The Russians were way out there, quipsJason Clarke.
Clarke portrays Grigory Potemkin, the military leader, statesmen and romantic favorite of the titular Russian empress.
The Australian actor, known for his work as gritty antagonists, promises an epic on an old-school scale.
Credit: Robert Vigalsky/HBO
Its a monstrously, big, epic picture, he tells EW.
Its something you dont see much anymore, likeGladiatororLawrence of Arabia,like a big classic.
Instead of swords and sandals, its Cossacks and Czars.
But its one with startling parallels to todays world.
Sound maybe a little familiar to our contemporary landscape?
The resonance isnt lost on Clarke.
Every single female leader [gets] treated awfully, he says.
Angela Merkel is an extraordinary example of what a female politician who knows what shes doing can be.
But my god, shes had to struggle.
It still goes on.
Youve got a woman like Catherine, who was a real beacon.
The struggle to make the world a better place and be better humans never ends.
For Clarke, his performance really came down to enacting the same patterns as actor and character.
Its the same thing for Catherine youre there to support her.
Shes the center of the universe and you love her for that.
Yet, he still found his own nationality essential to tapping into Potemkins identity.
He was more Russian.
He was a Cossack.
He was a rider.
He wasnt just your gentrified courtier from St. Petersburg or Moscow.
I dont think anybody would dare say that to Helen, you know what I mean?
Anybody that has done any research just knows its just not true.
I cant really remember us ever addressing it.
Instead, the series aims to provide a more balanced and powerful image of the legendary monarch.
Theres so much silliness written about her, adds Clarke.
She was one of the dominant, if not the dominant ruler in Europe at this time.
Not just as a woman, but also as a German woman ruling Russia.
It was incredibly confronting and challenging to what was the norm and what people expected.
To stay on top youve got to do it well, and she did it well.
Clarke cant imagine anyone but Mirren taking on the role, partly because of this.
Shes led the way so many times throughout her life and her career.
The whole thing becomes quite a profound love story, he concludes.
Catherine the Greatpremieres at 10 p.m. on Oct. 21 on HBO.
