Before he charmed audiences as Laurie Laurence in Little Women and broke hearts as Paul Wilcox in Howards End, he also spent time waiting tables at a restaurant, thanks to his father, Jeremy King, a London restauranteurâand he thoroughly enjoyed the experience. World on Fire | The Cast on World on Fire | WTIU Skip to Main Content Company Credits It can be a catalyst to bring out the best that humanity can be.â. Behind the Scenes: Hunt has personal connections to the war. âI figured, itâs a sign! âThe funny thing about war is that for all the tragedy and heartbreak that surrounds it, it forces most people to be the best that they can be,â Smith said. The Character: Zofia Wichlacz stars as Kasia Tomaszeski, a young waitress in Warsaw who falls passionately in love with English translator Harry Chase. ⦠Because of that weâve got a really unique story thatâs going to be a great watch.â. A war situation, as awful as it is, provides normal people the opportunity to be extraordinary, which may not happen during times of peace. She’s done a number of productions with London’s prestigious Royal Shakespeare Company, and has won a number of awards, including the Laurence Olivier Award (presented by the Society of London Theatre) for Best Actress for her role in Ghosts in 2014. The series follows civilians who become caught up in the ⦠It was very flimsy as bomb shelters go and Iâll always remember those moments.â. According to one interview with The Guardian, as recently as 2018, Manville was racing to the theater from the set of Harlots, cleaning off her 18th century makeup on the way for her performances in Long Day’s Journey Into Night.Â, Behind the Scenes: Manville was attracted not only to the role of Robina Chase, but also to the series as a whole because of it’s unique scale. prosthetics effects technician: silicone runner (7 episodes, 2019) Theresa Atkinson. In fact, he’s started turning down roles for that very reason, he admitted in a 2019 interview with The Sun. Learn all about the multi-talented cast of the upcoming, epic World War II drama, including Jonah Hauer-King, Helen Hunt, Sean Bean and more. Jonah Hauer-King, Helen Hunt, Sean Bean and more introduce the all-new World War II drama. The primary arrangement of seven scenes recounts the tale of the principal year of the war, beginning with the German attack of Poland in September 1939 and finishing with the Battle of Britain. In the summer of 2019, Harrison sang, danced and starred as Ogie in the West End’s production of the hit musical Waitress. I went to the recruitment office on West 72nd Street and was going to show up the next morning at 8 for a physical.” When he called his agent to let him know, his agent informed him that the other actor had passed on the role, and that the part (in 2009’s The War Boys) was his. You get a sense of peopleâs hopes and dreams and very real ambitions of their own which are interrupted by events that are not in their control.â, In three words, Sawyers described World on Fire as: colorful, layered and authentic. Dr Joanna Rydzewska of ⦠Itâs a very emotional story.â, She dove headfirst into Kasiaâs world to prepare for the part. World on Fire Written byPeter Bowker Directed by Chanya Button Thomas Napper Adam ⦠I wanted to know the places where she could have taken Harry on a date. Credits: Hunt is known for her Oscar-winning role in As Good As It Gets, as well as her starring roles in films such as Twister, Cast Away, and What Women Want. Either way, âWorld on Fireâ plays like a mainstream broadcast network miniseries circa 1988. Funding for MASTERPIECE is provided by Viking® and Raymond James, with additional support from public television viewers and contributors to The Masterpiece Trust, created to help ensure the series' future. Fun Fact: Harrison’s talents go far beyond the screen. World on Fire profiles: Cast and Characters. Credits: Blake Harrison is known for his roles in The Inbetweeners and A Very English Scandal. âIt is universal. High. Itâs about love, about freedom, about wanting to be free when you canât. ... prosthetic make-up artist/silicone runner (7 episodes, 2019) Molly Connor⦠Credits: Before World on Fire, Wichlacz was best known for her roles in the film Warsaw â44, and in television series such as 1983 and The Romanoffs. When France is threatened and occupied, despite the efforts of his aunt, he stays in Paris to fight not only for his patients, but for his own identity and freedom. Thereâs already been bloodshed, tears and a lot of deaths, but BBC Oneâs World on Fire may not be over yet. Model, writer, and actor Yrsa Daley-Ward plays musician Connie Knight in World on Fire, a character loosely based on the show's creator and writer Peter Bowker's real-life auntie Anna. The Character: Julia Brown stars as the young Lois Bennett, an English factory worker, a talented jazz singer, and the first love of Harry Chase (Jonah Hauer-King). Blake Harrison plays Stan âStan is a ⦠World on Fire | The Cast on World on Fire | WNMU Skip to Main Content Release Dates Another eye-catching feature of World on Fire is a star-studded Polish cast who speak in subtitled Polish, which adds to the authenticity of the story. The Character: Parker Sawyers plays French jazz musician Albert Fallou. Instead of playing a doctor in the midst of war (World on Fire) or a futuristic soldier (Stargate Universe), Smith himself nearly joined the United States Army. Fun Fact: 24-year-old star Hauer-King graduated from the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom, where he studied theology and religious studies. This series is a WWII drama centered around the lives of ordinary people affected by the war. Behind the Scenes: âThe beauty of this story and what Peter [Bowker, series writer] has done is to have so many perspectives on such an important moment in history,â Harrison said. âI love the way the story dipped in and out of all these different lives,â she said. Jonah Hauer-King, Blake Harrison, Julia Brown, Yrsa Daley-Ward and Zofia WichÅacz join us on BUILD as the cast of 'World on Fire' - a Major BBC Drama starring Sean Bean. What music she would have listened to, and I listened to it a lot myself. Although it may be too soon to see every strength and every weakness in ⦠Iâve said, âThey know my characterâs going to die because Iâm in it!’ …I just had to cut that out and start surviving, otherwise it was all a bit predictable.”, Behind the Scenes: Bean has parental connections to the war. The Character: Jonah Hauer-King portrays Harry Chase, a young Englishman working as a translator for the British embassy in Warsaw who finds himself caught in an explosive love triangle. Hauer-King is currently filming Disneyâs live-action film The Little Mermaid, playing Prince Eric. âI havenât read for many period dramas but I have watched themâ¦I will catch myself wondering what Thomas the Valetâs dreams are in Downton Abbey, and in World on Fire I really feel a sense of Albertâs dreams and goals for the next three years, seven years, and his dreams of moving to America. Credits: Smith is known for his roles in television series such as Sense8, Gossip Girl, and Stargate University. Credits: Prior to World on Fire, Brown appeared in television series such as Shetland, The Last Kingdom and M.I. âI wanted to create a world for Kasia including things she liked, the books she would read, and what she might be interested in and why,â she said. Some of World on Fire Cast's most popular songs include 'Love Me or Leave Me (feat. It will likely continue to follow interconnected characters who are in different countries as the war intensifies. Ben Blackall. Thatâs history for you â messy and not always narratively compliant. World on Fire tells the story of World War Two through the lives of ordinary people from all sides of the global conflict. Jonah Hauer-King, Helen Hunt, Sean Bean and more introduce the all-new World War II drama. Even when she’s filming, she’s often still working stage productions. World on Fire / Cast. Itâs about young people who are full of life yet theyâre in this difficult time and very dark place. It looks at what the war did to peoplesâ lives on a big scale, on a very small scale and on a very personal scale. The Character: Blake Harrison plays Harry Chaseâs loyal and committed sergeant Stan Raddings, who helps an overwhelmed Harry navigate the responsibilities of the Army. he admitted in a 2019 interview with The Sun, According to one interview with The Guardian. “They were deep into this conversation and I asked them what their earliest memory was and then someone mentioned something about their oldest brother serving during the Second World War. The third episode of World War II drama World On Fire will be airing tonight, 13 October. Audenâs iconic poem â1st September, 1939â. My auntie and uncle had an Anderson shelter in their shed (thatâs still there today) that we used to play in it when we were little. At home, she is responsible for looking after her veteran father, Douglas (Sean Bean) and wayward brother Tom (Ewan Mitchell). âI was two months behind in the rent, I didnât have insurance, and Iâd just auditioned for [a role] and was told they went with somebody else,â he told the New York Post. World on Fire: Cast, Air Date, Trailer and More We've got the answers to your burning questions about the new series! Behind the Scenes: âWorld on Fire tells extraordinary stories of ordinary people,â Wichlacz said. Jonah Hauer-King. World on Fire season one had a star-studded cast, which included former Game of Thrones actor Sean Bean and Oscar-winning actress Helen Hunt. Starting her screen career playing Keri in CBBC series MIHigh, Brown has starred in Shetland (as Molly Kilmuir) and The Last Kingdom (as Ecgywn). Filming & Production Find out about new shows, get updates on your favorite dramas and mysteries, enjoy exclusive content and more! Her father, Gordon Hunt, was a longtime acting coach and director whose credits include not just hundreds of cartoons and sitcoms for television, but also episodes of daughter Helenâs hit television series Mad About You. World on Fireâs thrilling season finale resolves some of the major character arcs this season, while leaving others as excruciating cliffhangers. Fun Fact: Hunt has been acting since she was young; some of her earliest roles were on the Swiss Family Robinson TV series (1975-1976) and The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1977). Throughout the span of her long-running 1990âs television series Mad About You (which made a return with all-new episodes in 2019), Hunt won three Golden Globe awards, four Primetime Emmy awards, and one Screen Actors Guild award for her portrayal of Jamie Buchman. The Character: Brian J. Smith plays American doctor Webster OâConnor, the nephew of journalist Nancy Campbell (Helen Hunt) who is working, living and falling in love in Paris before the war arrives at his doorstep. "World on Fire" was already renewed for a second season, which Hauer-King is eager to start. What it does to love, relationships and families.â. âYes of course there are the central characters, but itâs a real cocktail of stories about how this epic and tragic event affected different people in different parts of the world. Meet the cast and learn more about the stars of of World on Fire on Masterpiece with exclusive news, photos, videos and more at TVGuide.com The Character: Sean Bean plays Douglas Bennett, a pacifist and a World War I veteran. Fun Fact: One of Bean’s biggest claims to fame has been not just his on-screen rolesâbut also the large number of on-screen deaths he’s endured. The war, and Harryâs involvement in it, bring a new set of changes and challenges to Robinaâs comfortable life. He finds his worst fears coming true when his son and daughter are involved in the Second World War. Behind the Scenes: The chance to sing on-screen as Lois was one Brown couldnât turn down. ), Behind the Scenes: Hauer-Kingâs own family history made the role more personal. World on Fire is a heart-halting, multi-stranded dramatization recounting to the narrative of World War Two through the lives of common individuals from all sides of this worldwide clash. The Character: Helen Hunt plays American broadcaster and journalist Nancy Campbell, who spends the first eighteen months of the war in Berlin as part of the overseas press corps. Connie Knight. The timing for original PBS "Masterpiece" World War II drama "World on Fire" (9 p.m. Sunday, WQED-TV) may help it (world in chaos is familiar at the moment as is the notion of people banding together to help one another) or hurt it (stop the world, I want to get off!). Upcoming PBS Masterpiece drama World on Fire stars Emmy- and Oscar-winning actress Helen Hunt as Nancy Campbell, an American journalist who uncovers the German invasion of ⦠Credits: Sawyers is known for playing a young President Barack Obama in Southside With You, and for appearances in series such as Deep State, Pine Gap and Succession. Cast of 'World on Fire' discuss their amazing BBC TV series Jonah Hauer-King, Blake Harrison, Julia Brown, Yrsa Daley-Ward and Zofia WichÅacz join ⦠âIâve always felt quite connected to the second World War because my grandparents are Polish Jews who fled in the ’30s to America, which is where my mum grew up,” Hauer-King said. (Learn even more about Hauer-King with our list of surprising facts about the star! The cast of World on Fire perform W.H. Julia Brown (actress) Lois Bennett. Rounding out the cast of World on Fire is the multi-talented Yrsa Daley-Ward. Mark your calendars: World on Fire premieres on MASTERPIECE on PBS on Sunday, April 5, 2020 at 9/8c. Julia Brown),' which was featured in the World on Fire soundtrack, and 'Bye Bye Blackbird (feat.Julia Brown & Jonah Hauer-King),' featured in the World on Fire soundtrack. Longtime MASTERPIECE fans will recognize Bean from his leading role in the Sharpe shows, based on the books of Bernard Cornwell. People still fall in love and still want to keep their own particular dream alive. Lois Bennett. “War is so unsettling and thereâs so much upheaval. | Latest stories. I read a lot about Warsaw at that time before the war and how vivid the city was. | Behind the Scenes: For Sawyers, working on a period drama was a new venture for him. | “Iâve turned down stuff. Meet the Cast of World on Fire Get to know multi-talented cast, including Helen Hunt, Sean Bean and more! Fun Fact: On top of a successful on-screen career, sheâs also well known for her stage work, which spans more than four decades. Fun Fact: Smith almost took a very different path in life. That was really important for me to get the essence of her character.â. Season one of World on Fire covers 1939; the next one will be 1940." âThe books that Iâve read for my research explain how war brings out the best and worst in people. Yrsa Daley-Ward as Connie Knight. Weâre looking at it from so many angles, of both military and civilian, of Polish, German, British, American and French. World On Fire may have a lot of men fighting but these women carry the heart of the drama. Meet the Characters of World on Fire Learn all about the characters of the all-new World War II drama World on Fire now! | Learn even more about Hauer-King with our list of surprising facts about the star! Harry Chase. Unfortunately, because of the massive cast and crew ⦠They werenât on the front, however after Buchenwald was liberated, it was his job to go in and look for mines. Yrsa Daley-Ward. Julia Brown. âI was so excited as I used to sing when I was younger,â she said. Written by Slash and Kennedy, it is the title track of the guitarist's third solo album (the second ⦠While he doesn’t hold the record for the highest number of on-screen deaths (an honor which, according to a 2014 report by Nerdist, went to late actor John Hurt), he does rank highly. Learn all about the multi-talented cast of the upcoming World War II drama World on Fire, including Jonah Hauer-King, Helen Hunt, Sean Bean and more! Behind the Scenes: Websterâs story and of all the characters in World on Fire were fascinating to Smith. I asked if they were on the front and served. Cast of 'World on Fire' discuss their amazing BBC TV series. âShe sang during the Second World War as a young girl and it was crazy and lovely that when I finally got the part and the script that I got to perform it.â. “About 15 or 20 years ago, when my father and my aunt were still alive, I got my father and his three siblings together as I wanted to get them on film talking about their life,” she explained. Jonah Hauer-King, Helen Hunt, Sean Bean and more introduce the all-new World War II drama. So he went through his own version of the trauma of the war and his family never even knew about it.”. Get the rundown on where you’ve seen them before, how they prepared for their World War II era roles, and some fun facts about their lives and award-winning careers. Harry on a date to prepare for the part: Smith is known for his roles in television such! 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