Roland Emmerich likes blowing things up. Usually, it's the White House or the entire planet, so when he decided to tackle a period piece about whether William Shakespeare actually wrote his plays, people were... confused. Honestly, the 2011 film Anonymous is a weird, beautiful, and deeply controversial swing at history. But beyond the conspiracy theories about the "Oxfordian" authorship, the cast of Anonymous is what actually holds the movie together. Without this specific group of high-caliber British actors, the whole thing probably would have collapsed under the weight of its own ruffs and doublets.
It’s a stacked lineup. You’ve got Rhys Ifans, Vanessa Redgrave, and Joely Richardson leading a cast that spends two hours trying to convince you that a "semi-literate" actor from Stratford-upon-Avon was just a front for an aristocrat. It’s wild. Even if you think the theory is total nonsense—and most historians do—the performances are undeniable.
The Dual Faces of Edward de Vere
Rhys Ifans plays the older Edward de Vere, the 17th Earl of Oxford. You might remember Ifans as the guy in his underwear in Notting Hill or as Xenophilius Lovegood, but here, he is incredibly restrained. He plays de Vere as a tortured genius, someone who has to trade his soul and his legacy to see his words performed on stage. It's a heavy role. He carries this sadness that feels genuine, even when the script asks him to believe some pretty far-fetched political maneuvers.
Then you have Jamie Campbell Bower. He plays the young de Vere.
Bower brings that same sharp, angular energy he eventually used as Vecna in Stranger Things. In Anonymous, he’s the fiery, younger version of the Earl, showing the beginnings of the creative obsession that defines the character. Having two different actors play the same lead at different ages is always a gamble, but the transition between Bower and Ifans feels surprisingly seamless. They both capture that "too smart for their own good" vibe perfectly.
The Queen Elizabeth Connection: A Family Affair
The casting of Queen Elizabeth I was a bit of a masterstroke. The producers hired real-life mother and daughter Vanessa Redgrave and Joely Richardson to play the older and younger versions of the Virgin Queen.
It works.
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Vanessa Redgrave is royalty in the acting world anyway, so seeing her as an aging, slightly fading Elizabeth is powerful. She doesn’t play her as a caricature. There’s a fragility there. Meanwhile, Joely Richardson handles the younger Elizabeth during the illicit affairs and the peak of her power. Because they share actual DNA, the physical mannerisms—the way they hold their heads, the set of their jaws—match up in a way that CGI or heavy makeup never could. It adds a layer of biological continuity that helps the audience track the confusing timeline jumps.
Sebastian Armesto and the "Real" Shakespeare
Let’s talk about the guy actually playing William Shakespeare.
Sebastian Armesto plays Will as a bit of a fraud. In this version of history, Shakespeare is a drunken, illiterate actor who stumbles into the opportunity of a lifetime. He’s the comic relief, but also kind of the villain? It’s a bold choice. Armesto plays it with a lot of sweat and nervous energy. He’s basically a 16th-century opportunistic influencer.
If you're a fan of the Bard, this portrayal might make your blood boil. But as a piece of acting, Armesto is great at being unlikable. He makes you believe that this man could be both a buffoon and a clever enough businessman to capitalize on de Vere’s secret.
The Puppet Masters: Cecil Father and Son
The political backbone of the film rests on the shoulders of the Cecils. David Thewlis plays William Cecil, the longtime advisor to the Queen. Thewlis is always good at playing characters who are slightly "off," and here he’s the ultimate wet blanket on art and joy. He views the theater as a dangerous tool for propaganda, which, historically speaking, isn't entirely wrong.
Then there’s Edward Hogg as Robert Cecil.
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Robert is portrayed as the hunchbacked, manipulative successor who wants to control the throne. Hogg plays him with a simmering resentment. He’s the one pulling the strings behind the scenes, trying to ensure that the succession goes his way while crushing de Vere’s influence. The dynamic between Thewlis and Hogg creates this suffocating atmosphere of Tudor surveillance that contrasts sharply with the vibrant, chaotic world of the Rose and Globe theaters.
Why the Supporting Cast Matters
The cast of Anonymous isn't just the leads. You’ve got Rafe Spall—wait, I should clarify, Rafe Spall is actually in this too, but the ensemble extends to people like Xavier Samuel as the Earl of Southampton.
Samuel plays the "Fair Youth" of the sonnets. He’s got that golden-boy energy that makes the tragic elements of the plot hit harder. Then there's Mark Rylance. Well, actually, Mark Rylance isn't in this movie—which is ironic because he's one of the most famous real-world skeptics of Shakespearean authorship. Instead, we get Derek Jacobi providing the prologue.
Jacobi is a titan. Having him open the film gives it a weird sense of authority. He’s a well-known "anti-Stratfordian" in real life, so his inclusion wasn't just a casting choice; it was a statement of intent by the filmmakers.
The Controversy vs. The Craft
We have to acknowledge the elephant in the room. Most Shakespearean scholars like James Shapiro (author of Contested Will) think the premise of Anonymous is basically fan fiction. They argue that there is zero evidence de Vere wrote the plays.
But does that matter for the movie?
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Kinda. If you can’t get past the "fake history," you won't enjoy the performances. But if you treat it like an alternate-universe fantasy—like a Tudor-era Inglourious Basterds—the cast really shines. They treat the material with total sincerity. Rhys Ifans doesn't play de Vere like a conspiracy theory; he plays him like a man whose heart is breaking because he can't claim his own children (both his plays and his literal offspring).
Detailed Cast Breakdown
If you're looking for the specific names to check their filmographies, here’s the core group that makes the movie move:
- Rhys Ifans (Older Edward de Vere): The emotional heart. Look for him in House of the Dragon later to see how he evolved this "political advisor/outsider" archetype.
- Vanessa Redgrave (Older Queen Elizabeth I): Legend status. Her performance is the most grounded thing in the film.
- Joely Richardson (Younger Queen Elizabeth I): Brings the romantic fire that sets the plot in motion.
- Jamie Campbell Bower (Younger Edward de Vere): Essential for the flashbacks.
- David Thewlis (William Cecil): The voice of the "old guard."
- Edward Hogg (Robert Cecil): The calculating villain.
- Sebastian Armesto (William Shakespeare): The man you're supposed to love to hate.
- Rafe Spall (William Shakespeare): Actually, a quick correction on my earlier thought—Spall is the one playing the actor Shakespeare, while Armesto plays the poet's contemporary. Spall's performance is loud, boisterous, and intentionally jarring.
Actionable Takeaways for Movie Fans
If you're planning to watch or re-watch Anonymous because of this cast, keep a few things in mind to get the most out of it.
First, watch the costumes. The actors have talked in interviews about how the physical weight of the clothes changed how they moved. It’s not just "dress up." The rigidity of the collars affected their vocal delivery, making the court scenes feel more stiff and the theater scenes feel more fluid.
Second, pay attention to the lighting. The film used a lot of digital technology to mimic the look of Vermeer paintings. The actors had to work with very specific light sources, which is why so many scenes have that high-contrast, moody "Chiaroscuro" look.
Finally, don't take it as a history lesson. Take it as a character study of the cast of Anonymous.
Whether you believe the Earl of Oxford wrote Hamlet or not, watching David Thewlis and Rhys Ifans go toe-to-toe in a 16th-century cold war is just good TV. Or good movies. Whatever you want to call it.
How to Dive Deeper
- Watch the "Making Of" Featurettes: Specifically look for the segments on "The Real Shakespeare?" where the actors discuss their own beliefs on the authorship question.
- Compare to "Shakespeare in Love": It’s the polar opposite in terms of tone and "facts," but seeing the different casting choices for the same historical figures is fascinating.
- Check out the soundtrack: Thomas Wander and Harald Kloser wrote a score that heavily emphasizes the duality of the characters, mirroring the double lives many of them lead in the script.
The film might not have changed the minds of many professors at Oxford or Harvard, but it remains a fascinating moment in cinema where a massive budget and a world-class cast were used to tell a very "unapproved" version of history. It's a gorgeous mess, and the actors are the ones who make it worth the two-hour runtime.