Sebastian Armesto

One of England's go-to actors for period dramas, Sebastian Armesto is, fittingly, the son of a well-respected historian. Following a couple of minor screen roles in the 1990s, Armesto began appearing regularly on British television, with a supporting part in the 2004 TV movie "Hawking," about the life of renowned scientist Stephen Hawking, played by Benedict Cumberbatch. After turning up in an episode of the miniseries "The Virgin Queen," which focused on Elizabeth I, Armesto was featured in more royalty-themed productions, including Sofia Coppola's lush cinematic take on "Marie Antoinette," in which he portrayed Comte Louis de Provence, as well as "The Tudors" TV series, which found him playing Charles V. In 2008, Armesto appeared as the fictional Prince George in the dramatic show "The Palace" and also had a supporting part in the miniseries "Little Dorrit," based on the novel by Charles Dickens. Following a bit role in the John Keats biopic "Bright Star," starring Ben Whishaw and Abbie Cornish, Armesto made the leap to big-budget Hollywood productions with a turn as Spain's King Ferdinand VI in "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides." And, in one of his larger roles, he portrayed Shakespeare's rival Ben Jonson in Roland Emmerich's tense literary drama "Anonymous."