When HBO announced they were making a show about a chain-smoking American pope who drinks Cherry Coke Zero for breakfast, people basically lost their minds. It sounded like a fever dream. But the real magic of The Young Pope wasn't just the wild premise; it was the people Paolo Sorrentino put in front of the camera. Getting the right faces for a show that jumps between high-stakes Vatican politics and surreal visions of a kangaroo roaming the papal gardens was a massive gamble.
The Young Pope casting was handled by Annamaria Sambucco and Laura Rosenthal. They had to find a balance between Hollywood star power and the grit of European arthouse cinema. It wasn't just about finding famous people. It was about finding people who could look comfortable in ten layers of silk and gold while whispering threats.
Why Jude Law Was the Only Choice for Lenny
Honestly, it’s hard to imagine anyone else as Lenny Belardo. Jude Law has this specific kind of energy—charming but cold, beautiful but terrifying. Sorrentino didn't want a "kind" pope. He wanted a revolutionary. Law’s performance as Pope Pius XIII worked because he can play arrogance like nobody’s business.
He didn't just play a priest. He played a man who knew he was the most powerful person in the room and wasn't afraid to let you know it. Interestingly, Law actually served as a producer on the show too. He was deeply invested in the character's DNA from day one.
The Diane Keaton Factor
Then you've got Diane Keaton as Sister Mary. This was a huge deal. It was her first major TV role, and she played the nun who raised Lenny in an orphanage.
Most people know Keaton for her quirky, "Annie Hall" style. Here? She was quiet. She was steady. She wore a t-shirt that said "I'm a Virgin (But This is an Old Shirt)" to bed. It was a masterclass in subverting expectations. Her casting gave the show a weird, grounded maternal heart that kept the more insane plot points from floating away.
The Secret Weapons: Silvio Orlando and the Cardinals
While the Americans got the posters, the European cast did the heavy lifting. Silvio Orlando, who played Cardinal Voiello, stole almost every scene he was in.
Voiello is the Vatican Secretary of State—the guy who actually knows where the bodies are buried. Orlando is a legend in Italy, but he didn't actually speak much English when he was cast. He had to learn his lines phonetically and study like crazy to get the cadence right. It paid off. His performance as the Napoli-loving, manipulative, but somehow lovable cardinal is the glue of the series.
The supporting cast was a global "who’s who" of talent:
- Javier Cámara (Monsignor Gutierrez): A Spanish powerhouse who brought a necessary vulnerability.
- Scott Shepherd (Cardinal Dussolier): Played Lenny’s childhood friend, representing the "lost" side of the priesthood.
- Ludivine Sagnier (Esther): The wife of a Swiss Guard who becomes the object of Lenny's complex spiritual (and slightly voyeuristic) fascination.
- James Cromwell (Cardinal Spencer): The mentor who felt betrayed when his pupil took the crown.
The Challenges of Vatican "Background" Casting
If you watch the show closely, the background isn't just "extras." It's a sea of red and black. Sorrentino is a visual filmmaker. He treats every frame like a painting. This meant the casting of the cardinals and the Swiss Guards had to be visually perfect.
John Henderson, a travel writer who actually worked as an extra on the show, once described the experience as "hell on earth" but also mesmerizing. He played an American cardinal and mentioned how Sorrentino would personally direct the extras to react to specific cues, like a cardinal falling to the floor during a breakfast scene.
It wasn't just "stand there and look holy." You had to be a part of the Vatican’s ancient machinery. The production moved between Rome, Venice, and even South Africa. This required a massive logistical effort to keep the "look" of the clergy consistent across continents.
Transitioning to The New Pope
When the show evolved into The New Pope, the casting got even weirder. In a good way. They brought in John Malkovich as Sir John Brannox (Pope John Paul III).
If Jude Law was the "rockstar" pope, Malkovich was the "aristocrat" pope. The contrast was perfect. They even threw in cameos from Sharon Stone and Marilyn Manson, playing themselves. It’s that kind of "why not?" casting that made the series feel so fresh.
What Actors Can Learn From the Process
Casting for a show like this isn't about fitting a mold. It's about bringing a specific "vibe" that matches a director's vision. Sorrentino looks for faces that tell a story before the actor even opens their mouth.
If you're an actor looking at these kinds of roles, notice how none of these characters are one-dimensional. The "villain" (Voiello) loves a disabled boy and his soccer team. The "hero" (Lenny) is often a cruel, borderline-heretical ego-maniac.
Takeaways for your own projects:
- Look for Contrast: Don't just cast for "priest." Cast for "priest who looks like he used to be a boxer."
- Language Isn't Always a Barrier: Silvio Orlando proved that a great actor can transcend a language gap with enough preparation.
- Subvert Expectations: Putting Diane Keaton in a habit was a stroke of genius because it played against everything the audience thought they knew about her.
If you're looking to dive deeper into how these choices were made, watching the "Making Of" featurettes on Max is a great starting point. You can see the wardrobe tests where they literally built the costumes around the actors' natural posture. It shows that in high-end production, the clothes don't make the man—the casting does.
The best way to appreciate the casting is to watch the interaction between Law and Orlando. The chemistry between the arrogant young American and the seasoned Italian politician is some of the best television of the last decade. Go back and watch the first meeting between Lenny and Voiello. Pay attention to the power shifts. It's a lesson in acting and casting that you won't get from a textbook.