'The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die' star Elaine Cassidy played daughter's screen mom in 'The Wonder'
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Though most movies and series nowadays are mostly about superheros or 'reboots' or sequels, some rare gems do stand out for their originality. The 'swords and shields' period action drama is one such poorly explored genre, especially on the TV landscape. HBO's 'Game of Thrones' and its recent prequel, 'House of the Dragon' are exceptions and that is only because it had the added allure of dragons, dire wolves and lots of nudity.
Netflix also tried its hand at the period genre/historical fiction with the hidden gem 'The Last Kingdom.' After five seasons, the story of 'The Last Kingdom' is set to conclude with the upcoming Netflix movie 'The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die'. The official synopsis of 'The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die' reads, "In the wake of King Edward's death, Uhtred of Bebbanburg and his comrades adventure across a fractured kingdom in the hopes of uniting England at last." Elaine Cassidy plays Queen Eadgifu in the film.
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Early career of Elaine Cassidy
Elaine Cassidy is an actress and producer who was born on December 31, 1979, in Kilcoole, County Wicklow, Ireland. Cassidy is from a humble background and she has two elder sisters. Even before joining the film industry, Cassidy was known for her hard-working nature. As a teenager, Cassidy appeared in the 1996 comedy 'The Sun, the Moon and the Stars,' alongside the legendary actress Angie Dickinson. Angie Dickinson would later go on to mentor Elaine Cassidy.
After appearing in the movie, Cassidy went on to work in Ireland as a Data Entry Clerk for Global Telesystems Group before getting an opportunity to play Felicia, in the 1999 psychological thriller film 'Felicia's Journey.' Elaine Cassidy never followed the so-called norms in the filming industry and broke several stereotypes along the way.
The breaker of stereotypes
Cassidy met her future husband, actor Stephen Lord, during the filming of the 2006, dark comedy murder mystery movie 'The Truth.' Sparks started to fly quickly as the couple tied the knot in 2007, in an intimate ceremony. Elaine does not mind getting married early in her career. Elaine gave birth to her first child when she was 29. The lovely couple has two children, a daughter Kila Lord Cassidy and a son named Lynott Lord Cassidy. The family leads a pretty private life and is currently living in Greenwich, London. The couple, after their children are born, started to give importance to bringing them up well. So they took up alternative jobs that were flexible. Cassidy even sacrificed a few crucial years in her career to be there for her children.
Lover of challenges
Cassidy is known for taking on selective roles and devoting her time completely to them. For instance, while filming 'No Offense,' Cassidy got a severe leg injury and was forced to lean on things. But according to Cassidy, DC Dinah Kowalska (her character in 'No Offense') won't lean on things. After her recovery, Cassidy showed her full potential in her role. Cassidy always loves to take on new challenges, as shown in her roles as The Hon. Katherine Glendenning in the 2012 drama 'The Paradise' or Abby Mills in the 2009 horror mystery series 'Harper's Island'.
And while doing the theatre play 'Les Liaisons Dangereuses' in 2015, Elaine lost weight and sacrificed her sleep to perform well in her role as Madame de Tourvel. It was the first role that Cassidy took after her son was born and managed to give a wholehearted performance in the play. But Cassidy's work has not always been fair to her. Cassidy once wanted to audition for a part as Jake Gyllenhaal’s girlfriend but was refused by none other than her agent, citing that she was too old for the role. But Cassidy strongly continues to believe that age doesn't matter in the roles you play and continues to prove that.
Acting with Kila Lord Cassidy
Elaine Cassidy yet again proved herself when she appeared in Netflix's period film 'The Wonder' in 2022. In the movie, Cassidy played Rosaleen O'Donnell, the mother of Anna O'Donnell. Anna was played by none other than her own real life daughter, Kila Lord Cassidy. Though it is a small role, Elaine Cassidy could not resist portraying the maternal role on-screen, though the spotlight was on Kila.
Elaine Cassidy is not yet done with acting. Cassidy is set to appear as Queen Eadgifu in the upcoming Netflix movie 'The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die'. Cassidy is undoubtedly one of the inspirational trailblazers in the industry, breaking one stereotype at a time.
'The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die' is set to premiere exclusively on Netflix on April 14, 2023.