This casting update will make you say, "Huzzah!"
On Friday, May 14, Hulu revealed that Gillian Anderson, who recently received critical acclaim for her portrayal of Margaret Thatcher in season four of The Crown, will be joining Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult in season two of The Great. The period dramedy, which was created by Tony McNamara, is loosely based on Catherine the Great's rise to power in Russia.
So, who will Gillian play in the upcoming season? Well, as Hulu revealed, the X-Files alum will have a two-episode arc as Catherine's mother, Joanna.
"Joanna is a glamorous socialite from Germany, sometimes also known as the 'maestro of marriage' for her abilities to arrange high profile partnerships for her daughters," the description teased. "She has heard rumors of her daughter's coup and come to Russia to see it for herself. Though the apple of Catherine's eye and a doting mother, it soon becomes clear Joanna has more sinister intentions to save her family's reputation."
That certainly sounds intriguing, doesn't it? When viewers last saw Catherine (Elle), she had abandoned her lover Leo (Sebastian de Souza), learned she was pregnant and decided to move forward with her coup.
And, as both history and a February tease assured viewers, season two will follow Catherine as she "becomes both a mother to Russia and a child," according to Hulu.
Yet, as we mentioned above, the series' creator has been loose with historical accuracy. So, it's safe to say surprises lay ahead. In fact, during an exclusive chat with E! News earlier this year, Nicholas teased that the season two "scripts are brilliant."
"It's kind of unexpected where Tony's taking it," he shared. "So, it's very exciting."
You can find season one of The Great on Hulu.