JULIANNE MOORE IS making an entrance. She sweeps into the grand banqueting room of a royal palace of King James VI and I (actually Hatfield House, just off Junction 3 of the A1M) resplendent in full make-up, a billowy dress and an exaggerated ruff, with highly coiffed and vertiginous hair. Compared to the more modestly dressed courtiers, dignitaries and hangers-on who fill the room, she stands out. Heads are turning. Any potential tension dissipates, however, as soon as Moore breezily introduces herself to the assembled extras. “Hi, I’m Julie!” she says.
It’s a bright, crisp morning in February 2023 when Empire visits the set of Mary & George, Sky’s bold new seven-episode period-drama miniseries. This well-preserved Jacobean mansion, an hour-and-a-bit outside of London, has been almost entirely commandeered by the vast, deep-pocketed production. A huge marquee has sprung up in the 42-acre grounds, to accommodate hundreds of extras. As many as 80 costume-makers have been recruited just to create the period dress. (Costume designer Annie Symons explains to Empire that “the Jacobean period has never been done on telly before. There’s just nothing to hire. So we’ve had to make it all ourselves”.)