Joss Stone is joining The Tudors as Anne of Cleves? Huh? Anne was Henry VIII’s fourth wife, the one he divorced after he felt he’d been bait-and-switched because she was homelier than her portrait. I know ugly people aren’t allowed on this show (I thought Henry was a fat, jowly guy like Charles Laughton, not a fit hottie like Jonathan Rhys Meyers), but if we’re supposed to think that Joss Stone is ugly, aren’t someone’s standards a wee bit high?
'The Tudors' thinks Joss Stone is ugly?
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Comments (1-30) of 30 Add your comment
No, Joss Stone is just ugly. That’s all there is to it.
Forget fat and jowly…Henry was in his early 50s when he marries Anne (he dumps her for her 15 year old lady-in-waiting whom he marries when he’s 54). And yes, fat and jowly.
I can’t wait to see how they transform her to Anne of Cleves. Not who I’d cast, but they must see something. I love this show, so I’ll be anxiously waiting season 3!
Actually, history indicates that Anne of Cleves wasn’t really ugly, just that she was not Henry’s type. He preferred petite women and according to all accounts Anne of Cleves was a large, sturdy but handsome german girl. I guess he didn’t like it.
Actually, history indicates that Anne of Cleves wasn’t really ugly, just that she was not Henry’s type. He preferred petite women and according to all accounts Anne of Cleves was a large, sturdy but handsome german girl. I guess he didn’t like it.
…um – I’m sure they can make her less attractive we do live in a world where Charlize was made so in Monster and Cameron in Malkhovich wasnt too hot either.
Anne of Cleves probably wasn’t as ugly as all that. Just Henry’s excuse when the politics of the union didn’t work out as well as he had hoped (one of the reasons at any rate). And Henry was a handsome stud once upon a time, just not so much by the time portrayed in the series.
I believe that Anne of Cleves also had terrible pock marks which were hard to look at. Henry by this time should be fat and syphilitic, which most likely accounted for his sometimes erratic behaviour.
I believe that Anne of Cleves also had terrible pock marks which were hard to look at. Henry by this time should be fat and syphilitic, which most likely accounted for his sometimes erratic behaviour.
…is there some reason why this has ANY resemblance to reality for some? My God people this is a Showtime miniseries!! Perhaps parts of the story are accurate.Buut this really makes me laugh! You thought this was historically correct, really…REALLY?
Henry VIII only got fat later in life when he developed diabetes and couldnt move…he was fit in his younger years, so it is actually a decent potrayal of the king…and ugly could have different meanings back then, ugly doesn’t necessarily have to mean physically, it could be spiritual or something also, just to keep in mind
I don’t care if she’s considered ugly or not. The show has shown that it doesn’t really matter what history has to say about these people, they’re all pretty. What I want to know is can she act?
Glad I wasn’t the only one to think, “Joss Stone CAN’T play Anne of Cleves – too pretty!” All those years of my Mom teaching me about Henry VIII’s wives has worked, you know.
Well, historically speaking, Jane Seymour wasn’t exactly a knockout either, hence the “plain Jane” nickname. I wonder if they’ll indicate that Cleves smells funny on the show?
Sure, Joss Stone is ugly – if you go by ridiculous Hollywood standards.
In the Tudor era, hell, *everyone* was probably ugly.
Wait, since when is she an “actress”…?
True, history tells us Anne was not really “ugly” persay. In fact, the story goes that Henry played a trick on her and suprised her “in disguise” as a common man. He tried to kiss her, thinking she would be overtaken by this handsome stranger but instead she recoiled, completely disgusted by this fat, ugly old man. Henry was humiliated and angry, thus stating he found her ugly and smelly (real mature, Henry).
However, historical docs/references showed Anne to be actually not bad looking at all.
Actually, Anne was quite pretty, by all accounts. Just look at her portraits (do a google image search). Henry, on the other hand, was fat, smelled, had a bum leg (which some say explained why he went to seed so quickly–he lost his mobility), and, generally, gross. Easiest confirmation is to check out his suit of armor in the Tower of London — big, big, man. Current thought is that calling her ugly (and getting contemporary journalists and historians to spread the rumor) was his justification/explanation for rejecting her after he perceived that she had rejected him.
Of course I know that it’s not historically correct. This is just a forum to discuss and dissect. And it is nice when shows like this get it “almost right” on occasion. Not that that’s an option with this particular one though. But few of the Tudor movies/shows do.
It’s the plan/ordinary (but not really) thing
This discussion makes me wonder if what was considered “ugly” in the 16th century is different from what we think of as ugly now? Although I’ll allow that pock marks have probably never been considered attractive…
Henry was a good looking, thin, and athletic man. However, as we all know, he eventually became very fat. Some say he suffered gout that caused him to cut back on excerise. I read his last wife found him disgusting.
Who watches The Tudors for historical accuracy? LOL
Since when is the Tudors historically corect? IT fun to watch. If Joss Stone is cast to play Anne Cleeves, I wonder who they are going to cast for his last two wives?
Actually, Henry was quite a looker when he was young. He only got fatter as he got older and had leg injuries and gout.
Unless they do something with her hair and make up, there is no way Joss Stone will fit the part of Anne of Cleves. Henry did call her the Flanders Mare.
There’s no hard historical evidence that Anne of Cleves was indeed ugly, or uglier than any of Henry’s other wives. Hans Holbein’s bridal portrait of her, shows a very normal to moderately pretty young woman, and Holbein is known for his realistic painting style. In fact he was specifically ordered not to embellish her likeness and most Tudor historians believe his painting was true to the sitter’s appearance. Henry probably called her a “mare” because he wasn’t impressed by her foreigness (she dressed in German gard, not the latest French duds that were fashionable) and their bad first meeting in which she ignored him practically the entire time. If anything Henry was probably much, much more hidious than Anne of Cleves – he weighted in the 300 lb range by the 1540’s.
agree with step!
Historically, Henry VIII did not divorce Anne of Cleves. The marriage was never consumated and was thus legally annulled. Also while Anne might not have been ugly, she was foreign and German. Henry was not known for his like of the stoutness of German women and the term ‘mare’ does not refer to a horse-like appearance, it refers to a stout figure in the time period, often given to women with sturdy figures. Henry was very against marrying anyone that was not English after the failure of his marriage to the Spanish Queen, Katherine of Aragon. Hell, Henry treated her better then his wives, giving her the ancestoral home of Anne Boleyn as her domecile and she outlived all of his wives and him, so as far as I can tell, “Ugly” or not, she got the better end of the deal.
I think Amy Winehouse should have played Anne of Cleves. LMAO.