Game of Thrones star Natalie Dormer made an indelible mark on the world of status tv together with her crafty, politically savvy portrayal of Margaery Tyrell. Launched in Recreation of Thrones season 2, Margaery grew to become a fan favourite for her sharp mind, poised demeanor, and her means to outlive (if solely briefly) within the harmful net of Westerosi politics. Nonetheless, Dormer’s command of courtly intrigue wasn’t new when she arrived in Westeros. In reality, two years earlier than her Recreation of Thrones debut, she was already making waves in one other royal court docket – this time rooted in actual historical past.
Lengthy earlier than Margaery Tyrell was enjoying the most dangerous game in the Seven Kingdoms, Natalie Dormer was portraying one in every of England’s most notorious queens. As Anne Boleyn, Dormer introduced depth, complexity, and fashionable relevance to a determine usually diminished to a tragic stereotype. Her efficiency stood out in a sequence that was already full of compelling characters and opulent storytelling. For Recreation of Thrones followers who appreciated Margaery’s strategic brilliance and private resilience, Dormer’s earlier royal function presents a captivating parallel, one which unfolded not within the fictional realm of Westeros, however within the lavish, politically charged world of The Tudors.
Natalie Dormer Performed Anne Boleyn In The Tudors
Dormer’s Portrayal Of Anne Boleyn Helped Outline The Tudors As A Provocative And Unforgettable Historic Drama
Two years earlier than her GoT debut, Natalie Dormer starred as Anne Boleyn in The Tudors, the critically acclaimed historic drama that aired on Showtime from 2007 to 2010. Set throughout the reign of King Henry VIII, the sequence explored the political and private turmoil of the Tudor court docket, with Dormer’s Anne Boleyn taking middle stage within the present’s first two seasons. Whereas The Tudors took some dramatic liberties with historic occasions, it captured the essence of Tudor-era energy struggles with a contemporary sensibility, and Natalie Dormer’s efficiency as Anne Boleyn was a serious purpose for its success.
Relatively than play the character as a seductress or a pawn, Dormer offered Anne as a posh determine who believed deeply in her spiritual convictions and in her capability to form the world round her.
As Anne Boleyn, Natalie Dormer introduced excess of simply the sweetness and appeal the actual historic determine was identified for to the function. Dormer’s Anne Boleyn was clever, defiant, and politically astute – a girl aware of her affect and decided to make use of it. Relatively than play the character as a seductress or a pawn, Dormer offered Anne as a posh determine who believed deeply in her spiritual convictions and in her capability to form the world round her. Her dynamic with Jonathan Rhys Meyers’ Henry VIII was electrical, full of ardour, ambition, and finally, betrayal.
Game of Thrones star Natalie Dormer was solely in her mid-20s when she took on the function in The Tudors, however she held her personal reverse seasoned performers and commanded consideration in each scene. Her portrayal reworked Anne Boleyn from a historic footnote into a totally realized character, one whose rise and fall felt tragically inevitable. Over the course of two seasons, Dormer charted Anne’s journey from daring courtier to doomed queen with each vulnerability and fierce intelligence.
The Tudors was identified for its daring storytelling strategy and luxurious, visually placing aesthetic. Dormer’s Anne Boleyn grew to become its breakout character, with followers and critics alike praising the nuance and energy she delivered to the function. Her efficiency helped redefine Anne within the public creativeness and laid the groundwork for the equally complicated and crafty Margaery Tyrell.
How Anne Boleyn Is Comparable (And Totally different) To Recreation Of Thrones’ Margaery Tyrell
Dormer’s Two Most Well-known Characters Share Sharp Minds And Tragic Fates, However Their Energy Performs Unfold In Very Totally different Worlds
Whereas Anne Boleyn and Margaery Tyrell lived in completely different universes – one historic, one fantasy – Recreation of Thrones star Natalie Dormer imbued each ladies with a way of intelligence, ambition, and emotional depth that connects them throughout time. Every girl rises to prominence by way of marriage, appeal, and political calculation. Each discover themselves on the mercy of highly effective males and treacherous court docket politics, and each finally pay the worth for navigating these worlds too skillfully.
Margaery Tyrell’s energy lies in her means to govern notion.
She tasks innocence and beauty, however she’s at all times one step forward, utilizing her alliances and public picture to achieve affect. Anne Boleyn, as Dormer portrayed her, wields an analogous sort of mushy energy, however with the added weight of non secular and cultural reform. Her affect wasn’t simply political; it was religious and ideological, making her much more harmful within the eyes of her enemies.
Margaery in GoT performs the lengthy sport with appeal and subtlety, whereas Anne Boleyn in The Tudors burns extra brightly and extra rapidly
There’s additionally a captivating duality in how every character pertains to femininity and public notion. Margaery weaponizes the idea of the perfect queen – compassionate, lovely, beloved by the individuals – whereas Anne always battles expectations of what a girl in energy must be. Natalie Dormer highlights this distinction in each performances. Margaery in GoT performs the lengthy sport with appeal and subtlety, whereas Anne Boleyn in The Tudors burns extra brightly and extra rapidly, unafraid to problem the king himself and to claim her voice in personal and political spheres.

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But, whereas Margaery’s downfall in Recreation of Thrones is available in a dramatic act of violence, Anne Boleyn’s is slower and extra tragic. Simply as in actual life, Anne Boleyn’s destiny in The Tudors rooted in betrayal, false costs, and a miscarriage of justice. Each characters meet their ends unfairly, punished not for crimes however for being too influential, too intelligent, and too unbiased. Dormer’s means to painting such layered, strategic, and finally doomed ladies makes each roles unforgettable. Via these performances, she carved out a singular area of interest in status tv – one which balances historic realism and emotional resonance with Shakespearean ranges of drama.
What Natalie Dormer Has Mentioned About Enjoying Royalty
Dormer Has Spoken Candidly About Portraying Highly effective Girls And Difficult How Historical past Remembers Them
Natalie Dormer has by no means been shy about addressing the challenges – and tasks – that include enjoying iconic ladies from each historical past and fantasy. In a 2013 interview, the Recreation of Thrones star spoke brazenly about her portrayal of Anne Boleyn in The Tudors, and the misconceptions that always encompass the notorious queen (through ohnotheydidnt). Natalie Dormer rejected the standard femme fatale archetype, saying, “I didn’t need to play her as this femme fatale – she was a real evangelical with an actual spiritual perception within the Reformation.”
This assertion reveals how severely Natalie Dormer took the duty of portraying Anne with depth and authenticity. Relatively than cut back her to a manipulative seductress, Dormer emphasised Anne’s mental convictions and political consciousness. This strategy elevated the function past historic melodrama and allowed her to embody a girl forward of her time – one who was finally destroyed by the very system she tried to navigate.
Natlie Dormer additionally commented on the systemic erasure of highly effective ladies, each in historical past and in modern society. “Anne actually influenced the world, behind closed doorways, however she’s given no specific credit score as a result of she wasn’t protected,” she mentioned including:
“Let’s not overlook, too, that historical past was written by males. And even now, in our post-feminist period we nonetheless have ladies battle in public positions of energy.”
These remarks provide a transparent connection between Anne Boleyn and Margaery Tyrell – two ladies who formed their worlds from behind the scenes, but have been denied recognition and safety. Her alternative of roles displays a deep curiosity in exploring the complexities of feminine energy, particularly in patriarchal methods. Whether or not within the fictional realm of Westeros or the court docket of Henry VIII, Dormer gravitates towards characters who problem societal norms and carve their very own paths, even when these paths result in tragic ends.
By bringing these layered performances to life, Recreation of Thrones and The Tudors star Natalie Dormer has contributed to a broader dialog about how ladies are portrayed – not solely on display, however within the pages of historical past and fable.

- Launch Date
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2011 – 2019-00-00
- Showrunner
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David Benioff, D.B. Weiss
- Administrators
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David Nutter, Alan Taylor, D.B. Weiss, David Benioff