The Serpent Queen: Unveiling Catherine de Medici’s Complex Legacy with Samantha Morton & Liv Hill

STARZ’s compelling new historical drama, The Serpent Queen, dives deep into the extraordinary and often brutal life of Catherine de Medici, one of France’s most powerful and longest-serving rulers. This captivating series offers an intimate look at the woman behind the legend, tracing her journey from an orphaned Italian noblewoman to a formidable queen regent. Through a unique narrative lens, the show explores Catherine’s remarkable resilience and strategic genius, brought to life by two exceptional actresses: Liv Hill, who portrays Catherine during her formative teenage years, and the acclaimed Samantha Morton, who takes on the role of the mature, calculating queen. Both stars spoke exclusively about the challenges and revelations of embodying such a pivotal and historically overlooked figure, highlighting the shocking and compelling facets of her incredible life story.

Samantha Morton on Portraying the Elder Catherine: A Woman Lost to History

For Samantha Morton, taking on the role of the adult Catherine de Medici was not just another acting challenge; it was an opportunity to shed light on a historical figure she feels has been unfairly neglected. Morton shared her fascination, admitting, “what intrigued her the most about Catherine’s story ‘was the fact that we don’t really know about her. This is a historical figure that we’re not talked about in schools, really.'” She elaborated on the disparity in historical education, noting, “I suppose if you’re doing like a history major, and you want to specialize in France from 1530 to whatever you might know about it, but really, in society, we don’t know about her. But we know about Napoleon. We know about Henry VIII. We know about all these other men in history, but we didn’t know about her.” This observation underscores a broader issue in historical narratives, often sidelining powerful women in favor of their male counterparts. The Serpent Queen aims to rectify this oversight, presenting Catherine’s story with the depth and prominence it deserves.

Catherine de Medici’s life was marked by incredible moral compromises made in the name of survival, leading to the intriguing question of whether she should be considered a hero or an anti-hero. Morton offers a nuanced perspective on this, stating, “Everyone’s a hero of their own stories.” For her, Catherine’s enduring survival itself is a testament to her strength. “I think the fact that she survived to the point where we get to make that a part of the show is incredible. It’s really incredible. I find her story compelling and shocking.” Morton emphasizes that Catherine’s continued rule was not driven by mere ego or narcissism, but by a profound sense of duty and a desire to maintain stability. “There’s a huge amount of just trying to keep world peace in effect and managing the world stage,” Morton explained. This highlights Catherine’s sophisticated political maneuvering in a tumultuous era, demonstrating that women historically played crucial, often unacknowledged, roles in diplomacy and governance. Her portrayal seeks to humanize this often-vilified monarch, revealing the immense pressures and strategic brilliance required to thrive in a patriarchal world.

Liv Hill on Young Catherine: Vulnerability and Astute Observation

Before she became the formidable “Serpent Queen,” Catherine de Medici was a vulnerable teenager thrust into the dangerous French court. Liv Hill brilliantly captures this earlier period, detailing the immense challenges Catherine faced. As Hill revealed, Catherine had been “physically, emotionally abused her whole life” prior to her arrival at court, leaving her with deep-seated scars. Her primary objective upon entering this new world was nothing short of survival. “Her biggest challenge is survival,” Liv explained. “But in order to survive, she has to produce an heir. For many reasons, that proves very, very difficult.” This intense pressure to secure her position through childbearing forms a central struggle in Catherine’s early life, defining her initial episodes and shaping her future actions. The precariousness of her situation—an orphaned foreign bride without immediate progeny—forced her to develop an extraordinary acumen for observation and strategy.

Despite her youth, Catherine possessed a remarkable, almost innate, understanding of the machinations of the French court. Hill elaborates on this aspect of young Catherine’s character: “She was always alert, always on the lookout, always reading into people’s body language, always being reserved, and holding her cards close.” This acute emotional intelligence, honed by a lifetime of adversity, meant that while nothing could have fully prepared her for the intricate “power play in the court,” she was equipped with a crucial advantage. “She had that emotional intelligence to always be on the lookout for danger,” Liv confirmed. This ability to anticipate threats and understand underlying motives allowed her to navigate the treacherous waters of court politics, laying the groundwork for the strategic genius she would later become. Her keen observational skills were not just a survival mechanism; they were the foundation of her eventual rise to power, showcasing a young woman far more capable and perceptive than her age or circumstances suggested.

Beyond Surface-Level Drama: The Emotional Core of The Serpent Queen

While historically astute, The Serpent Queen distinguishes itself by delving deeply into Catherine’s complex emotional landscape, moving beyond the typical surface-level portrayals often found in period dramas. This commitment to psychological depth is something both actresses and the series creators felt was vital. Liv Hill highlighted the importance of this approach, explaining, “I think that’s really important to see in a period drama as well because when you think of history, a lot of us only can refer to textbooks, where everything is very detached emotionally.” She contrasted this with many on-screen historical depictions: “Even when we see a lot of period dramas on screen, it is quite reserved, detached, devoid of emotion.” The series, however, breaks this mold by allowing emotions to be “quite freely expressed,” particularly when it comes to profound experiences like rejection and unreciprocated love.

For young Catherine, despite having endured physical and emotional abuse throughout her early life, the most profound pain often stemmed from her unrequited love for Henry. Liv Hill articulated this beautifully: “I think for me, even though she’s been emotionally and physically abused her whole life, the most painful thing is that unrequited love from Henry, which I think is quite common.” This raw depiction of emotional vulnerability adds a layer of relatability and tragedy to Catherine’s story, allowing audiences to connect with her struggles on a deeply human level. It paints a picture of a young woman striving for acceptance and love in a world that offered her little of either, forcing her to harden her exterior to survive. The series’ commitment to exploring these internal battles and emotional scars makes Catherine de Medici not just a historical figure, but a multi-dimensional character whose journey resonates with contemporary themes of resilience, female agency, and the search for identity amidst adversity. The Serpent Queen airs Sundays on STARZ, offering viewers a fresh, insightful, and profoundly emotional journey into the heart of one of history’s most fascinating monarchs.