Damian Lewis as King Henry VIII in 'Wolf Hall'

Damian Lewis as King Henry VIII in 'Wolf Hall'

Damian Lewis looked to Britain's Princes Harry and William for inspiration when playing King Henry VIII.

The 43-year-old actor portrays the notorious monarch in new TV drama 'Wolf Hall' and admits he drew on the young royals' attempts to live a normal life when preparing for the role.

He said: "I have actually on occasion found myself thinking about Wills and Harry; wanting to normalize your life as much as possible.

"I see in Henry a desire for normality, and as he started to lose his waistline, and lose his athleticism, he surrounded himself with what can only be described as a Bullingdon Club of handsome men who were ten years younger than him."

The 'Band of Brothers' star also believes Henry - who is known for having had six wives, two of whom he had killed - is a misunderstood and misrepresented character.

He told the Daily Telegraph newspaper: "I would advocate for Henry as a man who was surprisingly tender, loving, generous, personable and extraordinarily talented in many different areas.

"An extraordinarily impressive man. With a tendency to murder."

Meanwhile, Damian recently received his OBE from Prince William, who informed him he was a huge fan of political thriller series 'Homeland', in which he starred as Sergeant Nicholas Brody.

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