Claire Danes transforms into a 19th Century beauty to film The Essex Serpent

She’s taken over from Hollywood star Keira Knightley in the lead role.

So it was no surprise that Claire Danes was in high spirits as she continued filming for The Essex Serpent in the county’s town of Maldon on Thursday.

The Homeland star, 41, transformed into a Victorian beauty in an elegant grey dress as she shared a laugh with her co-stars during filming for the Apple+TV series.

Flawless: Claire Danes was every inch the Victoria beauty in a prime grey dress and matching coat as she filmed scenes for The Essex Serpent in the county’s town of Maldon on Thursday

As she strolled onto the set, Claire kept with Victoria fashions by sporting a long grey dress and a matching frilled coat, hinting her character would be a woman of some significant wealth.

The Emmy winner was seen chatting to some of her co-stars between scenes, and laughing as she watched a clip shared by a member of the series’ crew.

Proving she could perfectly embody the Victorian beauty, Claire still stood out in the simple and sophisticated ensemble as she filmed more scenes for the six-part series which saw her character Cora arriving in Essex on a boat from London.

Back to work: The Homeland star transformed into a Victoria beauty in a prim grey dress as she shared a laugh with her co-stars during filming for the Apple+TV series

Back to work: The Homeland star transformed into a Victoria beauty in a prim grey dress as she shared a laugh with her co-stars during filming for the Apple+TV series

Wealthy? As she strolled onto the set, Claire kept with Victoria fashions by sporting a long grey dress

Elegant: The dress was teamed with a matching frilled coat

Wealthy? As she strolled onto the set, Claire kept with Victoria fashions by sporting a long grey dress along with a matching frilled coat

Rich? Her classy look hinted her character Cora would be a woman of some significant wealth having relocated to Essex after escaping her abusive marriage

Rich? Her classy look hinted her character Cora would be a woman of some significant wealth having relocated to Essex after escaping her abusive marriage

Contrast: Her blonde hair was pulled into a near curled up-do

Wealthy woman: Claire wore a hairnet over her look to protect it from the windy beach climes

Contrast: With her blonde hair pulled into a near curled up-do, Claire wore a hairnet over her look to protect it from the windy beach climes

Happy: The Emmy winner was seen chatting to some of her co-stars between scenes

Happy: The Emmy winner was seen chatting to some of her co-stars between scenes

Claire replaced Keira Knightley in The Essex Serpent back in February, with first-look images of the star in character released last week. 

She wore a high-necked velvet dress and her hair in an elegant up-do as she portrayed the newly widowed protagonist Cora.

The series follows Claire’s character as she relocates from Victorian London to a small village in Essex after leaving an abusive marriage.

Flawless: Proving she could perfectly embody the Victorian beauty, Claire still stood out in the simple and sophisticated ensemble as she filmed more scenes for the six-part series

Flawless: Proving she could perfectly embody the Victorian beauty, Claire still stood out in the simple and sophisticated ensemble as she filmed more scenes for the six-part series

New role: Claire replaced Keira Knightley in The Essex Serpent back in February

Coming soon: First look images of the star in character were released last week

New role: Claire replaced Keira Knightley in The Essex Serpent back in February, with first-look images of the star in character released last week

Fresh start: The series follows Claire's character as she relocates from Victorian London to a small village in Essex after leaving an abusive marriage

Fresh start: The series follows Claire’s character as she relocates from Victorian London to a small village in Essex after leaving an abusive marriage

New series: She chooses to move to the town of Aldwinter after becoming intrigued by a local superstition that a creature known as The Essex Serpent lives in the area

New series: She chooses to move to the town of Aldwinter after becoming intrigued by a local superstition that a creature known as The Essex Serpent lives in the area

She chooses to move to the town of Aldwinter after becoming intrigued by a local superstition that a creature known as The Essex Serpent lives in the area. 

Based on the novel of the same name by Sarah Perry, Claire will also be joined on screen by Tom Hiddleston, 40.  

The Night Manager actor looked well and truly in character in the newly released images as he donned his reverend costume. 

Co-star: Based on the novel of the same name by Sarah Perry, Claire will also be joined on screen by Tom Hiddleston, 40

Co-star: Based on the novel of the same name by Sarah Perry, Claire will also be joined on screen by Tom Hiddleston, 40

New actress: Variety reported in February that Claire would take on the lead role in the show after Keira dropped out of the project last October due to the Covid-19 pandemic

New actress: Variety reported in February that Claire would take on the lead role in the show after Keira dropped out of the project last October due to the Covid-19 pandemic

Literary origins: Clio Bernard is set to direct the series while writer Anna Symon is adapting the novel for the screen

Literary origins: Clio Bernard is set to direct the series while writer Anna Symon is adapting the novel for the screen

Next part: Claire's last big role came in the Showtime series Homeland

Over: The series concluded last year after eight seasons

Next part: Claire’s last big role came in the Showtime series Homeland, which concluded last year after eight seasons

From 2021 to 1893: For filming many of the show's cast were seen sporting their own period costumes as they recorded scenes of Cora arriving in Essex on a boat

From 2021 to 1893: For filming many of the show’s cast were seen sporting their own period costumes as they recorded scenes of Cora arriving in Essex on a boat

Tom plays Will Ransome, the trusted leader of the local community and can be seen in an image from the series sporting a brown coat and black jumper.

Variety reported in February that Claire would take on the lead role in the show after Keira dropped out of the project last October due to the Covid-19 pandemic.   

Clio Bernard is set to direct the series while writer Anna Symon is adapting the novel for the screen.

Tom will next be seen as his Marvel character Loki in an upcoming spin-off series which sees him travel through time and alter human history after stealing the Tesseract during the events of Avengers: Endgame. 

Tom’s Loki has been one of the longest-running recurring characters in Marvel’s connected film universe, starting with Thor in 2011. 

Suited and booted: Given the setting of an Essex fishing town, many of the male actors also sported their own period ensembles

Suited and booted: Given the setting of an Essex fishing town, many of the male actors also sported their own period ensembles

Out soon: The Essex Serpent is expected to be released on Apple+TV sometime in 2022

New series: It is expected to consist of six episodes

Out soon: The Essex Serpent is expected to be released on Apple+TV sometime in 2022, and will consist of six episodes