Poldark star Aidan Turner has landed an unexpected first role following the BBC show's fifth and final series, which aired back in August.
The Ross Poldark actor has been cast as world-renowned artist Leonardo Da Vinci in an eight-part series titled Leonardo.
The series, brought to life by The X-Files writer and American producer Frank Spotnitz and British writer Steve Thompson, will focus on the mastermind's achievements in a range of fields. The artist is well-known for his success not only in art, but also in architecture, sculpture, engineering, and much more.
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The casting of Turner was announced yesterday (October 17) during the Rome Film Festival. The series will be brought to life by Daniel Percival alongside The Alliance, a production group formed of France Télévisions, Italy's RAI, and Germany's ZDF.
"Capturing the character of Leonardo has been one of the most fascinating and exciting challenges of my career," Spotnitz said (via Deadline).
"It's hard to fathom that a man this extraordinary could even have existed, let alone the human impulses that drove him to achieve such extraordinary things. It's been enormously rewarding and an absolute joy collaborating with Steve Thompson, Daniel Percival and our partners at Lux Vide and RAI to bring Leonardo to life."
"Leonardo is a captivating genius and it has been a thrill to explore his work and his character," added Thompson. "Each of his works has a uniquely fascinating story behind its creation. I am delighted to have collaborated with Frank and our creative team to tell his extraordinary story.
Meanwhile, Turner is also set to appear in Terrence Malick's drama movie The Last Planet.
Poldark aired on BBC One and is available on BBC iPlayer in the UK.
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