TV shows and movies set in the world of soccer experienced a huge boom in recent years, and BBC has another one on the way. The Emmy-nominated actor Joseph Fiennes will play the soccer coach Gareth Southgate in BBC’s upcoming drama Dear England.
Southgate is best known as the current manager of the England national team, but he had a pretty impressive track record as a player before turning to coaching. He played for soccer clubs Crystal Palace, Aston Villa, and Middlesbrough, and managed to win the League Cup with the former two.
This won’t be the first time Fiennes transforms into Southgate. Dear England is actually based on the hit play of the same name, which premiered last year and recently transferred to the West End. It’s a fictionalized account of Southgate’s struggles to lead England’s soccer team to new heights of success.
Sherwood creator James Graham is writing the TV adaptation for BBC, with The Crown team Left Bank Pictures coming on board to produce it.
Joseph Fiennes is best known for playing Commander Fred Waterford in Hulu’s hit drama series The Handmaid’s Tale, which earned him an Emmy nomination. He previously collaborated with Graham on Sherwood, in which he voiced Sheriff Nottingham.
