*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
Making Sense of Kanye West's Political Ambitions
The rapper's recent swing to the right has left many speculating about whether he's got the White House in his sights. "I could see him trying," said Brande Victorian, the managing editor of MadameNoire.
Reinventing the Thrift Store With ThredUp
The start-up is trying to be like Stitch Fix for second-hand clothing, offering users a box of consignment shop items they can either keep or return. "There are a lot of women who are looking for stuff that might be less expensive, that are more of a closet staple," says CEO James Reinhart.
TV Turns to Twitter to Navigate the Future
The social media company announced Monday that it will almost double the amount of video content available on its platform. This will help TV networks "boost the ratings by slowly diversifying," says Kerry Flynn, a media reporter for Digiday.
Gina Gershon on Playing Melania Trump
The actress and singer who played the First Lady on Jimmy Fallon's show told Cheddar that Trump is "probably different than what people would think." Gershon will make her Café Carlyle debut in the summer.
Gina Gershon Makes her Debut at Café Carlyle
Gina Gershorn is no stranger to the stage, but she is making her debut at Café Carlyle this summer. The legendary star stops by Cheddar to talk about this new show and other recent work.
Did Michelle Wolf's WHCD Speech Go Too Far?
The White House Correspondents' Association responded to the annual event saying, "the entertainer's monologue was not in the spirit" of the group's mission. However, it's actually the journalists insulted by her jokes who are "not doing their jobs," says Emma Vigeland, a host and producer of the TYT Politics Show on The Young Turks.
Pnina Tornai's Advice For Brides and Dress Trends
Brides should keep an open mind when they go shopping for dresses because "you never know what silhouette might flatter you," Tornai told Cheddar. Many of the renowned designer's dresses are featured on the TLC reality show "Say Yes to the Dress."
Load More