Those who want respect, give respect and Samantha Morton is paying her respects to the one and only Tony Soprano.
The Starz network has a large penchant for producing historical dramas for its repertoire and its newest series, “The Serpent Queen,” will transport viewers to the 16th century.
“The Serpent Queen” stars Morton as Catherine de Medici, a one-time queen of France and a member of the iconic Italian noble family.
The drama — which premiered Sept. 11 — follows Catherine in her teen years and into adulthood as she rises to power in the French court.
The “Minority Report” actress, 45, noted how her character is a mixture of mob bosses and the British dramedy “Fleabag.”
“Catherine is like a male character,” Morton told Entertainment Weekly in a profile published Sunday. “We wanted to approach her like you would ‘The Godfather’ or Don Corleone. You think about ‘The Sopranos’ or ‘The Godfather’ or ‘Goodfellas,’ they’re always men,” she stated.
Samantha Morton as Catherine de Medici in Starz’s “The Serpent Queen.”Photo by Shanna Besson – © 2021Morton also uses a film technique to play Catherine, a tactic where she tells her life story to the people around her as well as the audience. Morton explained how this use of speaking directly to the viewer is key to making the show feel modern and draws comparisons to “Fleabag” star and creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge.
“She [Waller-Bridge] breaks the fourth wall so brilliantly [in ‘Fleabag’],” the British actress said. “It’s not new. It wasn’t new on ‘Fleabag.’ We’ve always had that breaking the fourth wall, talking to the camera,” she added. “But normally I’m just in the moment as a character in everything I’ve ever done. This was the first time I’d ever done narration. But I quite liked the fact that it isn’t so stuffy.”
Phoebe Waller-Bridge in 2016’s “Fleabag.”Steve SchofieldLiv Hill plays Catherine in her teen years, with Morton narrating the story as well during those adolescent scenes.
The “Emma” star continued: “When we break that fourth wall, and I look to camera, it’s like I’m in private. You get to see Catherine in private moments.
“She’s saying, ‘This is how I feel on the inside.’ And that’s really powerful, and it’s almost like having a secret window into the character,” she said.
