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EXCLUSIVE: British actor Tom Riley has landed the lead in Starz’s new original series Da Vinci’s Demons, from David S. Goyer and BBC Worldwide Prods. Riley will play a young Leonardo da Vinci in the drama, described as a historical fantasy following the ‘untold’ story of the world’s greatest genius during his turbulent youth in Renaissance Florence. Brilliant and passionate, the twenty five-year old da Vinci is an artist, inventor, swordsman, lover, dreamer and idealist who begins to not only see the future, but invent it. “Given that da Vinci was the model for the ‘Renaissance Man,’ these were incredibly large shoes to fill,” Goyer said of the search to cast the role. “Leonardo had to be smart, witty, and incredibly confident – without coming across as arrogant. He also had to be tormented, because, as a true visionary and polymath, he was ostracized for his ideas as much as he was celebrated. Tom came in and was able to effortlessly combine all of those elements. As soon as he finished his audition, we knew we’d found our man.” Tom Riley, whom BBC Worldwide Prods. head Jane Tranter called “a fabulously charismatic, intelligent and versatile actor,” is a regular at London’s Royal Court Theatre. On Broadway, he was nominated by the Drama Desk Awards for his performance as Septimus Hodge in Arcadia, a 2011 Tony Award nominee for Best Revival of a Play. Most recently, Riley starred in the Stephen Poliakoff play, My City, at London’s Almeida Theatre. On TV, he is best known for his role as Laurence Shepherd on ITV’s drama series Monroe.
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Tom Riley is one of the best actors I have seen for a long time.He is extremely talented and very good looking. Why hasnt he been snapped up for Hollywood?
If they don’t have the balls to deal with his homosexuality – and his 30 year relationship with Salai, the male model whose face was used for the Mona Lisa – then this is all another glossed-over Hollywood whitewash.
Have you seen Spartacus or Torchwood: Miracle Day?Starz has absolutely no qualms dealing with character’s homosexuality.Sometimes in graphic detail.
If that’s the route they decide to take, then I doubt they’ll be any “Hollywood whitewashing”.
But, this isn’t a Leonardo Da Vinci autobiography or a historical drama.It’s a sci-fi/fantasy adventure fictionalizing the life of Da Vinci.So, I’m sure they’re going to be mostly focusing on the fantasy and intrigue of the series and not so much his relationships or supposed relationships.
Depending on how accurate this show is, in reference to timelines, that Salai character won’t even be involved.This show stars a 25 year old Da Vinci, which sets it in 1477.Salai wasn’t born until 1480.
Who knows.I’m just really looking forward to this show.Does anyone here read the Marvel comic, S.H.I.E.L.D.?It’s a series that shows S.H.I.E.L.D. was formed centuries ago and has been saving the world since.Da Vinci is a character who has a lot of inventions and he used one to travel to the mid 20th century to wage war on Isaac Newton, who is the current leader of S.H.I.E.L.D.I’s like a steampunk sci-fi/fantasy/mystery/adventure.This series feels like it could be similar, but if Da Vinci stayed in his own time and didn’t travel to the future.
When Da Vinci was 25, Salai wasn’t even born. But don’t go letting history get in the way of your glossed over point.
Hey, didn’t you heard David Goyer? HIS Leonardo is a swordsman, a lover, a dreamer – he’s Scaramouche with a PhD.
All the evidence points to Leonardo having been as asexual as Isaac Newton or many another self-absorbed genius. If everybody in history was as gay as modern gay activists want us to believe, humanity would’ve died out hundreds of years ago.
Good grief, give it a rest.
Geez. I hope they can stay out of Goyer’s way. Starz’ track record is not great.
You said it, ILikeTQuiteABit. If Starz can let this show be, it will be awesome. I have read the script.
neither is Goyer’s.
I am curious if they will deal with Da Vinci’s homosexuality as well. Perhaps, though, since this will be a fantasy series, alternate universe, science fiction historical drama or whatever, they’ll be able to forgo certain real-life aspects, such as his relationships with men. It’s the easiest way around that subject, and not be called homophobic.
Here’s hoping this show turns out better than the last one Goyer created: FlashForward.
Um…isn’t everyone entitled to a flop or are you, “Best Wishes”, the rare Hollywood novelty who has never touched anything less than gold??????
You read malice into my comment where none was intended. I never said flops aren’t forgiveable. I enjoy much of Goyer’s work. But I watched FlashForward and was disappointed that it was a train wreck. So I genuinely hope this series is a success.
FlashForward wasn’t Goyer’s only flop. His stuff is usually interesting enough to merit taking a chance on though
So Victor, this as-yet-unexplored territory for a tv series, with a great actor (not much known in the US)isn’t even up and running and your AGENDA comes to the fore? How is his relationship ( gay, straight, whatev) the crux of the matter? Jeez, your post is a pretty ridiculous assumption of the content that will be covered…and a sad indication as to what’s at the forefront of your mind when deciding on what entertainment to watch.
Actually, Victor has a point. If Leonardo’s love life is “ret-conned”, it will be inaccurate. As well as just lame. I’m not quite sure how wondering out-loud if the tv show is going to at least be accurate about one of the world’s great minds composes anything like an agenda.
All that said, there are sure to be tights and codpieces everywhere.
In the year or so that I have been adding my two-cents to these Nikki Finke posts I have never said a word about anything gay so I was wondering if mentioning Da Vinci’s homosexuality would elicit any sort of response. I’m glad to see that it did. I am the executive director of an organization dedicated to restoring the GLBT reality that has been redacted from our shared history. Those of you who have commented “What does it matter?”, “Who cares?”, or “Da Vinci was asexual, like Newton”, etc. cannot begin to comprehend what it feels like to know that the lives of people like yourself are still routinely redacted from every text book used to educate the average person. That’s OK. You cannot know what you have not been taught. But just because you don’t believe it doesn’t mean it isn’t important to a LOT of people who do know the consequences of being rendered invisible… especially when that invisibility is regularly capitalized upon by people at your expense. Was Da Vinci’s homosexuality the most important aspect of his life? Of course not. But it was more than likely central to his deconstructionist re-imagining of the world. And knowing about that is critical for GLBT youth who are still forced to grow up without historically significant role models, socially isolated, culturally irrelevant, and vulnerable to the ignorance from which bullying springs. If demanding that a highbrow cable program in the 21-century recognize the full reality of Da Vinci’s life means that I have an “agenda” so be it. The consequences of maintaining everyone else’s illusions are too high. Just ask the parents of any gay child.
Wow, victor–you are obviously an intelligent guy with a very small prism that you view the world thru–repeat–” IT DOESN’T MATTER ” if they cover Da Vinci’s sexual preference, and your supposition that his “different than typical” sexual orientation FUELED his different viewpoint and his genius is some stretch! “Different Sexual Orientation (a pretty common one, no?) leads to different views and creative brilliance…”. There are plenty of current role models for any kids, straight or gay, to pattern after–but if anyone is watching TV to “pattern” their life? then the parents that you mention have already failed….
I love Da Vinci a lot and Salai of course,
And I have been looked forward to‘Da Vinci’s Demons’for quite a long time.
Would anybody please tell me that will Sailai appear in this show?