Hugh Dancy as the Earl of Essex

Clips of Hugh Dancy's performance as the Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex. From the drama 'Elizabeth I' (2005) starring Helen Mirren.

I really enjoyed Dancy's performance as Essex and considerate it to be the best portrayal of Essex in a drama.

About the plot shown in this clip -- Dr Roderigo Lopez was a Portuguese physician whose father was Jewish but had been forced to convert to Christianity. He studied medicine and settled in London in 1559. He became the physician for many notable people including the Earl of Leicester and Elizabeth I (from about 1581). Around the 1580s a series of anti-Protestant writings were produced against the Earl of Leicester and Lopez was also attacked in the works. He was accused of dabbling in poison and the subject to anti-Semitic remarks.

Lopez became Walsingham's physician and helped Walsingham in matters of security (he was used as one of the negotiators between England and Spain). But when Walsingham died Lopez carried on the correspondence with the Spanish officials although he was not acting as a spy against the English.

The Earl of Essex did not get along with Lopez. Lopez is believed to have discussed Essex's medical history with someone who in turn went back to Essex and told him of Lopez's breach of confidentiality. Essex was furious and appears to have developed a grudge against the physician. He interrogated several people around Lopez and tried to exploit Lopez's relations with Spain by making the correspondence appear treasonous. He wrote to Frances Bacon telling him that he uncovered a plot in which Lopez was to poison the Queen on behalf of the King of Spain (Philip II). Lopez was arrested, found guilty of treason and hung drawn and quartered on 7th June 1594.

The death of Lopez aroused nasty anti-Semitic feeling in England and Lopez's name was reviled. However Lopez was innocent of the charges accused; his only fault being his correspondence with the Spanish which although not treasonous, was exploited by his enemies.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Earl
• of
• Essex
• Hugh
• Dancy
• Elizabeth
• Helen
• Mirren
• Roderigo
• Lopez

[aBoleynGirl99]

hugh is yummy ... but wasn't the earl her cousin twice removed.

[littlemisssunnydale]

Robert Devereux's great grandmother was Mary Boleyn. Basically, Mary Boleyn had a daughter called Katherine Carey who married Francis Knollys. One of Katherine's daughters was Lettice Knollys who was Robert's mother.

[littlemisssunnydale]

Hmmm...I meant to put Hugh Dancy in 'Elizabeth I' (2005) not 'Elizabeth'. Whoops!

[pdaervo]

he's so pretty

I would want to pet him too :D

[xjustinyx]

Perfect actor for this role... not to mention he is nice to look at also!

[Iusedtobeacat93]

Hugh Dancy is Yummy but the real of Essex was a stupid b*tch !

[GeneVeeAnachronism]

where was the clip of the hanging drawing and quartering?

[401thecat]

@detchuck I know, what a horror. That poor innocent man!

[iluvwinterweather]

When they said that the Earl tortured the men until they confessed, my mind instantly went to Mark Smeaton, whose similiarly tainted confession brought down Elizabeth's mother, Anne.

[iluvwinterweather]

@1dagsvliegjes Nope.

[theladywater]

he`s very handsome

[1dagsvliegjes]

Does this clip contain graphic torture?

[aBoleynGirl007]

Thank you, But if Katherine was the king's kid then Essex would have been the son of her half niece. But because Mary and Henry might have known and never said anything about it neither he nor his mother nor his granny ever got any recognition for it.