There have been a few cast changes in Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light, and Lady Jane Rochford is one of those changes. Jessica Raine played the role in the original series, but fans were shocked to see a change of face in the Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light season premiere.
Lydia Leonard has taken on the role, and she certainly commands the screen well. You’ll know her from the likes of Gentleman Jack and The Crown, and now she takes on the role of the ill-fated noblewoman. While we likely won’t see the end of her story due to this being Thomas Cromwell’s story, things don’t end well for Rochford as she ends up in the middle of another queen’s downfall.
Why didn’t Jessica Raine reprise her role from Wolf Hall?
Raine stood out as a brilliant Lady Rochford in the original series, that many were excited to see her back in this role. So, why wouldn’t she come back?
While nobody has officially stated the reason, it looks like conflicting schedules was likely the reason. We have to remember that Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light was filming in 2022 and into 2023, which was when Raine was involved on another project. She starred opposite Peter Capaldi in the supernatural thriller The Devil’s Hour.
With a conflict of schedules, Wolf Hall likely needed to do what it could to prevent the project from being delayed any further. Like with Tom Holland, recasting the role was the better choice.
It’s also possible that Raine chose not to return. Radio Times has previously reported that Raine doesn’t sign onto long-running projects because she can get bored easily, but it’s more likely that she just didn’t have the space in her schedule.
MORE: Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light almost didn't happen
Lydia Leonard has played a different role in another Bringing Up the Bodies adaptation
Wolf Hall isn’t the first time that Hilary Mantel’s novel, Bringing Up the Bodies, has been adapted. There was also a stage adaptation, and this is where you can see Leonard take on another role. She played Anne Boleyn in that production, and you can see that she would have made a great Anne Boleyn considering her role as Lady Jane Rochford.
Rochford is in a tough spot in Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light. She was one of those turning against the Boleyns, and George just happened to be her husband. It’s not surprising that a lot of people don’t trust her, but Thomas Cromwell does, and we can see the two forming some sort of an alliance. Will it be strong enough to protect them both? Well, we all know how history ends!
Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light airs on Sundays at 9/8c on PBS.
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