The four-film cinematic event is currently in production, directed by Sam Mendes
Morfydd Clark has been cast in a major production, charting the lives of The Beatles (Image: Getty Images)
Welsh actress Morfydd Clark has been cast to portray Cynthia Lennon, the first wife of John Lennon, in the highly anticipated four-film biopic series charting the lives of The Beatles. Morfydd joins a high-profile ensemble that includes Harris Dickinson as John, alongside Paul Mescal, Barry Keoghan and Joseph Quinn as Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and George Harrison respectively.
The ambitious project will unfold across four separate films, each told from the perspective of one band member, offering an intimate look at the lives, relationships and careers of the Liverpool icons.
Newly announced cast members also include Harry Lawtey – who recently portrayed famed Welsh actor Richard Burton – and Lucy Boynton, known for her role as Mary Austin in Bohemian Rhapsody.
Morfydd is internationally recognised for her portrayal of Galadriel in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, the epic prequel set thousands of years before the events of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien.
The role propelled her to global prominence, but her journey began much closer to home.
Born in Sweden, Morfydd moved to Penarth at the age of two, where her parents and sister still live.
She left school at 16 to pursue acting, joining youth theatre groups before completing her A Levels in English and Maths at Kings Monkton School in Cardiff.
She later won a place at Drama Centre London but left in her final term to star in a production of Saunders Lewis’s Blodeuwedd with Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru.
Mordydd has since built an impressive portfolio across theatre, film and television. Her stage credits include performances at the Royal Court Theatre, the Donmar Warehouse and The Old Vic in London, as well as Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre.
She went on to make her screen debut in 2014, appearing alongside Mia Wasikowska in Madame Bovary and with Florence Pugh and Maisie Williams in The Falling. That same year, she featured in the television film exploring the death of Welsh poet Dylan Thomas, reconnecting with her roots.
In 2016, she appeared in Pride and Prejudice and Zombies as Georgiana Darcy, opposite Matt Smith.
Morfydd went on to play a number of other roles within the period genre, including in Love & Friendship, The Man Who Invented Christmas and The Personal History of David Copperfield.
She has also established herself within the horror genre, starring in Crawl alongside Kaya Scodelario as well as in the BBC adaptation of Dracula. For the latest TV and showbiz gossip sign up to our newsletter
However, it was her performance in Saint Maud that earned widespread critical acclaim and multiple awards, with critics praising her portrayal as intense, unsettling and one of the most striking British film debuts in recent years.
Before stepping into Middle-earth, Morfydd also appeared as Sister Clara in His Dark Materials, based on the novels by Philip Pullman, a production she was able to film in Wales.
Reflecting on the experience, she previously said that working on a beloved book series with HBO while speaking Welsh on set was a collision of worlds she never expected.
Her casting as Cynthia Lennon signals a deeper exploration of the personal lives behind one of music’s most mythologised bands.
Often overshadowed in the broader cultural narrative of The Beatles, Cynthia played a significant role during the band’s formative years and throughout John’s early fame.
According to BBC, Cynthia first met John at art school when he tapped her on the back in class and simply said “Hi, I’m John”. The couple married in 1962 and went on to share one child together, Julian – famously the muse of the Beatles’ classic Hey Jude.
Cynthia and John divorced in 1968, with John going on to famously marry Yoko Ono in 1969.
With the films currently in production, Variety reports that all four will be set for release in April 2028.
Ensure our latest news and sport headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source. Click here to activate or add us as Preferred Source in your Google search settings