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The Tudors coming to a definite end: shooting of the last episodes

"Yes, Henry VIII dies in the fourth season of The Tudors. It's possible to continue without him, of course, by it wouldn't be the same," confirmed the screenwriter Michael Hirst.

Top secret

Ardmore Studios in Ireland, where more than 70% of the show scenes are shot, seemed surprisingly empty druing my stay. Every now and then an armoured man appeared, talking on a mobile phone, but nothing gave the impression that this is where the 3,8 million dollars for episode project was born. What's the reason for that? Americans love to use the term "top secret" to describe such a situation.

As with any other ambitious project, even in case of the Tudors no authorized photograph can be published. No private photo shoots, no free walking on the set. Costumes, properties and plot lines are kept top secret.

What will Henry, played by slight Jonathan Rhys Meyers, look like in the last scenes of the show? Top secret. Where in fact is Jonathan Rhys Meyers? Top secret. Producers give out the information concerning the last season of the Tudors with extreme caution. There's no other way for a reporter but to put the pieces of the puzzle together.

There's a lot to put together, though. Everyone important comes in to talk about the Tudors: Michael Hirst, author of the queen Elizabeth movies; cinematographer Ousama Rawi. There's also the production designer, costume designer or a part of Henry's harem: Jane Seymour aka playful Annabelle Wallis, or singer Joss Stone, the new Henry's wife in the 3rd season.

"I play a woman about which Henry says she's ugly and disgusting. When I found out they offered me her part, I almost cried, I wanted to play the beautiful queen," laughed the popular singer in the interview.

Annabelle Wallis, who was nearby during the interview, started to playfully argue with the singer at one point. While Joss plays the "ugly German", Annabelle plays Henry's allegedly only one true love, and that vexed the singer.

"There's nothing to envy, he loved me, true, but Michael Hirst never wrote any love scene for me," says Annabelle to console the singer.

Padded Henry

Every one of them used at least once in their answers: "Sorry, but we can't say that." And every one of them also revealed something in the end, consequently freaking out about getting themselves into trouble.

What they revealed was information that the old and ill Henry VII will, portrayed by Meyers, really get fat. "The real Henry was of course much fatter, his waist was over 130 centimeters, which would be difficult to get out of thin Jonathan, but he'll get a padded jacket," says Rawi, the cinematographer, who just came back from shooting the scene where Henry virtually decays because of the progressed syphilis.

Eventually the information about Henry dying this season gets out. "The screenwriter, Michael Hirst, is very tired. It's no surprise, I don't know anybody else who could write four seasons by himself," says the producer, Morgan O'Sullivan, revealing another reason to finish the show.

Virtual king

After the entire rock bottom of the cast and crew appeared in front of the reporters, there was the time for the "mighty" Jonathan Rhys Meyers himself. He was so unreachable during the two days we spent on the set, that one could think he wasn't even there. "He's concentrating, he's acting, he's not here," those were the most frequent apologies given to any journalist who was looking for him.

Provoking and scandalous actor arrived at last; nobody was expecting him to show up at all. With grey hair, dignified, in a spectacular royal dress. He seemed unapproachable, and when he roared in Henry's voice instead of an answer, even the confident BBC reporter started to shake.

"How come he was so unkind to us?" wondered a Spanish reporter after less than 10 minutes with the Golden Globe awarded actor.

The fact that he was speaking with Henry's voice, the frowing actor explained that he won't break out of his concentration for a few minutes interview. "If I started to talk like this (speaking civilian for a moment), I wouldn't perform the way I'd like to on set. I won't risk that no way," Jonathan barked, making the last few courageous reporters bow their heads.

"Jonathan is quite a character: he seems confident, sometimes even scary, sometimes he's funny - that depends on his mood, he's really moody. In reality he's very delicate and shy. And sings beautifully," says Joss Stone, the singer.

He didn't sing for the reporters, but they didn't mind. They were happy just to hear him answer at all. It's impossible to expect the so-called european Nero's alter ego to fullfil everyone's wishes.

OK, this is the final article It seems that our newspapers literally milked this one report, so lots of the stuff from the previous articles is repeated here, but overall it gives a lot new about the atmosphere on set, which is priceless I hope you enjoyed it, I did! Thanks

The Tudors

Top Secret

Security measures easily compared to Pentagon. Can we go outside? "I'm sorry. Not without escort." Can we see the shooting? "I'm sorry. Not even with escort." Providing a report from shooting of the most epic historical show is a tough call, worthy of James Bond's espionage methods.

It seemed absolutely easy. Invitation, flight ticket, call sheet: two days with film stars and beautiful costumes, a painless trip into history which is built inside of air-conditioned studios. What a lovely image. The reality, of course, was entirely different: two days, yes, but only within the cast and crew backstage. ("You can go outside only for a cigarette.")

Only those who remained till the end got on set. Photos were authorized in Dublin, New York and Los Angeles for endless weeks. Why such caution? "Every show is careful about the new episodes details. And a last season, well, that's something really special. That's why everything is checked twice," Sony agents explained why there were no confirmed photographs for the report after two weeks of authorization process. But they did come after all. Victory!

Sexy troopers and pink

Four tables, four dressmakers and a few unconspicuous buildings, with stuff being constantly moved from one to another. One would hardly believe that this, in the forests outside of Dublin, is where the most ambitious historical show is created. The show received a few prestigious awards for production and costumes, and according to the show British schools teach history. "You know, we're given a very TV-sized budget," Morgan O'Sullivan, the producer, laughs at our wondering if we're even at the right place - Ardmore Studios, where 80% of the Tudors is shot.

With a project renowned mainly for the production design and styling, one would expect crowds and lots of costumes and properties. Well, there are lots of costumes and properties, but crowds are missing. "I brought my American colleages here for a trip, and they asked: Where's the rest of your team? The nine dressmakers seemed really few to them. They were right, they're few, but during the five years of shooting The Tudors, they became masters in their handicraft and the two thousand costumes that's only their job. Hand made, of course," Joan Bergin, costume designer, says and proudly presents the details on the beautifuly decorated dress. "It's nothing flimsy, you could wear it right away," she says as she turns to me, showing off the puffed Mary Tudor's dress.

"Costumes? They're wonderful. I love them just as any other girl," admits the singer and actress Joss Stone, who portrays one of the king's lovers, Anne of Cleves. She adds that just as any of her colleagues, she'd love to take some of the dresses home.

"Everybody thinks that I'll be giving out the costumes at the wrap party. That's really naive, nobody gets anything," Bergin laughs.

Prestigious world museums and galleries are interested in her work. Sometimes though, she makes an exception. "One of the boys asked me if he could give the dress to his girlfriend. I said yes. But he had to promise to lend it to me for exhibitions from time to time," the costume designer says. Even as she's walking through the costume room, she doesn't stop thinking and combining the colours and dresses in her head. "Designing costumes for a movie, that's like composing music. The costume must emphasize the character and it's necessary to think about it properly. Although, it's true that the best ideas are born unexpectedly."

For the fourth and last season, she creates things she wouldn't have thought of at the beginning of the show. "I love working on the armour. The creators wished that I made the troopers look sexy, so the armour is tigher," she says, taking a leather vest in her hand passionately. Once she comes over to Henry's clothing, she smiles slyly and winks: "The longer I'm on the show, the craziest stuff I'm creating. One needs a little excitement after four years of the same job, right?" Suddenly she disappears in a heap of blouses and comes out with one of them in her hand. "Pink and blue. It's for Henry. I wouldn't have had the courage to design it for the first season, but now I think, so what?" she laughs and I hear women sighing. Probably they're imagining the well-built chest of the god-like actor Jonathan Rhys Meyers to fit under the fabric.

Currently Joan Bergin tackles the problem of putting some weight on Jonathan, to make him look like the older Henry. "Johnny is a smaller size than I am, which is scandalous. But he'll be fat, don't you worry."

How does a syphylitic feel like

When we're at it; the main star, Irish actor Rhys Meyers, has a special status here. We've been in the Irish studios for two days, but Meyers showed up to the reporters for only a few minutes. For a long time, it wasn't sure that he'll show up at all. "Johnny is really moody. When he's got a difficult scene to shoot, you never know what mood he'll be in. That's probably why they're hiding him," explains Annabelle Wallis who plays Henry's wife Jane Seymour.

Other actors talk about the concentration, in which Rhys Meyers resembles Marlon Brando. "He's this kind of an actor who never stops acting, even if he's not on set. And considering that Henry was a tyrant and oppressor, interesting stuff happens from time to time," Ousama Rawi, the cinematographer, explains.

It's necessary to add that Jonathan confirmed his reputation when he limped to the interview ageing Henry style. "I've got this scene ahead of me, I'm a progressed syphilitic and my leg is rotting, and you're asking me how I feel? Well you can see that," he opens the interview, collapsing into a chair. His voice belongs to Henry. "It's tough to lose the acting mode for a few minutes, so if you don't mind, I'll be Henry," he commands, making all the present reporters stand at attention unconsciously. The king is the king, even if he's sitting on a plastic chair.

When you're watching the intricate story of the king who is known for beheading his wives and remains to be one of the cruelest emperors ever, you have to think: did it really happen? "Of course, historians criticise us for inaccuracies. But we never wanted to tell the history. What's important for me is the story, the people's stories and emotions, not history," Michael Hirst, the screenwriter, says. "By the way, how do you define a historical fact? It's nothing more than someone else's interpretation. How can anybody prove me that I made it up?"

As a creator, Hirst had to face the criticism concerning "too much sex". He responds quickly to that: "The history is full of sex. We're even holding back," he waves his hand, reacting to the protests that arose against the Tudors in America.

Michael Hirst is a character himself. He's erudite, serious, and still joking all the time. When he's speaking of Henry, it sounds like he's talking about his friend. Why did he love this woman, why did he use this one? What was his relationship to his mother? What did he fear? He's able to explain everything, 90 per cent of his answers are truth. Although... "The only thing I wouldn't dare to say is that Henry was a woman. The rest remains uncomfirmed."

Beautifully smelling show

There's one extraordinary thing about the Tudors - everyone lives it. No exaggerating. The actors can argue for hours about why their character was or wasn't king's favorite, the costume designer joins the dressmakers for a while and the cinematographer travels to Madrid each year to purchase tons of candles, because only those from Madrid can provide the Tudor dim light. You don't get it. It's "just" a show. But when you finally enter the temple called studios and amazed you're walking through the hall with a real throne, a real altar and yes, really smelling flowers, it starts dawning on you. "We don't distinguish between a show and a movie. The producer hates me for it, because it costs a lot, but when we've been devoted to one historical epoch for so long, I want the viewer actually feel the spirit," Tom Conroy, production designer, says.

Of course, he could use a simple scene decoration. Of course, the tablecloth on the banquetting table didn't have to be hand embroided. Of course, all the doses, bowls and boxes could have been mastered one click of a mouse. But when the queen enters the bedrom that is cosy and smells like lilies, even the love scene with a rotting syphilitic would be easier to act. Well, if there'll be any at all; Henry is an ageing man, after all.