Becoming Elizabeth is the story of Queen Elizabeth I before she wore the crown. Alicia von Rittberg stars as Elizabeth Tudor in the new STARZ drama series, which premieres on June 12. For those that have seen the Virgin Queen onscreen before, get ready for a whole new glimpse at the iconic royal.
Alicia told HollywoodLife EXCLUSIVELY that she “fell in love” with Becoming Elizabeth because it’s everything “you do not expect. You might think it’s a glossy, princess-y world, but it is so dark and it’s so lonely and it’s so brutal because the show starts when her father just died, and she has to find her place in a very dangerous world.”
When Elizabeth’s father, King Henry VIII dies, his young son Edward becomes king for a brief period. Elizabeth and her siblings, Edward and Mary, must navigate a treacherous world where they are united by blood but divided by the crown. The complicated dynamics between the Tudor siblings will be a focal point of the series.
“I think the beautiful, beautiful thing about the script is that there is no black and white. There are no villains. There are no heroes,” Alicia said. She noted that the series showcases the “complexity of family affairs and relationships between siblings is just so, so brilliantly portrayed and written. I think that is something that is going to be most surprising for people to see as well…”
Thomas Seymour, played by Tom Cullen in the series, is a key character in Becoming Elizabeth. There has been speculation about a romantic relationship between Thomas Seymour and a teenage Elizabeth throughout history. Alicia weighed in on what Elizabeth may find intriguing about Thomas and how their dynamic proves how “difficult and complex” those early years must have been for her.
The actress pointed out that it’s not about just that Thomas is “handsome,” but he’s “also someone who takes her in and takes care of her during a very difficult and lonely time for her.” Whether there was someone like Thomas who is “willingly or unwillingly taking advantage of that just shows how difficult and complex her early years must have been.” Becoming Elizabeth will air Sundays on STARZ.