Imelda Staunton next in line for The Crown
Staff Reporter | On 22, Nov 2019
Reading time: 1 minsImelda Staunton will reportedly replace Olivia Colman as the Queen in The Crown after her reign is over.
Netflix’s lavish royal drama, which charts the life and reign of Her Maj, has been a huge smash hit for the streaming giant, picking up awards and nominations galore. That’s partly thanks to the cast, with national treasure Olivia Colman and Tobias Menzies recently taking over from Claire Foy and Matt Smith as Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip for Season 3 – joined by Helena Bonham Carter as Princess Margaret (replacing Vanessa Kirby) and Josh O’Connor as Prince Charles.
That process of recasting is integral to the show’s decades-spanning scale, with each new wave of actors allowing the characters to age without prosthetics or digital effects. Colman Er al. will reprise their roles once again in Season 4, but The Daily Mail reports that Colman’s replacement has already been found: Imelda Staunton.
If true, the 63-year-old actor will play Queen Liz for Season 5 and 6. It would only add to the range of roles the Oscar nominee has had over her diverse career, from working class hero Vera Drake and the imperious Dolores Umbridge in the Harry Potter films to Mrs Lovett in Sweeney Todd on London’s West End – next year, she will take the lead in another stage production, Hello, Dolly!.Staunton is no stranger to the small screen, though, having appeared in Psychoville, Cranford and, most recently, A Confession on ITV.
Netflix has not yet confirmed her casting officially, but rumours of Helena Bonham Carter’s casting for Season 3 proved to be true, so take this with a pinch of salt, but only a small pinch.