| Joseph Fiennes | Will Shakespeare |
| Gwyneth Paltrow | Viola De Lesseps |
| Geoffrey Rush | Philip Henslowe |
| Judi Dench | Queen Elizabeth |
| Simon Callow | Tilney, Master of the Revels |
| Colin Firth | Lord Wessex |
| Imelda Staunton | Nurse |
| Antony Sher | Dr. Moth |
| Ben Affleck | Ned Alleyn |
| Tom Wilkinson | Hugh Fennyman |
| Jim Carter | Ralph Bashford |
| Martin Clunes | Richard Burbage |
Young William Shakespeare falls for Viola, reawakening his creativity, but she is betrothed to Wessex.
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