*By Conor White* "Mad Men" creator Matthew Weiner's new anthology series for Amazon, "The Romanoffs," is about far more than Russia's last royal family, according to one of its stars. "As I said to Matthew when I was doing this, I have to bone up on the Romanoffs," actor Aaron Eckhart said in an interview on Cheddar. "And he said, 'Well, not really, because it really has nothing to do with the Romanoffs.'" The family consisted of Tsar Nicholas II, his wife, and five children. After Russia's February Revolution of 1917, Nicholas II abdicated the throne and was later executed with the rest of his house. Within the last 30 years, all the bodies have been discovered and identified through DNA testing. Despite that evidence, whispers remain that one of his children, most likely Anastasia, escaped the killings. (The tsar's youngest daughter inspired the popular animated film, "Anastasia," which was recently turned into a musical.) The Amazon ($AMZN) series features a different cast in each of its eight episodes, which are all linked by some sort of connection to the famous family ー be it real or fabricated. Eckhart said it's the relationships between the show's characters ー whether directly linked to the royals or not ー that makes the show special. "The magical part of the show is that it has thematics, and it has through lines with the Romanoffs," the Golden Globe nominee said. "But it's all these different scenarios with different people all over the world." The series is creator Weiner's return to television after his seven-season run with "Mad Men" ー the highly-acclaimed show garnered two Golden Globes for "Best Drama Series" and eight Primetime Emmy awards. It was Eckhart's first time working with Weiner, and he said the experience was "educational, interesting," and "fascinating," "It's very surprising and striking and bold. It takes a real genius to figure this all out," Eckhart added. In the age of binge-watching, Amazon has made the choice to release one episode per week after releasing the first two episodes simultaneously on Oct. 12. Eckhart is a fan of the move and called it "more traditional." But he admitted he has binged his way through at least one classic series. "I did binge-watch 'Friends'," he said. "'Friends' is a very good show." For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/meet-the-romanoffs).

Share:
More In Culture
OkCupid Doesn't Mind Bringing Politics Into Dating
The old norms of dating -- no politics on the first meeting -- have been thrown out the window. OKCupid CMO Melissa Hobley said the company added a question about the #MeToo movement to its questionnaire to great effect.
Trump Swaps Out North Korea for Iran at UN
A year after delivering his "fire and fury" speech that threatened to annihilate North Korea and its "little rocket man" leader, President Trump addressed the annual United Nations General Assembly Tuesday, expanding on his "America First" motto and replacing North Korea with Iran as the major antagonist.
AOL Co-Founder Steve Case Is Over Silicon Valley
Speaking to Cheddar from Denver Startup Week, Case noted the city was a case study: two-percent unemployment, a burgeoning and exciting technology sector, and a young population drawn to the mountain air. Denver is so competitive for talent that start-ups have trouble filling positions, he said.
Michael Kors Makes Its Move Into High-End Fashion Official
After rampant speculation Monday, the American sportswear maker has agreed to buy storied Italian fashion house Versace for $2.1 billion. The new company, to be called Capri Holdings, is making a play for the super high-end European market.
Video Series Follows Women Grappling with Decision to Freeze Eggs
Washington Post journalist Nicole Ellis has a new documentary series that follows millennial women, including herself, who are weighing whether or not to freeze their eggs. It's an emotional and expensive discussion that should be had out in the open and with the support of friends and family, Ellis said.
Load More