The Crown Cast: A Complete Guide To All The Actors And Their Royal Counterparts
Including those who are joining the series for season 5...
The Crown has become one of the most addictive and anticipated series over the past few years. One of Netflix's first big-budget original dramas - boasting an acclaimed and experienced scriptwriter, tapping into the cultural zeitgeist of the royal family at a time of great fascination and popularity, thanks to the Cambridges and Sussexes, and the re-telling of an eternally intriguing group of people set against the backdrop of fascinating historical events - the show was a success from the get go.
Another reason for the show's success and popularity was undoubtedly due to The Crown cast. With a combination of legacy thespians (Charles Dance, Jared Harris) to hugely popular Oscar winners and beloved actors (Olivia Colman and Helena Bonham Carter) to introducing unknown, but unmistakably recognisable in portraying their royal counterpart (Emma Corrin, Vanessa Kirby and Erin Doherty), the formula for finding who to portray some of the most famous figures in the world was a triumph.
Soon, the show was receiving awards left, right and centre including at the Golden Globes, SAG Awards, BAFTA and more with wins for both Queens, played by Claire Foy and Colman.
Behind the scenes, The Crown cast all appear to really get on to, making them an even more endearing ensemble to viewers. Doherty has told us about The Crown WhatsApp group and watching Naked Attraction together in between takes. The most recent proof of their friendship recently came to light this when the entire season four cast took part in a group dance routine to Lizzo.
We take a look back at The Crown cast from over the years.
The Crown Cast Dance To Lizzo
On Tuesday (January 26) Gillian Anderson appeared on the Late Show With Seth Meyers and discussed previously unseen footage of the entire season four cast of The Crown - in costume - dancing. Were they practising the waltz for their state dinner ballroom scenes, you ask? No, it was to Lizzo's 'Good As Hell'.
Explaining the situation, Anderson said that firstly that video was 'never supposed to see the light of day', is secondly 'so humiliating' and that thirdly it was all Olivia Colman's idea.
'Olivia does a dance class in the area she lives with a bunch of friends.. and the last time she did the class they danced to that Lizzo song and she asked if we would happen to be interested in doing it and she would video it and she would share it with her friends, the other dancers...' she noted.
Well we are very grateful for it.
The Crown Season 5: Princess Diana
Who plays Princess Diana in The Crown season 5?
Elizabeth Debicki: In August, Netflix announced that they had also found their Princess Diana for the final seasons of the series. Best known for her part as Jordan Baker in Baz Luhrman's The Great Gatsby opposite Leonardo DiCaprio and Carey Mulligan, Debicki said it was a 'true privilege' to be portraying the Princess of Wales.
The Crown Season 5: Queen Elizabeth II
Who plays Princess Margaret in The Crown season 5?
Imelda Staunton: Among younger generations, Staunton is known (and feared) for her portrayal of the pink-wearing, cat-loving Professor Dolores Umbridge in Harry Potter. She is an iconic British actor having starred in Vera Drake, Shakespeare In Love, Maleficent and Sense and Sensibility.
Fun fact: Staunton's daughter most recently starred in Bridgerton.
The Crown Season 5: Princess Margaret
Who plays Princess Margaret in The Crown season 5?
Lesley Manville: The British actress is known for films like Phantom Thread and Mr Turner. Fun fact: She previously starred with Staunton in the 2004 film Vera Drake.
The Crown Season 5: Prince Philip
Who plays Prince Philip in The Crown season 5?
Jonathan Pryce: Taking over from Tobias Menzies will be Pryce, the Oscar-nominated Welsh actor who most recently delivered outstanding performances in films The Two Popes and The Wife, as well as cult shows Game of Thronesand Taboo.
The Crown Season 4: Princess Diana
Who plays Princess Diana in The Crown season 4?
Emma Corrin: The actor's debut role was the mammoth task of portraying Princess Diana in her early royal years - an era that had been widely anticipated ever since The Crown began.
The Crown Season 4: Margaret Thatcher
Who plays Princess Diana in The Crown season 4?
Gillian Anderson: After first appearing on Netflix's Sex Education, Anderson took on the task of playing Britain's first female Prime Minister. Anderson is of course a prominent actor having made waves with the 1990s series The X-Files (which she won a Golden Globe for in 1997) and then more recently opposite Jamie Dornan in The Fall.
The Crown Season 3 and 4: Camilla Parker-Bowles
Who plays Camilla Parker Bowles in The Crown seasons 3 and 4?
Emerald Fennell: Actor Fennell is as equally well known for her acting roles as she is for her writing and directing credits. The British star penned the second series of Killing Eve, following in Phoebe Waller-Bridge's shoes, and is soon to release her rousing directorial debut with Promising Young Woman.
The Crown Season 3 and 4: Prince Charles
Who plays Prince Charles in The Crown seasons 3 and 4?
Josh O'Connor: O'Connor has been lauded for his portrayals of the heir to throne, from his distinguishable mannerisms to his recognisable accent. Prior to The Crown he was recognised for his roles in God's Own Country, The Durrells and the TV series version of Les Misèrables. This year, he'll be seen opposite Jessie Buckley in the National Theatre's filmed performance of Romeo & Juliet.
The Crown Season 3 and 4: Princess Anne
Who plays Princess Anne in The Crown seasons 3 and 4?
Erin Doherty: The Crown was one of Doherty's first roles since graduating from drama school, having previously starred in Call The Midwife in 2016.
The Crown Season 3 and 4: Lord Mountbatten
The Crown Season 3 and 4: Queen Elizabeth II
Who plays Queen Elizabeth in The Crown seasons 3 and 4?
Olivia Colman: After starting off with comedies like Peep Show before moving on to must-see dramas like Broadchurch, Colman continued with critically-acclaimed roles resulting in winning an Oscar for playing Queen Anne in The Favourite.
The Crown Season 3 and 4: The Queen Mother
Who plays the Queen Mother in The Crown seasons 3 and 4?
Marion Bailey: Best known for collaborating with her director partner Mike Leigh for films like Vera Drake, Mr Turner and All Or Nothing.
The Crown Season 3 and 4: Prince Philip
Who plays Prince Philip in The Crown seasons 3 and 4?
Tobias Menzies: Before playing Colman's husband in the royal drama, Menzies was best associated with his roles in Outlander (for which he was nominated for a Golden Globe), Game of Thrones and Rome.
The Crown Season 3 and 4L Princess Margaret
Who plays Princess Margaret in The Crown seasons 3 and 4?
Helena Bonham-Carter: One of the most celebrated British actresses from recent times is Bonham-Carter who began to rise to stardom in the 1980s and 1990s with film roles in Fight Club, Howard's End and A Room With A View.
Ever since, Bonham Carter's characters have been varied and captivating, from Bellatrix Lestrange in Harry Potter and the Queen of Hearts in Alice in Wonderland to the Queen Mother in A King's Speech opposite Colin Firth.
The Crown Season 3: The Duke of Windsor
Who plays the Duke of Windsor in The Crown season 3?
Dereck Jacobi: The British thespian has a seriously impressive track record of roles both on stage and screen. From his Shakespeare theatre performances to tackling roles in huge movies like Gladiator and Murder on the Orient Express.
The Crown Season 1 and 2: Winston Churchill
Who plays Winston Churchill in The Crown seasons 1 and 2?
John Lithgow: The Golden Globe, SAG and Tony award winner has won awards and acclaim for TV shows like 3rd Rock From The Sun and Dexter. Most recently, Lithgow portrayed disgraced former Fox News CEO Roger Ailes in Bombshell, opposite Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman and Margot Robbie.
The Crown Season 1 and 2: Queen Elizabeth II
Who plays Queen Elizabeth II in The Crown seasons 1 and 2?
Claire Foy: Foy won a Golden Globe, Emmy and SAG award for being the first Queen in The Crown. Before this, the actor played the titular role in the BBC's Little Dorrit and Anne Boleyn in Wolf Hall.
The Crown Season 1 and 2: The Duke of Windsor
Who plays The Duke of Windsor in The Crown seasons 1 and 2?
Alex Jennings: Looking remarkably alike to his on-screen Crown counterpart - the abdicated king - Jennings previously played Prince Charles in The Queen (starring Helen Mirren) and is an Olivier-award winning stage actor too.
The Crown Season 1 and 2: Tony Armstrong-Jones
Who plays Tony Armstrong-Jones in The Crown seasons 1 and 2?
Matthew Goode: Goode is most recognisable (and adored) for TV shows like Downton Abbey, The Good Wife and most recently, Sky's A Discovery of Witches.
Olivia Blair is Entertainment Editor (Luxury) at Hearst UK, working across ELLE, Esquire and Harper's Bazaar. Olivia covers all things entertainment and has interviewed the likes of Margot Robbie, Emma Stone, Michaela Coel and Ryan Gosling over the years.
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