Game of Thrones star Natalie Dormer made an indelible mark on the world of prestige television with her cunning, politically savvy portrayal of Margaery Tyrell. Introduced in Game of Thrones season 2, Margaery became a fan favorite for her sharp intellect, poised demeanor, and her ability to survive (if only briefly) in the dangerous web of Westerosi politics. However, Dormer’s command of courtly intrigue wasn’t new when she arrived in Westeros. In fact, two years before her Game of Thrones debut, she was already making waves in another royal court - this time rooted in real history.

Long before Margaery Tyrell was playing the most dangerous game in the Seven Kingdoms, Natalie Dormer was portraying one of England’s most infamous queens. As Anne Boleyn, Dormer brought intensity, complexity, and modern relevance to a figure often reduced to a tragic stereotype. Her performance stood out in a series that was already packed with compelling characters and opulent storytelling. For Game of Thrones fans who appreciated Margaery’s strategic brilliance and personal resilience, Dormer’s earlier royal role offers a fascinating parallel, one that unfolded not in the fictional realm of Westeros, but in the lavish, politically charged world of The Tudors.

Natalie Dormer Played Anne Boleyn In The Tudors

Dormer’s Portrayal Of Anne Boleyn Helped Define The Tudors As A Provocative And Unforgettable Historical Drama

Two years before her GoT debut, Natalie Dormer starred as Anne Boleyn in The Tudors, the critically acclaimed historical drama that aired on Showtime from 2007 to 2010. Set during the reign of King Henry VIII, the series explored the political and personal turmoil of the Tudor court, with Dormer’s Anne Boleyn taking center stage in the show’s first two seasons. While The Tudors took some dramatic liberties with historical events, it captured the essence of Tudor-era power struggles with a modern sensibility, and Natalie Dormer’s performance as Anne Boleyn was a major reason for its success.

Rather than play the character as a seductress or a pawn, Dormer presented Anne as a complex figure who believed deeply in her religious convictions and in her capacity to shape the world around her.

As Anne Boleyn, Natalie Dormer brought far more than just the beauty and charm the real historical figure was known for to the role. Dormer’s Anne Boleyn was intelligent, defiant, and politically astute - a woman acutely aware of her influence and determined to use it. Rather than play the character as a seductress or a pawn, Dormer presented Anne as a complex figure who believed deeply in her religious convictions and in her capacity to shape the world around her. Her dynamic with Jonathan Rhys Meyers’ Henry VIII was electric, filled with ion, ambition, and ultimately, betrayal.

Game of Thrones star Natalie Dormer was only in her mid-20s when she took on the role in The Tudors, but she held her own opposite seasoned performers and commanded attention in every scene. Her portrayal transformed Anne Boleyn from a historical footnote into a fully realized character, one whose rise and fall felt tragically inevitable. Over the course of two seasons, Dormer charted Anne’s journey from bold courtier to doomed queen with both vulnerability and fierce intelligence.

The Tudors was known for its bold storytelling approach and lush, visually striking aesthetic. Dormer’s Anne Boleyn became its breakout character, with fans and critics alike praising the nuance and strength she brought to the role. Her performance helped redefine Anne in the public imagination and laid the groundwork for the similarly complex and cunning Margaery Tyrell.

How Anne Boleyn Is Similar (And Different) To Game Of Thrones' Margaery Tyrell

Dormer’s Two Most Famous Characters Share Sharp Minds And Tragic Fates, But Their Power Plays Unfold In Very Different Worlds

While Anne Boleyn and Margaery Tyrell lived in completely different universes - one historical, one fantasy - Game of Thrones star Natalie Dormer imbued both women with a sense of intelligence, ambition, and emotional depth that connects them across time. Each woman rises to prominence through marriage, charm, and political calculation. Both find themselves at the mercy of powerful men and treacherous court politics, and both ultimately pay the price for navigating those worlds too skillfully.

Margaery Tyrell’s strength lies in her ability to manipulate perception.

She projects innocence and grace, but she’s always one step ahead, using her alliances and public image to gain influence. Anne Boleyn, as Dormer portrayed her, wields a similar kind of soft power, but with the added weight of religious and cultural reform. Her influence wasn’t just political; it was spiritual and ideological, making her even more dangerous in the eyes of her enemies.

Margaery in GoT plays the long game with charm and subtlety, while Anne Boleyn in The Tudors burns more brightly and more quickly

There’s also a fascinating duality in how each character relates to femininity and public perception. Margaery weaponizes the idea of the perfect queen - comionate, beautiful, beloved by the people - while Anne constantly battles expectations of what a woman in power should be. Natalie Dormer highlights this contrast in both performances. Margaery in GoT plays the long game with charm and subtlety, while Anne Boleyn in The Tudors burns more brightly and more quickly, unafraid to challenge the king himself and to assert her voice in private and political spheres.

Yet, while Margaery’s downfall in Game of Thrones comes in a dramatic act of violence, Anne Boleyn’s is slower and more tragic. Just as in real life, Anne Boleyn’s fate in The Tudors rooted in betrayal, false charges, and a miscarriage of justice. Both characters meet their ends unfairly, punished not for crimes but for being too influential, too clever, and too independent. Dormer’s ability to portray such layered, strategic, and ultimately doomed women makes both roles unforgettable. Through these performances, she carved out a unique niche in prestige television - one that balances historical realism and emotional resonance with Shakespearean levels of drama.

What Natalie Dormer Has Said About Playing Royalty

Dormer Has Spoken Candidly About Portraying Powerful Women And Challenging How History Re Them

Natalie Dormer has never been shy about addressing the challenges - and responsibilities - that come with playing iconic women from both history and fantasy. In a 2013 interview, the Game of Thrones star spoke openly about her portrayal of Anne Boleyn in The Tudors, and the misconceptions that often surround the infamous queen (via ohnotheydidnt). Natalie Dormer rejected the traditional femme fatale archetype, saying, “I didn’t want to play her as this femme fatale - she was a genuine evangelical with a real religious belief in the Reformation.”

This statement reveals how seriously Natalie Dormer took the task of portraying Anne with depth and authenticity. Rather than reduce her to a manipulative seductress, Dormer emphasized Anne’s intellectual convictions and political awareness. This approach elevated the role beyond historical melodrama and allowed her to embody a woman ahead of her time - one who was ultimately destroyed by the very system she tried to navigate.

Natlie Dormer also commented on the systemic erasure of powerful women, both in history and in contemporary society. “Anne really influenced the world, behind closed doors, but she’s given no explicit credit because she wasn’t protected,” she said adding:

“Let’s not forget, too, that history was written by men. And even now, in our post-feminist era we still have women struggle in public positions of power.”

These remarks offer a clear connection between Anne Boleyn and Margaery Tyrell - two women who shaped their worlds from behind the scenes, yet were denied recognition and protection. Her choice of roles reflects a deep interest in exploring the complexities of female power, especially in patriarchal systems. Whether in the fictional realm of Westeros or the court of Henry VIII, Dormer gravitates toward characters who challenge societal norms and carve their own paths, even when those paths lead to tragic ends.

By bringing these layered performances to life, Game of Thrones and The Tudors star Natalie Dormer has contributed to a broader conversation about how women are portrayed - not only on screen, but in the pages of history and myth.