Imelda Staunton is preparing to take on the role of Queen Elizabeth II in The Crown season 5. The Harry Potter actress will face one specific challenge the previous actors haven’t.
Netflix’s The Crown switches their cast every two seasons. Initially, Claire Foy played Queen Elizabeth for the series in the first two seasons. Olivia Colman took over Claire’s role in the next two seasons. And now, Imelda has to step into the shoes of Olivia for the last two seasons of The Crown.
Originally, the show was supposed to end with one last season. However, it was announced that the Netflix hit will have to stick to its original plan of six seasons. Along with Olivia, the rest of the cast is also being switched out. Elizabeth Debicki will be playing the role of Princess Diana after Emma Corrin’s successful portrayal.
Jonathan Pryce (Game of Thrones) will be taking over as Prince Phillip and Lesley Manville (Phantom Thread) will take over as Princess Margaret. Netflix has kept the rest of the cast a mystery and will be revealed when season 5 will premiere. The fifth installment will begin production in June 2021.
Imelda would have the challenge to face when season 5 begins filming this year. The actress had opened up about her role as she shared her biggest concern. She explained that she is portraying a figure at a time in her life when the people are familiar with her. The Harry Potter alum further explained that Claire and Olivia were portraying Queen Elizabeth that was in the past.
“With Claire Foy, it was almost history”
The character they played was in the past unlike the very alive, and public figure that she is now. So, the actress shared that the people will be watching her actions and movements and compare them to how the Queen is at the moment.
The actress shared, “I think my sort of extra challenge as if I needed it, is that I’m now doing the Queen that we’re a little more familiar with. With Claire Foy, it was almost history and now I’m playing one that people could say ‘she doesn’t do that,’ ‘she’s not like that,’ and that’s my personal bête noire.”
Imelda has a very valid concern if we look at the latest season’s premiere. The Crown season 4 was loved by most audiences, however, it also gave rise to something the series has not faced ever before. Viewers were extremely outraged with Prince Charles and how his actions contributed to Princess Diana’s mental health.
The Prince was played by Josh Charles as fans started berating the real-life Prince and his lover, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall. It got so bad that they were forced to turn off comments on their accounts. This led the cast and people to call the show to include a disclaimer stating it is clearly fiction.
However, so far there have been no plans of including a disclaimer on the show. As the show moves into the recent time zone, the scandals that the monarchy has faced also comes hand-in-hand.
This will include the divorce of Prince Charles and Princess Diana as well as the Princess’s tragic death. While fans might not remember the events of the first few seasons, they will surely keep in mind the events that are going on in the show.
These feelings might still stay fresh as the show is moving towards its conclusion. Imelda expressed her concern about the effect this may have on viewers. Irrespective of her performance, the historical events portrayed by the series might have an effect.
Also Read: Emma Corrin Reacts To Backlash Over Portrayal Of Princess Diana
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