‘Mary & George’ director says he learned “a lot about orgies” while working on the “X-rated” romp
Mary & George—one of our most anticipated show’s of the year—a full month before we do in the states.Actually, a lucky few got an even earlier peek when Mary & George made its world premiere this week in London, and now that reviews and first reactions are rolling in, it’s sound just as wildly shady and horny as we hoped.The series is based on the “true” (depending on who you ask) story of Mary Villiers, Countess of Buckingham (Julianne Moore), who after the loss of her husband resorts to desperate measures to hold onto her power in early 17th century England, namely: using her son George (Nicholas Galitzine) as a honeypot for the infamously promiscuous and sexually fluid King James VI and I (Tony Curran).Subscribe to our daily newsletter for your front-row seat to all things entertainment with a sprinkle of everything else queer.Trailers for Mary & George teased a gorgeously lush period piece with a decidedly modern spin, all foul-mouthed and whip-smart and extremely laissez-faire about sex.
Galitzine—fresh off a breakout year in Red, White & Royal Blue and Bottoms—seems to have thrown himself into all sorts of compromising positions for the role, and from the looks of it, the Oscar-winning Moore gets her fair share of queer entanglements, too.And, guess what?
It sounds like the series lives up to the hype, providing “everything you want in a period romp,” per The Guardian.It’s Nicholas Galitzine’s world, and we’re just stanning in it!In its four-star review, The Evening Standard provides even more details about what’s in store for this apparently “X-rated” (their words) series: “There are orgies, a penis swinging in the shadows, and an intimate look at how George, er, prepares himself for the king.” They also add that “literally everyone is shagging” throughout, which gives the episodes “a lively, thrillerish quality.”Both stars seem to be earning high praise for their work, too.
