You’ve probably seen the memes of Benedict Cumberbatch looking terrifyingly intense in a crown, or maybe you caught a clip of Tom Hiddleston crying in the rain. That’s the magic of this show. When the BBC decided to adapt William Shakespeare’s history plays, they didn’t just hire "good" actors. They basically raided the green room of every major theater in London and the set of every blockbuster movie from the last decade. The cast of The Hollow Crown isn't just a group of people playing dress-up; it is a literal census of the greatest British talent of the 21st century.
It’s rare. Usually, you get one or two big names to anchor a period piece. Here? You get Jeremy Irons, Judi Dench, Ben Whishaw, and Sophie Okonedo all in the same universe. Honestly, the budget for the catering must have been nothing compared to the talent on screen.
The Tragic Brilliance of the First Kings
Ben Whishaw as Richard II is a choice that still feels fresh today. He’s fragile. He’s vain. He plays the king not as a warrior, but as a poet who thinks he’s a god. When you watch him surrender the crown, it’s uncomfortable. It should be. Whishaw won a BAFTA for this, and frankly, he deserved it just for the way he looks at a mirror before smashing it.
Then you have the transition to Henry IV. This is where the cast of The Hollow Crown starts to feel like a heavy-weight boxing match. Jeremy Irons takes over the throne. If Whishaw was the ethereal poet, Irons is the weary, guilt-ridden soldier. You can hear the gravel in his voice. He’s playing a man who stole a kingdom and now realizes he has no idea how to keep his son in line.
That son? Prince Hal, played by Tom Hiddleston.
People forget that before he was the MCU's Loki, Hiddleston was doing some of the most nuanced Shakespearean work of his career here. He has to play a party boy who eventually turns into a cold, calculating king. It’s a massive arc. Watching him reject Simon Russell Beale’s Falstaff—arguably the greatest Falstaff of our generation—is heartbreaking. Beale plays the fat knight with a mix of comedy and absolute desperation that makes the betrayal sting.
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When the War of the Roses Gets Real
The second cycle, The Wars of the Roses, shifts the energy completely. If the first half was about the "divine right" of kings, the second half is about the brutal, bloody reality of civil war.
Enter Benedict Cumberbatch as Richard III.
Forget the caricature of the "hunchback" villain. Cumberbatch plays him as a psychological wreck, a man who has been rejected by everyone—including his mother, played by the legendary Judi Dench—and decides to burn the world down because of it. There’s a scene where Dench curses him to his face. It’s two titans of the industry just going at it. You don't see that kind of acting on television every day. It’s raw.
But we can't ignore the women in this cast. Sophie Okonedo as Queen Margaret is a revelation. She spans multiple plays, starting as a young bride and ending as a grief-stricken, vengeful prophet. Most adaptations cut Margaret’s role down because it’s "too much." The Hollow Crown lets her breathe. She is the spine of the second series, and her performance is arguably the most underrated of the bunch.
The Supporting Players You Keep Recognizing
The depth of the cast of The Hollow Crown goes way beyond the leads. You’re watching a scene and suddenly—wait, is that Hugh Bonneville from Downton Abbey? Yes. Is that Andrew Scott (Moriarty) playing King Louis XI of France? Absolutely.
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- Phoebe Fox as Lady Anne gives a haunting performance opposite Cumberbatch.
- Anton Lesser, who you probably know from Game of Thrones, plays Exeter with a quiet, lethal competence.
- Michael Gambon (Dumbledore himself!) shows up as Mortimer.
- Sally Hawkins appears as Eleanor, Duchess of Gloucester, and her "walk of shame" through the streets of London is one of the most visceral moments in the series.
The show works because these actors don't treat the dialogue like "Old English." They treat it like living, breathing thoughts. When Keeley Hawes (as Elizabeth Woodville) argues for her children's lives, you forget you're watching iambic pentameter. You just see a terrified mother.
Why This Specific Cast Changed Shakespeare on Screen
For a long time, filmed Shakespeare was either a "staged" production on a soundstage or a weird experimental modern version. The cast of The Hollow Crown grounded these stories in muddy fields and cold stone castles. They brought a cinematic grit that matched the prestige of the writing.
Director Sam Mendes (who executive produced) and his team understood that the actors needed to be more than just "proper." They needed to be dirty. They needed to look like they hadn't slept in weeks. By casting actors with massive "it" factors like Hiddleston and Cumberbatch, the BBC brought in a whole new generation of fans who might have found Shakespeare boring in a classroom.
How to Deep Dive Into These Performances
If you're looking to really appreciate what this cast did, don't just binge-watch the whole thing in one weekend. You'll get "crown fatigue." Instead, focus on the character parallels.
First, watch Ben Whishaw’s Richard II. Notice how he uses his hands. He’s always touching things—the crown, the sand, his own face—as if he’s trying to prove he’s real. Then, jump straight to Benedict Cumberbatch’s Richard III. Notice how he uses his body to distance himself from everyone. It’s a fascinating study in how two different actors handle the burden of the "Hollow Crown" metaphor.
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Next, pay attention to the "Commoners." The actors playing the soldiers and the tavern dwellers—like Rory Kinnear as Bolingbroke—provide the necessary friction to the high-stakes drama of the royals. Kinnear is particularly good at playing a man who doesn't necessarily want to be king but realizes he's the only one competent enough to do it.
To get the most out of your viewing:
- Check out the "Making Of" featurettes: Most streaming platforms have these. You get to see the actors discussing how they interpreted 400-year-old lines for a modern audience.
- Read the play summaries first: It sounds like homework, but knowing the plot of Henry VI Part 1 helps you focus on the acting choices rather than wondering who is stabbing whom.
- Watch for the recurring motifs: Notice how the physical crown is handled. Different actors treat the prop differently. To some, it's a toy; to others, it's a lead weight.
The cast of The Hollow Crown remains the gold standard for how to adapt the Bard. It’s a project that likely won't be replicated for decades, simply because getting this many A-listers in one room again would be a logistical nightmare. It’s a snapshot of a specific era of British prestige television that we're lucky to have on record.
Go back and re-watch the transition between Henry IV Part 2 and Henry V. Pay close attention to Tom Hiddleston’s eyes when he tells Falstaff "I know thee not, old man." It’s a masterclass in how to play a villainous turn that is technically for the "good" of the country. That’s the level of complexity this cast brings to the table.