Nicholas Galitzine faced considerable challenges while filming for the Starz series Mary & George. Galitzine reveals incurring physical injuries, but he still soldiered up for the shoot. In the show, Julianne Moore's character, Mary Villiers, encourages her son George, played by Galitzine, to pursue a relationship with King James I, portrayed by Tony Curran, to gain power and become an “all-powerful lover.”
However, Galitzine encountered numerous difficulties during filming. On the first day of shooting, he broke his ankle while dancing and fighting sequences. This was due to the combination of slippery floors and the heeled shoes he was wearing for the scenes.
Nicholas Galitzine sustained physical injuries while filming Mary & George
Nicholas Galitzine said in a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, “There were these heeled shoes that you see characters wearing a lot.” He added, “These stately homes have very slippery floors. While filming the scene in the first episode where I run and tackle this serving boy, my ankle slipped [and twisted] a full 90 degrees inward. I fractured my ankle and had to continue doing stunts the next couple of days and then was dancing on it.”
Despite the painful injury, Galitzine persisted with his work, continuing to perform stunts and even dance with a fractured ankle. His determination to endure the pain reflects his commitment to the role and the production.
The actor told EW, “I was basically on set every single day of this six-month shoot,” he continued, “Learning the dancing I had to do with a broken ankle. I was literally filming a dance sequence, like, three days after I broke my ankle, which is really difficult considering I’m actually not a dancer by trade either.”
The young star reveals, “One of my costars, in trying to hold me down, slammed my head into a table. So, I had a black eye and a broken ankle.” He added, “Tony [Curran] head-butted me at one point. He also cut my chin open with one of his rings. I really went through the wars on this production.”
Despite the physical toll of filming, Galitzine remained optimistic. He expressed, “I’m so pleased with the final result.” He said. “None of it, obviously, was purposeful, and it mirrored the epic-ness of the journey that I went through over the show, both as Nick and as George.”
About Mary & George movie
Starz's Mary & George depicts the saga of George Villiers, guided by his mother Mary's cunning strategies, as he ascends to prominence during the reign of King James I.
George Villiers, the 1st Duke of Buckingham, emerged from humble origins in Brooksby, Leicestershire, to become a prominent figure in English history. His remarkable journey commenced in 1614 at just 21 years old when his striking appearance and talents in dancing and fencing captured the attention of King James VI and I. These talents, fostered by his mother Mary's ambitions for his success at court, propelled him swiftly through the ranks of nobility.
Villiers rapidly gained favor with the king, ultimately earning the esteemed title of Duke of Buckingham. However, his close and controversial relationship with King James sparked speculation about the true nature of their connection. While his proximity to the king granted him significant influence, it also ignited turmoil within the English court.
Despite his mother's manipulative schemes and his rapid ascent, George's narrative takes a tragic turn with his downfall, characterized by failed ventures and extravagant spending, culminating in his assassination.
