Age: 84
male
Michael York OBE (born Michael Hugh Johnson; March 27, 1942) is an English actor. After performing on-stage with the Royal National Theatre, he had a breakthrough in films by playing Tybalt in Franco Zeffirelli's Romeo and Juliet (1968). His blond, blue-eyed boyish looks and English upper social class demeanor saw him play leading roles in several major British and Hollywood films of the 1970s. His best known roles include Konrad Ludwig in Something for Everyone (1970), Geoffrey Richter-Douglas in Zeppelin (1971), Brian Roberts in Cabaret (1972), George Conway in Lost Horizon (1973), D'Artagnan in The Three Musketeers (also 1973) and its two sequels, Count Andrenyi in Murder on the Orient Express (1974), Logan 5 in Logan's Run (1976). In his later career he found success as Basil Exposition in the Austin Powers film series (1997–2002). He is a two-time Emmy Award nominee, for the ABC Afterschool Special: Are You My Mother? (1986) and the AMC series The Lot (2001). In 2002, he received a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his contributions to motion pictures.
In 1711, Great Britain is at war with France. Queen Anne is in poor health; she shows little interest in governing, preferring activities such as racing ducks and playing with her 17 rabbits, surrogates for the children she miscarried or lost in childhood. Her confidante, adviser, and furtive lover Lady Sarah effectively rules the country through her influence over the Queen. Sarah's efforts to control Anne are undermined by Robert Harley, the Leader of the Opposition, who as a landowner argues against a doubling of property taxes proposed to fund the war. Abigail Hill, Sarah's impoverished younger cousin, arrives in search of employment. Abigail's standing has been tainted by her father, who gambled her away in a game of whist. Abigail is forced to do menial work as a scullery maid in the palace. After seeing the Queen's gout, Abigail applies herbs to the Queen's inflamed legs. Sarah has Abigail whipped for entering the Queen's bedroom without permission but relents and appoints her Lady of the Bedchamber after realising the herbs have helped the Queen. One night, Abigail witnesses Sarah and the Queen having sex. Harley asks Abigail to spy on the two, hoping to circumvent Sarah's authority. Abigail refuses, then tells Sarah about this while implying that she knows their secret and that it is safe with her, but receives a veiled warning from Sarah never to betray her.
