Fascinated by ‘My Lady Jane’? Me Too, But There’s a Reason Edward Bluemel, the Leading Man, Seems So Familiar

THAT’S LORD GUILDFORD TO YOU

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When it comes to the timing of the arrival of the brand-new Prime Video series My Lady Jane, I can hardly believe my luck: First, season three of Bridgerton drops, now this? What a way to kick off summer.

And here’s the thing: My Lady Jane is quite special. The plot of this historical comedy gives the tragic life of Lady Jane Grey (played by Emily Bader), best known as England’s nine-day queen, a rewrite—and one that’s filled with feminism, fashion and fantasy. (Hello, one of the kingdom’s greatest misunderstood enemies is a group of shape-shifters called Ethians, who have the ability to transform from humans to animals on a whim.) Needless to say, the twists and turns contained in this spicy and humor-filled show are epic.

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That brings me to the cast: Of course, most of my attention is on the plot, but we’re also in love with the leading men and women lighting up the small screen. Specifically, Edward Bluemel, who plays Lord Guildford aka Jane’s pre-arranged love match, and right from the get-go looked awfully familiar. (I had the privilege of viewing the first episode of the series at a Tribeca Film Festival screening in late spring and, during the Q&A portion, I was distracted as my brain worked overtime to place him.) Here, why Bluemel looks so familiar.

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1. You Probably Recognize Bluemel from ‘Sex Education’

Sure, you were so caught up in the “will they, won’t they” plot between Otis and Maeve that you may have forgotten, but Bluemel popped up in more than one season of the hit Netflix series, playing Maeve’s (Emma Mackey) unreliable brother Sean in season one and season four of the series. Yes, he is frustrating and elusive for most of his character’s arc, but his role as the former flawed caretaker of his younger sister Maeve while navigating their mother’s drug addiction is nuanced—and memorable.

2. There’s Also the British Comedy ‘Ten Percent’

OK, hear me out, but I was enjoying a lovely transatlantic flight from London to New York when I happened upon this delightful comedy, in which Bluemel had a co-starring role. Ten Percent is the British edition of the French series, Call My Agent, and follows a talent agency team scrambling to get their sh*t together and keep their clients happy after the death of their founder. Bluemel plays Luke Nightingale, an aspiring screenwriter, who also happens to be the grandson of the agency founder. (It’s next on my list to get a VPN so I can finish out this hilarious and star-studded series.)

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3. More Things to Know About Edward Bluemel

First off, Bluemel has been in quite a few other things beyond Sex Education and Ten Percent. He also appeared in the Netflix period film, Persuasion, opposite Dakota Fanning in 2022, and had a recurring role on Killing Eve in 2019. According to his Instagram, he’s dating comedian Mary Beth Barone and, quite adorably, brought his “mum”—also named Jane—to the My Lady Jane premiere. Up next? It’s just been confirmed that Bluemel will join the cast of The Seven Dials Mystery, a new Agatha Christie series coming to Netflix. (Mia McKenna-Bruce and Helena Bonham Carter will also star.)

In the meantime, I’ll be binging My Lady Jane and keeping my fingers crossed for season two—and more Bluemel.