Jason Clarke will play Grigory Potemkin in ‘Catherine the Great’ on HBO

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Clarke joins Helen Mirren in the upcoming HBO limited drama series, Catherine the Great.

Jason Clarke will star opposite Helen Mirren in the upcoming limited series Catherine the Great. The four-part drama will air on HBO sometime next year.

In a time when Russia is at the top spot of every new outlet, the real Catherine the Great is one of the most famous Russian leaders in history. She ruled Russia from 1762 until her death in 1796. She is known for being independent, smart, and sexually liberated.

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Mirren should have no trouble filling Catherine’s shoes since she has tons of experience playing brilliant women in history, like Queen Elizabeth I and Queen Elizabeth II.

Clarke will play Grigory Potemkin, a commander in the Russian military. Potemkin eventually became Catherine’s lover and life-long friend.

Most recently, Clarke played Ted Kennedy in Chappaquiddick. Last year, he starred in the Oscar-nominated film Mudbound. You will see him in First Man and Aftermath later this year.

As for Mirren, she will also serve as executive producer of Catherine the Great. Nigel Williams, who wrote Elizabeth I, will write the scripts. And Emmy winner Philip Martin (The Crown) will direct the limited series.

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This is not the first series of its kind produced about Catherine the Great. The series Ekaterina is a popular, award-winning series about Catherine that airs in Russia. And back in 1991, a TV miniseries, Young Catherine, aired for British, Canadian, and American audiences. Julia Ormond starred at Julia Ormond and Vanessa Redgrave played Empress Elizabeth.

Catherine the Great should begin filming by the end of the year and air sometime in 2019.

Source: Deadline