wife Amelia, whom he'd met while studying at Oxford University. The two hit it off, and soon they were married and had their daughter Lara, completing their family of archaeologists. However, the family would be torn apart, as the game series saw Amelia die in a plane crash, which led to Richard searching for her in the mountains. There's no indication in the film's marketing materials if we'll see Amelia in the film, but Richard and Lara's relationship is still pretty strong by what we've seen so far.

Trinity

An organization known to trade in artifacts of great power, Trinity looks forward to a world where they are the true leaders and prophets of the word of God. Dating back to 978 A.D., the organization has been known to have ties to the Vatican, and they even crossed paths with the Nazis on Yamatai, the country where the Tomb Raider reboot takes place. Their aim is to resurrect the Sun Queen Himiko, who had the power to jump from body to body in order to maintain her rule over Yamatai, and their organization is similar in scope, power, and resources to that of the Illuminati.

Mattias Vogel

Trapped on an island in the Devil's Sea for seven years, Mattias Vogel seems to have been planning, and plotting, revenge against the man who he says put him there: Lord Richard Croft. So, naturally, this villain played by Walton Goggins is going to want to lash out against young Lara, when she arrives in search of Lord Richard herself. In third age game lore, the closest counterpart to this character is Father Mattias - a member of the Solarii Brotherhood who ran afoul of Trinity, as he was obsessed with unlocking the powers of a local deity. However, the film looks to have possibly made him a part of the Trinity ranks, as a way of conflating the two groups together into one unified adversary. Much like the video game incarnation, Mattias looks to be searching for an artifact of power that'll help him get home, and conquer civilization in the process.

Ana Miller

Played by Kristen Scott-Thomas, Ana Miller is a friend of Lord Richard Croft and currently works for his company, Croft Holdings. Not much else is known about her character at this point, but looking back at the games, we may have an idea where she's heading. Ms. Miller may be a reinterpretation of Ana, a former associate / lover of Lord Richard Croft in the third age Tomb Raider reboot game. Should this be the case, Ana Miller might be a surprise villain in either this film, or a future sequel, as she is a member of Trinity in the 2013 game. Not only that, she's the assassin tasked with killing Lord Richard, but given the re-write Mattias seems to have been given, he might have gained the more negative aspects of this character, leaving Scott-Thomas's Ana to be a positive role model / supporter for Lara.

Lu Ren

Throughout the Tomb Raider franchise, Lara Croft has had various friends and allies that have helped her make her way through whatever adventures cropped up throughout her life. In the case of the 2018 reboot film though, it looks like a totally new character has been invented to assist her. Lu Ren, the captain of the boat that takes Lara to the Devil's Sea, is her sidekick this time out, and he's played by Daniel Wu. Wu is best known from AMC's Into The Badlands, but has also recently been spotted in Warcraft and Geostorm, so it looks like Lu will be more than able to keep up with Lara's chaotic and adventurous lifestyle.

Sony may be full steam ahead in bringing the adventure video game series Uncharted to the big screen, but Warner Bros. has been silently chipping away at making its own video game adaptation about an adventurous archeologist. The Tomb Raider reboot has its hero in the form of Alicia Vikander, and now they have just found the actor who will play a key figure in the upcoming adaptation. Actor Dominic West has been cast in the role of Lara Croft's father.

The Hollywood Reporter has learned that Dominic West has been cast as Lord Richard Croft, the father of classic video game heroine, Lara Croft. Richard Croft is a key figure in the Tomb Raider mythos and he was previously played by Jon Voight in the Angelina Jolie-led Tomb Raider movies. In the reboot, Lara sets out on her first expedition in order to finish her father's research and clear his disgraced name.

The movie takes some of its inspiration from the recent Tomb Raider video games from Square Enix, wherein Richard Croft believed in the supernatural and died in disgrace. Lara, who didn't believe her father, sets out to find a mythical island from his research and finds more than she bargained for when she and her crew are left stranded. Vengeful ghosts, a supernatural storm, and murderous cultists soon prove that her father wasn't so crazy after all. In the games, Richard was present mostly through flashbacks and voiceovers, but the film version will be a bit more ambiguous and center around Lara exploring if he is actually alive.

Dominic West has a number of roles under his belt and is perhaps best known for his parts as Theron in 300 and Detective James McNulty in The Wire. He currently stars in HBO's The Affair, which is airing its third season. Coincidentally, this will not be the first time West has played Vikander's father; he held the same role in the film Testament of Youth.

Dominic West joins a so far small cast that includes Vikander, Walton Goggins (Vice Principals) and Daniel Wu (Into the Badlands). Goggins plays the antagonist of the film, while Wu plays Lu Ren, a ship captain who partners up with Lara. The reboot is directed by Roar Uthaug (The Wave) with a script penned by Geneva Robertson-Dworet.

This new Tomb Raider movie is shaping up quite nicely in the cast department, and if it's anything like the recent video games, audiences could be in for a real treat with this one. The film is currently scheduled to release on March 16, 2018. Make sure to keep it here at CinemaBlend and we'll be sure to keep you updated on all things Tomb Raider when that information becomes available.

Fans of The Wire who dreamt that the show would one day have a reunion can kind of rejoice! Dominic West has confirmed he will voice a character in Pixar’s Finding Dory alongside Idris Elba, a fellow alumni of HBO’s critically lavished drama.

During a discussion with Shortlist , West revealed that the hugely anticipated sequel to Finding Nemo will have a Baltimore vibe flowing throughout it. "We’re both in the sequel to Finding Nemo," declared the actor when probed, "so we were recording that."

There’s not too much more to glean from West’s remarks, but the fact that he noted the pair recorded their vocal efforts alongside each other would suggest that their characters will appear on screen together.

Does this mean that there will be references to Bubbles, Carver, Lester and Omar dotted throughout the Pixar adventure? You’d hope so, but they will probably be hidden in amongst the numerous other anticipated Finding Dory Easter Eggs. What I’m saying is that you shouldn't expect West and Elba’s characters to be animated versions of Jimmy McNulty and Stringer Bell.

West’s McNulty and Elba’s Bell were two of the main characters of David Simon’s outrageously awesome The Wire, which revolved around the impact of drugs in the city of Baltimore. West stuck around for every season of the show, while Elba was a key figure for the first three seasons until his character, spoiler alert, met a rather unsavoury end.

Since then it’s probably fair to say that Elba has been cast in more prominent roles than his fellow Brit. Luther, Thor, 28 Weeks Later, Rocknrolla and Pacific Rim have each benefited from his talents. But that’s not to say that West hasn’t had his share of impressive roles too, with his turns in The Hour, Appropriate Adult, and Centurion drawing praise too.

Finding Dory is set to hit theaters on June 17, 2016, and most of the ensemble are set to return for the follow-up. Albert Brooks, Ellen DeGeneres, Willem Dafoe, and Alison Janney have confirmed their appearances, and Marlin, Nemo and the entire Tank Gang who helped to free Nemo from the clutches of P. Sherman’s niece, Darla, will also feature prominently as well

Further details regarding the film are still at a minimum, but Pixar has confirmed that it will be set just off the Californian coast a year after the antics of Finding Nemo, and will revolve around Dory trying to find her family.

Fellow newcomers Diane Keaton and Eugene Levy will play Dory’s mother and father, Jenny and Charlie, while It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia’s Kaitlin Olson will voice Dory’s adopted sister, who just so happens to be a killer whale. Where Dominic West and Idris Elba will fit into Finding Dory’s eclectic ensemble remains to be seen, but if one of them doesn’t shout out "5-O" then their casting will be seen as a wasted opportunity.

Dominic West may be headed back to pay-cable. The Wire actor has been tapped to star in Showtime's drama pilot The Affair, about a married man and father whose life changes drastically when he meets a woman he thinks might be his soul mate. Judging by the title, things progress - or regress, depending on your point of view on infidelity - substantially from there.

The Affair is written by Sara Treem, based on a comment by Treem and Hagai Levi. It's described as a "provocative, one-hour relationship drama," which will be told separately from the male and female perspective. Showtime announced today that West will play the male lead, Noah, a good husband, devoted father of four and New York City high school teacher who encounters a woman he feels connected with. He'll presumably get caught up in a relationship with her.

West is credited for a number of feature roles, including The Forgotten, 300 and Rock Star, but many of us know him best for his lead role in HBO's The Wire, playing Jimmy McNulty. Since then, he went on to star in BBC's The Hour. Should The Affair go to series, that'll not only put him back on U.S. television, but also in a starring role on a premium cable channel. Though this one sounds like it'll be very different in tone than The Wire, it's going with a great male lead. Now we'll just have to wait and see who's cast to star opposite him as the woman Noah falls for.

Right now I'm midway through Season 3 of The Wire, which means that when I first sat down to talk to Dominic West, I told him straight-up not to spoil anything about the series for me. We weren't there to talk about The Wire, of course, but about John Carter, the new epic adventure in which West plays the villainous Sab Than, engaged through an arranged marriage with our heroine Dejah Thoris (Lynn Collins) but also hellbent on taking over Mars thanks to a slick new weapon and some ambition handed down to him by a mysterious, godlike figure (Mark Strong). Even if you've watched every single episode of The Wire it might be hard to recognize Jimmy McNulty in John Carter-- West spends most of the film in a revealing leather warrior outfit, with a deep fake tan and red tattoos to mark him as a Martian citizen. He's a long, long way from Baltimore, it's safe to say.

And yet, after a winter of blazing through The Wire on DVD, it was plenty surreal to sit down with West on a sunny patio in Arizona, where Disney had gathered the cast of John Carter for a massive press junket. I actually talked to West twice, once on camera, and below you can see our quick on-camera interview, as well as the transcript of our longer conversation. West, who just wrapped up a stint playing Iago in Othello in London (opposite his The Wire co-star Clarke Peters), talks about the nature of Sab Than's blunt, childish villainy, the slightly goofy experience of British actors on massive American films like this one, and the bachelor vacation he took out West when he wrapped filming on John Carter, even though he jokes that he told his wife they were still working hard.

Check out both interviews below, and see West in John Carter this Friday.

You and Idris Elba gave everybody such a kick watching the Golden Globes, when you guys hugged when he won the award. The internet blew up when that happened.

Did it? Oh good. It's funny at those things, as much as you want to win an award, at the time you're just desperate not to have to make a speech or a joke, so you're desperate for someone else to win. I was genuinely delighted for him. I was mad for him to win anyway, because it's rarer and rarer that we get to meet up, and I talked to him quite a lot that night, so it's always a good thing.

That opening scene of John Carter felt kind of like a new scene, because it opens with you instead of the actual title character. Was that a reshoot?

No, we shot that originally. I can't quite remember if it was in the script in that order, maybe they stuck it on. But I must have noticed when I read it, "Oh, I'm the first person to be seen." No, it was absolutely part of the original thing. The reshoots really weren't significant. Certainly from my point of view there was nothing that changed anything, it was mainly filling in things. But I was delighted that I was opening. It was my big scene!

You can get your family to come and they can just leave after that.

Yeah, like I was in Chicago and I got shot in the first two minutes, it was great, everybody could leave.

You and Mark Strong are up on that ship through a lot of the movie. Was that just you guys on the set in London, surrounded by a thousand extras?

No, there was a lot of me being on that ship, fighting hard, sweating, really earning my keep, lots of difficult choreographed moves. Then he would sweep in, in his dressing pajamas, and be God. His job was really easy. And he said it was hot inside that outfit, but who cares, it wasn't nearly as difficult as my armor. It's always so funny when you get a bunch of English actors, and there were quite a few in John Carter, let loose on an epic American project like this. We just feel so utterly inadequate. Not inadequate, but the tendency is to get very camp and stuff, and go a bit silly.

When you're out in Utah on the set, is it even more of a transition, like British actors stuck in a Western?

Yes. You just can't believe your luck being allowed to participate in this thing. We had a grew time, and I stayed on for a couple of weeks afterwards, I loved it so much. I went around Bryce Canyon, Grand Canyon. I told my wife we were still working hard…

Taylor Kitsch has talked about how he killed himself physically for the role, but you're scantily dressed too. Did you go into a lot of training too?

No, I didn't. It's just brilliant design. The costume, actually you see very little of me, thank God. Except the occasional embarrassing lack of bicep. Taylor was really naked throughout in every way, and thank God he looked so good. If I had been naked there would have been no contest for Dejah's hand.

Knowing you were going to be up against this brawny guy like Taylor in this fight scene, did you feel the pressure to bulk up?

Not once I got the costume on. Once you've got that on, you feel like a superhero. It's like American football gear, it comes out in all the right places and covers all the right places. You do feel like a superhero.

And you had to do the long hours in the makeup chair, for all the red tattoos.

Yeah. I got them to agree to let me lie down on a bed. I'd get in at 6 and sleep until 8. It was great.

Had you done hardcore makeup like that before?

I did a thing called The Punisher, where I had a complete head encased in prosthetics, and that was 2 hours. That was awful. It was in Montreal, it was minus-40 and we were shooting at night. Actually we had a great time, for some reason. I was sort of used to the makeup, and this was a piece of cake compared to that.

What kind of villain is Sab Than? He doesn't really get all the good lines, like Iago or something. Where does his villainy come from?

I suppose the evil delight in destruction, which I think we can all relate to. Anyone who gets a gun in their hand gets this visceral sense of power, "I could take over the world! "That's what connects them, and that's wha tI liked about Sab Than. He's a kid in a sweets shop, getting the biggest toy and being frustrated by some authority figure that he wasn't able to use it at will. There weren't a lot of lines, there was enough situations of him being able to moan about 'Come on, let me kill everyone!"

When you get into a character like this, do you take it home with you? Or is it about getting to set and getting in costume and going from there?

I think it's that. I took it home in that I was covered in those tattoos for about 4 months, and the bed was covered in fake tan. With that character, with most characters actually, because I'm lazy and also because I"m fairly experienced, you go with your gut response to a character and your instinct with a character, which means you don't have to prepare or think too much about it.

Even playing Iago, something that's that complicated?

That was trickier because he's just so black in his outlook. Even that there's a relish or delight in his evil. But I did find him getting to me eventually. I was glad to get away. You do start giving vent to all your jealous feelings. But Sab Than, no, I didn't feel any more than I normally do that I want to kill everyone and take over the world.

BBC AMERICA just announced that it will up their presence on this side of the Atlantic by creating a new series devoted to the promotion of the best hour-long dramas that Britain has to offer... meaning, some promising new (and returning) shows for us to start watching.

The new series (or I guess series' bookmark) is called Dramaville and will be hosted by Golden Globe nominee and all around bad-ass Idris Elba. So every week, good old Idris will intro(and outro)duce the BBC series of the evening, the first of which happens on Wednesday, August 17, 10:00 p.m. ET/PT. I guess it's kind of like Turner Classic Movies with Robert Osborne but focused on British TV dramas instead of golden age films.

Dramaville will initiate it's run by airing The Hour, a six part, conspiracy thriller set in the 1950s starring Dominic West and Ben Whishaw. After it's six episodes, Luther will step into the slot (meaning Elba will be introducing Elba... told you he was a bad-ass) to continue it's exploration of Elba's John Luther, a broken down cop battling personal demons.

Lastly, after the completion of that season of the gritty police drama, we get another gritty police drama, this time set in contemporary East London and set against the "shadow of Jack the Ripper and the infamous Kray Twins of the 1960s." I don't know what that means exactly (copycat killers?) but the show's called Whitechapel and it stars Rupert Penry-Jones and Phil Davis.

Dramaville debuts on BBC AMERICA August 17, 10:00 p.m. ET/PT with The Hour, followed by Luther on October 5 and Whitechapel November 2, 2011.