Before she was The Serpent Queen, Catherine de Medici was an Italian noblewoman turned orphaned teenager who married into the French court via King Henry II. Circumstances turned her into the notorious historical figure she came to be, one with a proclivity for poison, political cunning, and ruthless persecution. In the Starz original series The Serpent Queen, Catherine is played as an adult by Samantha Morton, while Liv Hill takes on the role during her teenage years.
Hill has made appearances in The Great, as well as the miniseries Three Girls and the film The Fight. The Serpent Queen presents a whole new challenge, though, as Catherine enters a court with complex and daunting political and social issues.
Screen Rant sat down with Hill to talk The Serpent Queen, including working with Morton, finding Catherine de Medici's complexities, and her favorite aspect of playing the monarch.
Screen Rant: Catherine de Medici is such a complicated character. As an actor, how do you tap into all these different facets and complexities? Did you do a lot of research?
Liv Hill: Yeah, there's a book by Leonie Frieda. I started to read that, but then I ran out of time before shooting. It's very dense with lots of information that was really helpful. But after that, no, you're right. I just had to base it on the script. And she's written so multifaceted. She's vulnerable, and also very detached and strong and weak at times. It was just a gift of a character to play. So I think the main thing for me is how I approached it, as I just remembered, the intention of survival. And I kind of just ramped that up and down, depending on what the scene required.
You have Samantha [Morton], who is playing the older version of your character. How much did you work together to figure out the nuances [and] align your performances, so they kind of had a throughline there?
Liv Hill: Before we briefly discussed, it didn't feel like we did loads together, to be honest. But the one thing Samantha said to me was, "I'm so happy you were chosen to do this. Just trust in yourself." It made it less overwhelming to have to play Samantha Morton. It kind of gave me that trust in myself, and also the trust in the casting process that we had similar views and a perspective of Katherine. I didn't let the idea of having to be Samantha overwhelm me. But we did talk about the intentions and motivations at the beginning.
With this kind of expansive timeline and this massive undertaking of a period piece, what was it like being on set and becoming immersed in 16th-century France?
Liv Hill: You're right. I think it's a period piece, [but] I've never really seen it stretched so long in just one season, from a young girl to an adult. But it was amazing on set. The locations were just extraordinary. We filmed in real Chateaus. And then there were hundreds of extras around in these decadent, marvelous costumes. So it felt very, very surreal. And it was just, everyone in each department was at the top of their game. And it was a privilege to be surrounded by those people.
Did you have a favorite Catherine moment or a favorite aspect of the character that you got to sort of dive into?
Liv Hill: I suppose I loved playing her watchful eye. She was always in a sense of alertness. And I feel like I really relate to that, even if I'm not trying to survive literally. But just in that she's reading people's body language [and] their facial expressions to see if she thinks they like her or whatever. And I'm kind of that person, unfortunately, as well and do a bit too much of an emphasis on what others perceive. But she was totally like that. And so I kind of just ramped that up and enjoyed playing that sort of reserved nature but also very, very alert and attentive.
The Serpent Queen Synopsis
The Serpent Queen tells the story of Catherine de Medici (Samantha Morton) who, against all odds, became one of the most powerful and longest-serving rulers in French history.
Catherine’s tale unfolds through flashbacks as she defends her actions and imparts the lessons she’s learned to her new servant girl, Rahima (Sennia Nanua). At 14, the young, orphaned Catherine (Liv Hill) marries into the 16th-century French court. Despite her commoner status, her uncle Pope Clement (Charles Dance), has negotiated a large dowry and a geopolitical alliance in return for the union, and with it comes the expectation of many heirs.
However, on her wedding night, Catherine learns that her new husband is in love with Diane de Poitiers (Ludivine Sagnier), a beautiful lady-in-waiting twice his age. With her future suddenly uncertain and with little hope of conceiving, Catherine must quickly learn who she can trust - both within her personal entourage of courtiers and the members of the royal court - while outmaneuvering anyone who underestimates her determination to survive at any cost.
Check out our other interview with The Serpent Queen star Samantha Morton.
The Serpent Queen airs new episodes Sundays on Starz.