Niamh Algar on Mary And George: “Rulebreakers are always the most exciting characters to play”

DIVA spoke to the star of Sky Atlantic’s new show about the power of queer stories 

BY ELLA GAUCI, IMAGE BY SKY ATLANTIC 

Sky Atlantic’s new show Mary And George shows us queer historical characters as we’ve never seen them before. Gone are the days of stolen glances and brushing of hands. In this new series, we see how Mary Villiers (Julianne Moore) and her son George (Nicholas Galitzine) rise through the ranks of society through masterful manipulation and deceitful dalliances. 

What sets Mary and George apart from other historical dramas is its portrayal of queer love throughout. One crucial storyline is the romantic relationship between Mary and a prostitute named Sandie. Audiences quickly fell in love with the deep connection the pair share, something which seems lacking in the rest of the court. Both outsiders in their own right, Sandie and Mary soon become an unstoppable force. 

Niamh Algar, who rose to BAFTA acclaim after starring in the hit film Calm With Horse, takes on the role of Sandie. We sat down with the Irish actress to find out more about the importance of seeing sapphic love on our screens.  

What parts of her character stuck out to you? 

What stuck out to me was Sandie’s fearlessness. She’s cheeky. She’s in awe of Mary and how this woman has this incredible strength and drive. Sandie is attracted to someone who is blazing her own trail. Sandie is trying to do the same thing for herself in this male-dominated world. I love that Sandie is a rebel and she wants to break all the rules. Rulebreakers are always the most exciting characters to play. 

Sandie’s character in Mary and George shows us something quite rare – an independent, openly queer woman in the 17th century. Why is this sort of depiction so important? 

Because they exist! Just because they weren’t written down and documented doesn’t mean that they weren’t there. History can be rewritten. In the 17th century, the history of women and what women did was never documented because that would have been giving a voice to a woman. Mary Villiers did exist, and she did the extraordinary in such a short space of time. Even though she was ruthless, she was admirable. She was a businesswoman. 

When I was researching Irish women in the 17th century, there was so much folklore about Irish rebel queens. I took inspiration from Grace O’Malley who was this incredible pirate queen of Ireland who led this warrior army. Those stories only exist within storytelling and within mythology but that woman did exist. 

What was it like working with Julianne Moore? 

Julie is incredible to work with. She’s the kindest, giving, and lovely human. On a job, I always want to learn. Being able to surround myself with the immense talent which is Julianne Moore was extraordinary. To see someone of her incredible industry status who is so open and has that humility is very inspiring to watch. We’ve become good friends. Knowing that I was going onto set with Julianne Moore – I pinched myself every day! 

The queer relationships in the show are more than just romantic or sexual, they have political elements about them. How do you read Mary and Sandie’s relationship? 

The relationship fundamentally lies within respect for one another. One of Sandie’s introductory lines to Mary is “I see you”. She sees the person who is standing in front of her whether she is in the finest clothes in England or in what Sandie is wearing. They see into one another’s souls of being used and feeling completely underestimated and undermined. Sandie sees nothing but respect and admiration in Mary, but also drive and talent. That is what she is so attracted to. She is attracted to the passion of Mary, and her willingness to prove others wrong. It’s not completely surface level. I’s not just sexual. It’s on such a deeper level.

What do you hope that audiences take away from Sandie’s character? 

I hope they see a character that has not been represented before in regards to where she’s come from and who she is. There are so many untold queer stories, and this is just a window into one of them. I’ve received so many beautiful messages online, and there’s such an incredible community out there. It’s really lovely to read those comments. 

Sandie is a badass. Fundamentally, she is a badass! And this world needs a few more badasses driving us in the right direction. 

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