In a chat with our features editor Sofia Deus, Henry Ashton delves into his role as Lord Stan Dudley in “My Lady Jane.” Ashton describes Stan as a deeply flawed yet relatable character, driven by insecurity and a desire for validation. Preparing for this role involved exploring Stan’s vulnerabilities and gradually revealing his huge heart. Ashton balances the historical drama and dark humor of Tudor England, portraying Stan’s despicable actions with moments of sincere depth and humanity.
photography by Michael Shelford and grooming by Charlie Cullen
1. *Henry, your character Lord Stan Dudley in “My Lady Jane” is quite complex—pompous, cruel, and entangled in a controversial relationship. How did you prepare to embody such a multifaceted role, and what challenges did you face in portraying his darker traits?*
I think part of the reason why much of the audience loves Stan is because he is so flawed. He’s not perfect. He does have a darker side and lets his emotions dictate his actions, but that’s why he’s so relatable. While preparing for him it was important to find the route of those behaviours, and for me it all comes from insecurity and a deep sense, of wanting to be seen. He’s been completely overshadowed by his brother and the death of his mother. And all he wants is validation from his father and to be seen as his own man. Stan has a huge heart. Such a huge heart that the challenge was not revealing it too soon, but slowly showing more of it as the series progressed.
2. *”My Lady Jane” involves a unique blend of historical drama and dark humour. How did you balance these elements in your performance, particularly given Lord Stan Dudley’s often despicable actions?*
I think the historical context and the dark humour goes hand-in-hand. Tudor England was a violent cruel and scary place and I think the show does an excellent job in highlighting this in a comedic way. There are a lot of comedic moments with Stan. But there are also moments of sincerity and heart, which are so important in giving Stan some depth and humanity.
3. *Your portrayal of Max in “A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder” dives deep into the psyche of a villain. What aspects of Max’s character did you find most intriguing, and how did you approach the sensitive themes of abuse and crime depicted in the series?*
Max’s relationship to Pip was very intriguing to me. Max has been able to charm, manipulate and control the people around him for most of his life, but it’s only when he meets Pip that he seems to meet his match. I think the ever shifting power dynamic between Max and Pip in the series really sets the audience up for what’s to come. I think you always need to be hyper-aware as an actor when you’re tackling sensitive subjects like these. And I think as a cast and a production we did an excellent job in making people feel safe and secure on set, whilst also not shying away from the responsibility of portraying the darker aspects of the story.
photography by Michael Shelford and grooming by Charlie Cullen
4. *Considering the intense and often disturbing nature of Max’s storyline, what steps did you take to ensure a responsible and authentic portrayal of such a troubled character, especially in scenes involving heavy partying and drug deals gone wrong?*
All I can do is try to understand Max as much as possible. Why does he do the things he does? I tried to not focus on the actions themselves but the thought process behind the actions and where they stem from. He has clearly found justification for what he does within himself, and my job is to understand his justification. And hopefully that allows for an authentic portrayal? But that’s for other people to say, not me!
5. *Both Lord Stan Dudley and Max are pivotal to their respective stories, yet they are fundamentally different characters. How do you switch between such varied roles, and what techniques do you use to keep your performances fresh and engaging?*
The fact that Max and Stan are such different people made the switch much easier for me. I put Stan down in February 2023 and started playing Max in June 2023, so I had plenty of time in between to approach Max from a fresh perspective. The shows being completely different also helped a lot because there was nothing in the world of My Lady Jane that existed in A Good Girls Guide to Murder, and vice versa.
6. *In “My Lady Jane,” you share the screen with acclaimed actors like Rob Brydon and Anna Chancellor. Can you share any memorable experiences or lessons learned from working with such a talented cast?*
I learnt so much from both of them it’s nearly impossible to pick a specific thing! But I think with Rob it’s his sense of play, finding the beats within a scene and bringing it to life with little bits of improv that only Rob could think up. He’s also incredibly generous and will always find a way to set you up comedically. Anna is just such a pro and a lesson in precision and subtlety, her choices were always so interesting and fresh. She is also very attentive and caring to her scene partners. I’ve lost count of the times she helped me out with some expert advice or even just a kind word. I can’t wait to work with both of them again.
7. *”A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder” has garnered significant attention for its gripping narrative and complex characters. How do you hope your portrayal of Max will resonate with audiences, and what message do you hope they take away from the series?*
I just hope it resonates, in any way that is meaningful to whoever is watching it. I wanted to make Max as human as possible, but if people just see him as a representation of everything that Pip is fighting against, then that’s ok too.
8. Finally, can you tell us more about your current projects and any future plans or considerations you have? Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
I’ve got my fingers crossed for My Lady Jane and A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder Season’s 2!
photography by Michael Shelford and grooming by Charlie Cullen
All episodes of My Lady Jane are available to watch on Prime Video. A Good Girls Guide to Murder is available to stream on BBC iPlayer in the UK, and will be streaming on Netflix internationally from 1st August.
Imagery credit: photography by Michael Shelford and grooming by Charlie Cullen
