In my humble opinion, the actresses who have portrayed Queen Elizabeth II on “The Crown” are nothing short of extraordinary. Each one has brought a unique perspective and depth to their roles, reflecting not only the queen’s evolution but also their own impressive careers.
In the last episode of Netflix’s series “The Crown,” titled “Sleep, Dearie Sleep,” three queens appear as the show concludes its six-season run. The long-running series by Peter Morgan, which depicts different generations of the actual British royal family, sensibly decides to have various actors play the same roles as the story progresses instead of applying aging makeup to younger performers or digitally altering older ones. Besides Queen Elizabeth II, who is the central character, other real figures are portrayed by several actors. For instance, Elizabeth’s sister Margaret is played by Vanessa Kirby in her youth, Helena Bonham Carter during middle age, and Lesley Manville as the oldest version we see. Similarly, the queen’s husband Philip is portrayed by Matt Smith for the first two seasons, Tobias Menzies for the following two, and Jonathan Pryce for the final two. Notably, both Pryce and Menzies have also acted in “Game of Thrones.
Speaking of the queen, let me tell you about the talented actresses who portrayed her throughout the show “The Crown”. Initially, Claire Foy depicted a young Elizabeth II at the start of her reign. Later, Olivia Colman assumed the role during the prime years and peak of her rule. Lastly, Imelda Staunton took over as Queen Elizabeth II in the final two seasons of the series. Now, let’s discuss what transpired for each actress’s season and where else you might recognize them from.
Claire Foy (Seasons 1 & 2)
In the initial installment of “The Crown,” character Elizabeth, portrayed by Claire Foy, is not yet a monarch. Instead, she’s the elder daughter of King George VI (Jared Harris), and as a princess, she enters into an arranged marriage with Prince Philip of Denmark and Greece (Matt Smith). Philip later renounces his title to become Philip Mountbatten, preparing for his role as Elizabeth’s future spouse. The king passes away due to lung disease, leading to Elizabeth’s coronation and her abrupt transition into the sovereign of the British empire, a significant global power at that time. Season 1 further explores Winston Churchill’s (John Lithgow) resignation and Elizabeth’s struggles with her sister Margaret over Margaret’s wish to marry Peter Townsend (Ben Miles). In Season 2, Elizabeth confronts the Suez Crisis and the Profumo affair, along with the subsequent scandal. Additionally, Foy portrays Queen Elizabeth as she gives birth to her younger sons, Andrew and Edward, while her eldest children, Charles and Anne, were born in the previous season.
Following her success with “The Crown” and two Emmy awards, Claire Foy moved on to other roles such as collaborating with Ryan Gosling in “First Man” and starring in the miniseries “A Very British Scandal.” In 2022, she took the lead in Sarah Polley’s Academy Award-winning drama “Women Talking,” and in 2023, she was part of the cast in Andrew Haigh’s critically acclaimed romantic drama “All of Us Strangers,” which secured her a BAFTA nomination.
Olivia Colman (Seasons 3 & 4)
Following Claire Foy’s departure from “The Crown”, Olivia Colman took over as the monarch in the third and fourth seasons of the series. In Season 3, which covers the mid-1960s to the mid-1970s, Queen Elizabeth II, portrayed by Colman, encounters a multitude of challenges, including several prime ministers, the tragic Aberfan disaster, the deaths of Winston Churchill and her uncle the Duke of Windsor, ongoing personal issues with Princess Margaret (now played by Helena Bonham-Carter), and even the historic Apollo 11 moon landing. The season concludes with Elizabeth’s Silver Jubilee, marking 25 years on the throne, and seamlessly transitions into Season 4. This season gains momentum primarily due to one significant factor: the introduction of a young Diana Spencer, brilliantly portrayed by Emma Corrin. In this season, we are introduced to the young noblewoman as she becomes romantically involved with Prince Charles (Josh O’Connor), only to learn that he is actually in love with Camilla Parker Bowles (played by director and writer Emerald Fennell). Besides the complexities of the Diana and Charles relationship, Elizabeth must also confront a new formidable adversary in Margaret Thatcher, portrayed by Gillian Anderson.
Olivia Colman, who was awarded an Academy Award for her portrayal of a unique queen in Yorgos Lanthimos’ 2018 dark comedy “The Favourite” (namely, the submissive Queen Anne), moved on to television projects such as “The Crown”, “Heartstopper”, Marvel’s “Secret Invasion”, and films like “The Father”, “The Lost Daughter”, “Empire of Light”, and “Wonka”. She also made appearances in multiple seasons of Hulu’s successful series “The Bear” as a special guest star. To add to her accolades, she delivered one of the most endearing Oscar acceptance speeches in recent times.
Imelda Staunton (Seasons 5 & 6)
In the upcoming seasons of “The Crown,” the role of Queen Elizabeth II will be portrayed by Imelda Staunton, a well-known British actress renowned for her weighty performances. Known to many as Dolores Umbridge in the “Harry Potter” series, Staunton steps into the role from Season 5 onwards. In this season, Elizabeth experiences her “annus horribilis,” a terrible year in 1992, which includes a revealing interview by a wronged Diana (Elizabeth Debicki) that exposes Charles’ (Dominic West) infidelity, an important state visit to Russia, and the takeover of Tony Blair (Bertie Carvel) as prime minister. The series then moves towards its conclusion with the death of Diana, Princess of Wales in Paris, a tragic event that also marked the end of the season.
2023 marked the end of Olivia Colman’s portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II, but she hasn’t slowed down. In 2022, she reprised her role as Lady Maud Bagshaw in “Downton Abbey: A New Era,” a continuation from the initial film, and since 2014, she’s been lending her voice to Aunt Lucy in the “Paddington” series.
“The Crown” is available to stream on Netflix.
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2024-12-04 00:30