From the elusive Olyvar in Game of Thrones to Theo Tuck in Industry to Christopher Dean in Torvill and Dean. Now, stepping into a new prestigious territory, Tudor will be appearing in the television adaption of the Anthony Horowitz book, Moonflower Murders. He will also be portraying Edward Seymour in Wolf Hall: The Mirror and Light. 

Speaking to Tudor on a rather politically subdued Wednesday morning, we spoke about all things from Game of Thrones to Wolf Hall to his “paint stripping” wine tastes.

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Obviously, it’s been an interesting day today in politics. How do you, as someone with a public platform, navigate being political?

That’s a really good question. It’s a very difficult thing. I was told to be careful with political stuff because no matter what you say you will alienate 50% of your audience. Which is not to say, sometimes it’s important to stand up for things because there’s a platform. I must admit, where I fall is I don’t think of myself as a politician. I get to do what I love. That’s what I promote. Some stuff even if I feel strongly, I might go, ‘It’s not my place’. It’s a difficult line. Nothing is easy anymore. There are no clear answers.

There’s also something about hearing out people you disagree with too. I think it’s good to explore a viewpoint which differs from your own.

I miss the ability to have a conversation when the stakes aren’t as high. This may sound highfalutin, but I am a bit of a philosopher and a scientist when it comes to thinking. I like exploring the idea for the sake of exploring it. It’s a privileged position to be able to withdraw oneself. It’s great value in exploring it from a dispassionate position. Most of these issues, the whole thing is you can’t be dispassionate because it affects lives, and it affects their loved ones. It becomes complicated. The position of not taking a stance is a position itself. People feel like you’re not helping.

You’ve got a very nuanced perspective on these matters. Do you have a background outside of acting?

I have a degree in English literature, and I have a degree in acting. I did two subsequent BA degrees. So, I’m Will Tudor BA BA. I had the best time at university. It was a special time. We all know an English degree is not the most useful of degrees. Having said that, it’s also the degree where you learn so much about life. Art is a distillation of life. Addressing these novels in a critical way has informed the way my brain works. For example, I’m giving essay answers right now and that’s absolutely contributed to that degree [laughs].

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[Laughs] It’s come in handy, put it that way. So, did you do the drama degree immediately afterwards? Did you have a gap year?

I missed out on the gap year experience because I knew when I left school, I wanted to be an actor, but I also wasn’t ready to be an actor yet. I thought I should take time to learn who I am.

You have to have those years of partying and drinking the worst booze though.

Some of the booze I’d drink I now shudder. I used to drink the basic cooking wine.  [Laughs]. Now it tastes like it would strip paint.  

So, you did English at university. Had the years of paint stripping wine, then went to drama school?

I knew I wanted to do it. So, I applied at the end of university then got into a few. But went to Central School of Speech and Drama. It’s very different from anything else. I sometimes look back at things now and consider the way my brain works is completely different now. Acting requires you to step into another person’s shoes. I’m curious about what it does to someone’s identity when you live as another person for six months. I think my identity is fine. I’m just interested in it.

Have you met actors who don’t have a sense of identity outside of work?

Acting is informed by the life you lead in between it. You’re not living your life fully if you’re living just to audition and work. This would mean you don’t have resources to draw on. What I’ve learnt from watching them work is there is a different approach for every actor. The other thing to say is, I think actors can be guarded when they must bear all on screen. It can be something they want to protect that one bit of themselves.

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What do you do in the in-between?

I really like cooking. The go-to dish is this Chorizo and Chickpea stew. But you can only have that in winter. It’s coming into the right season. So, I can finally eat again. I’m really into film and theatre. It’s nice when the job is allied to one’s hobbies. I love nature. It’s my most peaceful state. Surrounded by trees and mountains.

I always find nature balances you out. It levels you. Noticing that these things are a lot bigger and taller than you. Do you find you get that in London?

Every square half mile in London is a different feel. I’ve ended up in Dulwich. I ended up here because with the turn of time, the opportunities that came up. When I left drama school, I decided to live south. It’s green and leafy. Finding where to live is one of the most challenging things and I’m very bad at making decisions.

So am I. I call up three or four people before I make any decision in my life.

If I have any big decision, like buying a car or whatever. It takes like three years. Because I’ll be researching. I’d probably be happier if I just did it straight away.

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So straight out the gates of drama school did you get Game of Thrones?

It was probably April after I left. I did a radio play, then a small part in a drama. I was lucky I did work out the gate. It’s that weird time dilation thing. Back then, it spread out over a long time.

How did Thrones change your trajectory?

It was the third season. People in the industry were talking and saying it was a good show to get on. I had just binged the first two series. Then I got in on the third. Then [the show] it really hit.

They got big names on it. I was incredibly fortunate. I hit it at the perfect time. It was a role that was initially going to be that series. Then they wrote me in for a further two. You can never predict these things. I feel privileged that this happened at a time before streamers. You can now get a massive show, and it goes on a streamer which a quarter of the population have. You don’t get the rolling thing. Unless it’s a huge show. I also watched it back recently. It holds up.

It could never be re-made, I think.

I think that’s true. We’re in the age of the re-make with no new IP. There’s some. It’s refreshing when something comes. There’s only a certain number of stories that can be told.

A lot of shows I watch I will know what’s going to happen. Because it’s a traditional arc. While you can sit in the cinema feeling smug, it means nothing surprises. But when a film does that stops you remembering you’re an actor. That’s a special moment. I see through the magic sometimes. Like I wonder where they lit that from.

Have you seen The Substance? It hits all those beats for me.

I haven’t. I will now though. Thanks.

So, you’ve done Wolf Hall recently. When did you start on that?

We started rehearsals in October last year. Then it wrapped in March. I’d just come off the bat of another project, so I had to reset my brain for it. I was sitting in a rehearsal room with my favourite actors. Mark Rylance, Damian Lewis, Timothy Spall.

What were they like to work with? Were you intimidated?

I was very nervous. But I’ve been doing this long enough that I wouldn’t notice myself being intimidated. Apprehensive for sure. You want to make a good impression. It does force you to focus on yourself a bit. When you’re in a room with them, you have to bring it. It’s the best of British talent. I just felt lucky to be in that room. You can learn so much from watching the greats.

Then when it came to working on set. Costumes, sets. It’s a prestige drama. I can’t say enough how much it feels like a dream. Equally, it’s very important for me to welcome that in. Enjoy it. I’ve been working a long time; this thing has come along. I need to enjoy it.

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Your character is Edward Seymour. Who is he in relation to the story?

He is the brother of Jane Seymour who is Henry VIII’s third wife. We see Henry marrying her on the same day his wife Anne Boleyn was beheaded. [Seymour’s] His family has been through scandal, and he is now the head of the family. His affections turn on Jane after this as he previously had not seen much hope for her. But Jane is wily and clever. She can play the situation well.

Edward Seymour’s station in the land is also elevated. He’s a huge social climber. He sees what he wants and goes for it. The history of it is interesting. After Henry VIII dies, he becomes the Lord Protector looking after King Edward. He is the de-facto King and is the most powerful man in the country.

For preparation, did you do much research?

I really wanted to know my relation to every character I spoke to. I have a few great books. I’m someone that really likes to know everything around me. What it means to me as the character. It grounds the piece. Makes me feel like I can sit in the scene. Because it’s such an alien world, all the social history. What they would eat, how they get up, is informative.

Is it more pressure to play a real person?

Thankfully Edward is not going to get angry at me because he’s not around [Laughs]. But playing real people is a responsibility. There’s a line. When you step on the set, it’s still just your version of that character. You know you will never be them.

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You also have another show Moonflower Murders coming out soon. Talk to me about your character within that.

It’s based on an amazing book series by Anthony Horowitz. It follows two timelines. A modern timeline and one set in the 1950s. Because of that some of the actors, including me, get to play two roles.

In the modern storyline, I play Aidan McNeal. He is the grieving husband of the person that went missing. Then in the ‘50s, I get to play a cad. He’s all about himself. Trying to extort money from people. I had so much fun coming up with both people. How they’re a mirror to each other, but a distorted mirror.

So, I did Moonflower then went onto Wolf Hall afterwards. I had two weeks in between for a holiday. It’s the process by which you shake off the previous characters. Then work out the new guy. The life of an actor, I guess. 

Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light is streaming on BBC iPlayer now.

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