Imelda Staunton to play Queen Elizabeth in the final season of Netflix’s The Crown – and gets the royal seal of approval
The English stage and screen veteran will follow in the footsteps of Claire Foy and Olivia Colman, who both played the queen, for the final season
The Crown showrunner Peter Morgan dropped a bombshell when he announced that British actress Imelda Staunton would succeed Olivia Colman as Queen Elizabeth, and that the fifth season would be the last for the show. While few details have been released about the final season, it is likely to concentrate on the events in the 90s and may feature Princess Diana’s death.
As we await more news, this is what we know about the actress who will wear the eponymous crown next:
1. Staunton has starred in numerous family films
Harry Potter fans may best know her as Dolores Umbridge in The Order of the Phoenix and Deathly Hollows: Part I but Staunton has appeared in countless other films. Most of her popular roles have been in children’s films. Her name appears in film credits such as Nanny McPhee, both Paddington movies, and both Maleficent movies. Her most critically acclaimed role is more serious, however, and that of Vera Drake, where she plays the titular character and collected a slew of awards.
2. She’s racked up awards for her theatre performances
She’s also had a prolific run in British theatre productions. Staunton wore Dorothy’s red shoes in Wizard of Oz, baked pies as Mrs Lovett in Sweeney Todd, played the baker’s wife in Into the Woods, and this year will grace the stage as Dolly Gallagher Levi in Hello, Dolly!
3. She’s married to Jim Carter, who plays the butler Mr Carson in Downton Abbey