Could your baby be the next star of The Tudors?
NEWBORN: Hit show's casting call
TOP CAST: Jonathan Rhys Meyers plays Henry VII
Parents expecting a baby in July are being asked to offer up their newborns to the King of England.
The makers of the Tudors are looking for some tiny babies to star as the heir to King Henry VIII -- played by Cork actor Jonathan Rhys Meyers.
As history tells the tale, King Henry bore four children, but only recognised his male heir, Edward VI, who was conceived by his third wife, Jane Seymour.
The hit show, which is broadcast around the world, is filmed in Ardmore Studios in Bray.
The lucky baby who gets the part as the young Edward VI will be starring in one of the most popular shows ever filmed in Ireland, and will be amongst a strong Irish cast.
Legendary Irish actor Peter O'Toole played the Pope in the last series, and singer turned actress Maria Doyle Kennedy played Henry's first wife, Catherine of Aragon.
The show celebrated success this year, winning seven of the eight IFTA's it was nominated for, including best actor for Rhys Meyers. It also gained recognition across the water with two Golden Globe nominations and even won two Emmys -- one for costume design and another for its title music.
EXECUTION
The third series will pick up with the execution of his second wife Anne Boleyn, after she failed to produce a male heir.
Fans of the show will know that the King already has a son, Henry Fitzroy, by his mistress, Lady Elizabeth Blount, who cannot be named as an heir, as he was not conceived through a wife.
It has been well noted throughout history, and indeed the first two series of the show, that the King did not want to hand over his throne to a daughter, so the breakdown of his first two marriages are a direct result of their failures to produce a son.
The birth of the son he has wished for in the past two series will be short-lived, however, as despite providing him with the son he always wanted, his wife Jane Seymour dies of an infection shortly after giving birth.
For those interested in their son becoming the future Prince, and heir to the throne, you can e-mail tudorextras@ yahoo.co.uk, or post your details to Tudors Casting, Ardmore Studios, Herbert Road, Bray, Co Wicklow.
- Nicola Bardon
