"Ford Madox Ford was very witty and dry and the humor comes out of a quite dark place, while Tom has a very strong sense of humor that's more rooted in intellectual wordplay, " she says.

WSJ: Rebecca Hall: Starlet for a New Age

The opportunity to work with dialogue written by Stoppard, whom Hall calls the "greatest living dramatist in the English language, " was a major draw for the actor, as was her appreciation for Ford Madox Ford, who wrote the novel on which the miniseries is based.

WSJ: Rebecca Hall: Starlet for a New Age