Get to Know The Count of Monte Cristo Cast
Casting for the eight-part TV adaptation of The Count of Monte Cristo took almost half a year, according to director Bille August. But the search for the right actors was well worth the wait — the international cast is made up of notable stars and fresh new faces. Learn all about stars Sam Claflin, Jeremy Irons, and more, and find out some surprising facts about their work.
Sam Claflin is Edmond Dantes
Maybe you fell in love with Sam Claflin's portrayal of Finnick Odair in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, or the musically inclined Billy Dunne in Daisy Jones and the Six. In taking on the starring role as Edmond Dantes in this adaptation of The Count of Monte Cristo on MASTERPIECE on PBS, he has embarked on a challenging new journey as an actor.
Did you know? Sam Claflin’s brother Joe is also an actor. In fact, a few other Calflin siblings have also taken to the screen. Joe Claflin appeared on MASTERPIECE in Grantchester Season 1 as DC Atkins. Plus, he has also appeared in Wallander and Game of Thrones, among other acting credits.
Jeremy Irons is Abbé Faria
Jeremy Irons’ portrayal of Abbé Faria follows a lifelong career on stage and screen. It isn’t even his first Dumas adaptation — Irons appeared in a 1998 adaptation of The Man in the Iron Mask. He is most well-known for voicing Scar in The Lion King, Alfred in several Batman films, and for being awarded the triple crown in acting – a Tony Award for The Real Thing, an Emmy Award for Elizabeth I, and an Academy Award for Reversal of Fortune.
Did you know? Not only does he act, but he has picked up some musical ability along the way. Irons told the Wall Street Journal about learning music when he was younger. “I played drums in a rock band — the Four Pillars of Wisdom — [and] learned to play guitar.”
Ana Girardot is Mercedes
Taking after her parents, actors Hippolyte Girardot and Isabel Otero, Ana Girardot has made a name for herself in film and TV, primarily in French-language projects. She is best known for The Returned, Escobar: Paradise Lost, and Someone, Somewhere.
Did you know? While filming a scene with Sam Claflin for The Count of Monte Cristo, Ana Girardot accidentally caught herself on fire. “We were doing a very dramatic scene with Sam [Claflin] and the camera was on him and the camera was moving towards him, but I never want to leave Sam’s eyes. So I [moved to] the left and suddenly I felt like a hand on my shoulder… And actually, I was next to a candle and I was on fire. I didn’t want to stop, I was like ‘It’s okay, we can keep going on the scene.’”
Blake Ritson is Danglars
Blake Ritson has been part of the glitz and glamor of hit series The Gilded Age and The Crown, as well as MASTERPIECE adaptations of Jane Austen’s Emma and Mansfield Park. Plus, The Count of Monte Cristo isn’t Ritson’s first time playing a dastardly character on MASTERPIECE — he played the villainous Charlie Havistock on Indian Summers.
Did you know? Blake Ritson doesn’t just work in front of the camera — he also writes and directs with his brother Dylan. The Ritson brothers have written and directed several shorts that have premiered internationally at film festivals, including one titled Love Hate, starring Ben Whishaw and Hayley Atwell.
Amaryllis August is Valentine
The young actor is at the start of her career, and landed her first role as the lead in Danish television series Families Like Ours. She joined The Count of Monte Cristo as Valentine, the daughter of Villefort, and plays a key role in The Count’s revenge plot.
Did you know? If Amaryllis August’s name sounds familiar, it might be because she shares it with The Count of Monte Cristo director, Bille August. In fact, she’s his daughter! She is one of eight children in her family, and she has several half-siblings.
