Samantha Morton Says Elizabeth I Is Catherine’s Novak Djokovic

The Serpent Queen herself returns in new form in Season 2 of the Starz drama. Premiering Friday, July 12 on the linear channel (and available now on the Starz app), the new season jumps 10 years into the future during a time in which Samantha Morton‘s Catherine de Medici has been serving as Queen Regent as her eldest son, Charles IX, comes of age. The edgy period piece blends modern rock music into this royal tale about the powerful French ruler, but Morton decidedly did not pull inspiration from any modern-day political figures for her performance.

“Absolutely not. Categorically not,” Morton tells TV Insider. But there is a through-line between her character and our world today, she notes. “What is important though is, even though the show is a costume drama, it’s based on some facts in history. And so I think when we watch these shows, we have to look back at the historical nature and go, ‘Ah, we better be careful.’ We have to learn from the past, and we have to talk about the past in order to learn from the past in order to hopefully not make those mistakes again.”

In The Serpent Queen Season 2, Catherine and her council are “distracted by the personal conflicts of the Valois children,” Starz teases, allowing for “a new mysterious prophet named Edith” to gain traction in the region. Edith (Isobel Jesper Jones) and her followers “vow to challenge the current religious establishment, sparking tension across the country. Feeling threatened by the rising strain, the divided court turn to their own schemes for selfish benefit.”

Throw in some “unholy acts” from the Guises and the introduction of Minnie Driver‘s Queen Elizabeth I and Catherine is “fighting for survival” this season, according to Morton.

Starz

“We’re close to religious conflict. She wants to rule with tolerance of other religions and other cultures. She’s up against a lot of conflict in the Privy Council where they’re making all the decisions about the country,” she explains. “Her children are getting older, bringing all their own dramas to the table. So she’s navigating ruling the country, if you like, campaigning for peace, protecting her children, and looking after her own heart at the same time as people wanting to get rid of her.”

With her cutthroat, powerful nature, you’d think a character like Catherine would be more prone to villainy than “campaigning for peace.” Morton says this is one of the key draws of the series at large. “I think that’s down to the absolutely fascinating writing that Justin [Haythe, executive producer/showrunner] does because it isn’t as black and white in life. Baddies aren’t just baddies.”

“There’ll be all sorts of opinions about world leaders right now, but I bet their family might say something different,” she goes on. Similarly, “You get to see Catherine behind the scenes, and you also get to see that a lot of the men that are in power are incapable of running the country,” Morton adds. “So she almost has no choice but to be a little bit more manipulative with how she uses her power. And women have been doing that forever, pretending to be more stupid than we are, because ultimately people get threatened by intelligent women.”

Not Elizabeth I. Both the English and French queens, as well as the wonderful Morton and Driver, are each other’s intellectual match this season. “Minnie’s portrayal was absolutely brilliant, so dynamic and funny and tragic and wow,” Morton gushes of her co-star, whose debut we’ll have to wait just a bit for.” These women recognize each other as two sides of the same rare and powerful coin, a pairing that neither comes across often.

“What’s great is that Catherine doesn’t have it easy all the time,” The Walking Dead alum shares. “Queen Elizabeth comes in and it’s like, ‘Oh, I have to up my game.’ It’s like if you’re a brilliant tennis player and you’ve got these easy people that you’re practicing with, and then you’re with [Novak] Djokovic. It’s like, ‘Okay, okay, I’ve got to really play now.”

This potential alliance with the English queen has more than just personal appeal for Catherine, Morton notes. “Catherine not having royal blood and being a commoner and being a businesswoman sees the business sense in the countries getting together,” she explains. “She’s all business. She’s like the original mafia don. But of course, she will never be accepted in royal circles because she doesn’t have royal blood. She married into the family and will never be welcome.”

That never stopped the Serpent Queen before.

The Serpent Queen, Season 2 Premiere, Friday, July 12, 8/7c, Starz