10 Best Acting Performances In Period Romance TV Shows

Summary

• Period TV shows excel in capturing the essence of romance through historical context and skilled acting performances.
• Lead actors’ onscreen chemistry is crucial for the success of period romance shows, drawing audiences into the story.
• Immersive performances that bring historical figures to life elevate the genre and push boundaries in storytelling and character development.

Romance is an essential part of many period TV shows, as there’s something special about watching love and courtship unfold through the lens of a different era. Acting in a period piece is a challenge for any performer, as the language, behavior, and social rules of the past are vastly different from how people interact today. However, if the actors are skilled enough, their performances immerse the viewer in the story and make them forget that they aren’t living alongside the characters in the lush romantic drama.

Audiences won’t believe or be invested in the relationship if the actors don’t genuinely seem to be in love or tortured over their star-crossed separation.

Additionally, for the actors playing the lead couple, their onscreen chemistry is arguably the most important part of the show. Audiences won’t believe or be invested in the relationship if the actors don’t genuinely seem to be in love or tortured over their star-crossed separation. Many of the best period romance TV shows of the 2020s have seen great performances that push the boundaries of what people associate with the romance genre. It’s doubly impressive to see actors who completely transform themselves into a historical figure from the past, bringing history to life.

10 Colin Firth – Pride And Prejudice (1995)

As Mr. Darcy

Though many audiences associate Matthew Macfadyen’s 2005 performance of Mr. Darcy in the Pride & Prejudice film with the character Colin Firth’s Darcy was so definitive he returned to the role for an updated adaptation of the story in Bridget Jones’s Diary. Firth is a classic leading man, thanks to his charm and handsome features, but playing Mr. Darcy requires gravitas and vulnerability as well. For much of the series, Elizabeth and the audience misunderstand Darcy’s nature, as his reservedness isn’t out of rudeness but fear of not being accepted.

The actors are just as strong in their romantic moments as they are when locked in a battle of wits.

Thanks to Firth, it’s easy to see that though he’s standoffish, he loves Elizabeth and is being driven wild by the fact that she can’t stand him. The formula of Pride and Prejudice has inspired the best enemies-to-lovers rom-coms, thanks to the essential dynamic between Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy. Jennifer Ehle, who plays Elizabeth, brings out the best in Firth and vice versa. The actors are just as strong in their romantic moments as they are when locked in a battle of wits.

9 Elle Fanning – The Great (2020–2023)

As Catherine The Great

Though The Great could never be considered an accurate retelling of history and the real Catherine The Great’s rise to power, it’s a lot more fun than the truth. Watching Fanning transform over the course of three seasons from a naive young woman who hates her husband to the ruthless and all-powerful ruler of Russia is a sight to behold. However, Fanning makes Catherine’s development seem like the most natural thing in the world. Every scene and emotional trial is processed and fuels her performance as a whole.

What sets The Great apart from many other contemporary period dramas is that it leans heavily into its satirical and dark themes. However, the series is adept at simultaneously balancing romance and dramatic tonal shifts, requiring the lead actors to transform their performances on a dime. Fanning has shown that no one else could have played Catherine with the skill she demonstrates, as she’s a fully realized and imperfect person who audiences want to spend time with.

8 India Amarteifio – Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story (2023)

As Young Queen Charlotte

India Amarteifio is the young Charlotte, and she is able to plant the seeds of the Charlotte audiences are already familiar with while creating a character who is entirely her own.

Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story was a necessary companion to the main Bridgerton series as it answered many important questions about the past and Charlotte’s rise to power. Golda Rosheuvel plays Queen Charlotte in Bridgerton and appears throughout the narrative, juxtaposing the person she was with who she becomes. India Amarteifio is the young Charlotte, and she is able to plant the seeds of the Charlotte audiences are already familiar with while creating a character who is entirely her own.

She’s uncertain about her future as Queen and her relationship with George, and this is what drives the story. The young King George is played by Corey Mylchreest, who compliments and uplifts Amarteifio at every turn. As the titular character, Charlotte finally gets to take center stage in the series, and the audience learns there’s more darkness and tragedy in the Queen’s past than anyone realized. Though the series follows the love plot formula as Bridgerton does, it also focuses deeply on Charlotte’s evolution and trials as a young Queen.

7 Devrim Lingnau – The Empress (2022–Present)

As Empress Elisabeth of Austria

The German period drama The Empress unpacks the early life and marriage of Elisabeth to Franz, the Emperor of Austria, in the mid-1800s. Devrim Lingnau is not the first actress to take on the role of Empress Elisabeth, as she was a famous figure during her life, and many series and films have been made about various points in her life. However, The Empress is most concerned with her love story with Franz and her transition to the Viennese court during a period of political upheaval.

Lingnau is youthfully exuberant and plays the troublemaking side of Elisabeth just as well as she does the romantic lead and budding political animal. She balances Elisabeth’s natural cunning and quick mind with her innocence about how the games of politics and royalty are played. Even when Lingnau has no lines or Elisabeth is absent for a scene, the audience can feel her presence everywhere. The viewer can see what she’s thinking behind her eyes. Lingnau shines in her ability to make every room she enters stop, as Elisabeth is a woman who demands attention.

6 Emily Bader – My Lady Jane (2024)

As Lady Jane Grey

Though
My Lady Jane
is one of Bader’s biggest roles to date, it’s likely that a lot more will be seen from the actress.

Based on the novel of the same name, My Lady Jane depicts a fantastical retelling of the tragically short reign of the ill-fated Jane Grey. However, instead of ending abruptly with her untimely death, My Lady Jane gives Jane an epic love story and includes a fantasy aspect to make it a strong revisionist period romance. Emily Bader has a difficult job as Jane Grey, as she must earnestly interact with the more outlandish elements of the story while embodying the lush romance that builds between herself and Guildford.

Edward Bluemel plays Guildford, Jane’s tortured love interest, and the best Jane and Guildford scenes in My Lady Jane speak for themselves when it comes to the dynamic between the actors. If a less skilled actress had played Jane, some of her staunch moral lines and interest in science might have come off as disingenuous, but Bader makes every aspect of Jane seem like a genuine part of the character. Though My Lady Jane is one of Bader’s biggest roles to date, it’s likely that a lot more will be seen from the actress.

5 Vico Ortiz – Our Flag Means Death (2022–2023)

As Jim Jimenez

Even though Our Flag Means Death was canceled after its second season, there are still plenty of great characters and performances to enjoy when looking back on the show. Rhys Darby and Taika Waititi are singled out most often when critics and audiences praise performances in the show. However, the supporting actors are just as important in fleshing out the larger world of the series and the ensemble dynamic. Vico Ortiz, as Jim Jimenez, is consistently one of the strongest actors in the series, and their relationship with Oluwande is a touching love story.

Our Flag Means Death is significant for its dedication to including positive LGBTQ+ representation in a period romance series, as these identities and relationships are often overlooked within the genre. Although there’s little historical evidence to back up the events in the show, that doesn’t change how impactful it is to see non-binary actors like Ortiz onscreen. Additionally, Ortiz tackles subjects of friendship and teamwork in their performance alongside their romantic relationship.

4 Jenna Coleman – Victoria (2016–2019)

As Queen Victoria

Jenna Coleman had the opportunity to dedicate several years to her realization of the monarch in
Victoria
, allowing her to bring something new to the well-worn territory of Victoria’s life.

Many amazing actresses have taken on the role of Queen Victoria, including Dame Judi Dench and Emily Blunt. However, Jenna Coleman had the opportunity to dedicate several years to her realization of the monarch in Victoria, allowing her to bring something new to the well-worn territory of Victoria’s life. While larger historical events are touched upon in the show, the plot is driven by Victoria’s personal relationships and her desire to balance being Queen with having a family and a life outside of the crown.

The love story between Queen Victoria and Prince Albert is one of the most famous in history, and it’s interesting to see the actors bring these well-known figures to life. Tom Hughes plays Albert, and both he and Coleman are unafraid to show some of the harsher aspects of their married life and the strain the monarchy puts on a relationship. Coleman plays Victoria at several stages in her life, requiring great changes in her performance from season to season, but she makes these transitions flawlessly.

3 Adjoa Andoh – Bridgerton (2020–Present)

As Lady Agatha Danbury

While the Bridgerton child who serves as the season’s lead might come and go, Adjoa Andoh as Lady Danbury remains a hallmark of the series. The format of Bridgerton requires that the story moves at a brisk pace, and so little is seen of the previous season’s couple once the plot has pushed on. However, characters like Lady Danbury, Lady Violet Bridgerton, and Queen Charlotte all hold over from one season to the next, making the consistency of their performances the most vital. Andoh’s Lady Danbury is known for not-so-subtly controlling aspects of the marriage mart from behind the scenes.

Lady Danbury is also a friend and confidant to Queen Charlotte, making their dynamic one of the most fun and compelling on the show. Though Lady Danbury has not had an onscreen romance of her own, there’s more of her character to explore, and Andoh could bring the character to a new level. As Bridgerton season 4 will adapt Benedict’s book story, the series is gearing up for another shakeup in the main cast and navigating the dynamic of a new leading couple. Fortunately, Lady Danbury will be there to give advice and help push Benedict in the right direction.

2 Hailee Steinfeld – Dickinson (2019–2021)

As Emily Dickinson

Combining elements of magical realism and satire to bring Emily’s imagination to life, the series allows Steinfeld’s Emily to be a revolutionary adventurer well ahead of her time.

Hailee Steinfeld demonstrated her ability and potential as an actress from an early age, playing Mattie in the Coen Brothers’ adaptation of True Grit. However, her best role and performance to date is playing Emily Dickinson in Apple TV’s Dickinson, which reimagines the life and experiences of the famed reclusive poet. Combining elements of magical realism and satire to bring Emily’s imagination to life, the series allows Steinfeld’s Emily to be a revolutionary adventurer well ahead of her time.

Her relationship with Sue, played by Ella Hunt, is a defining aspect of the series, as their deep friendship and forbidden love were an enormous part of Emily’s poetry and intense feelings about the world. Emily is an eccentric and misunderstood character whom the audience has to like and relate to, even in her most selfish and unreasonable moments. Steinfeld makes it impossible not to adore Emily and not to revel in the magic of seeing the world through her eyes.

1 Maggie Smith – Downton Abbey (2010–2015)

As Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham

Dame Maggie Smith is one of the greatest actresses of her generation, and her addition to the cast of Downton Abbey lent credibility and strength to the series. As Violet Crawley, Smith was the conservative matriarch of the family who strongly juxtaposed the more liberal views of the Crawley daughters and the changing times that Downton Abbey chronicles. Though Violet’s time and the most strict period of class stratification in England was coming to an end throughout Downton Abbey, her performance was critical to the audience’s understanding of the cultural context of the show.

Even though Violet has strong beliefs about propriety and etiquette, she isn’t afraid to speak her mind and share more than a few cutting remarks with the people she disagrees with. Smith remained an enormous part of the Downton Abbey franchise through the second spinoff movie. Though Smith has been in many well-known and high-profile roles, she completely disappears into the character of Violet and makes the viewers forget they’ve seen her anywhere else. The Crawley daughters have the romance plotlines in Downton Abbey, but Violet helps make the world real.