Netflix's The Crown has found a new Prince Philip in Jonathan Pryce. The Crown follows the life and reign of Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain, beginning with her ascension to the throne in the 1950s until it culminates in season 6 with more contemporary history. The Crown season 4 is set to premiere later this year on Netflix, where it has been a huge hit for the streaming giant, winning a number of accolades including Primetime Emmy Awards for the performances of Claire Foy and John Lithgow as Queen Elizabeth II and Winston Churchill, respectively.
The Crown is also notable for its somewhat unorthodox approach to casting. Since the story takes place over the course of seven decades, actors are recast every two seasons to keep up with the real-life aging of the historical characters. Seasons 1 and 2 saw Matt Smith and Vanessa Kirby join Foy as Prince Philip and Princess Margaret, while season 3 and upcoming season 4 have Olivia Colman, Tobias Menzies, and Helena Bonham Carter fill the roles of Elizabeth, Philip, and Margaret. Come The Crown seasons 5 and 6, Imelda Staunton and Leslie Manville are set to play Elizabeth and Margaret, and now the older Philip has been cast as well.
According to Deadline, Jonathan Pryce will officially be joining Staunton and Manville as Prince Philip for The Crown seasons 5 and 6. As the series is only planning on a six-season run, Pryce will presumably be the final actor to fill the role before the series concludes.
Pryce has long been a fixture on the screen, especially in British cinema and television. Most recently, he was nominated for an Academy Award for his performance as Pope Francis in The Two Popes, also picking up a Golden Globe nomination for the role. Pryce was also recently praised for his role as the High Sparrow in Game Of Thrones season 5 and 6, and had notable roles in the cult classic Brazil and the Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies. Pryce also has a history on the stage, winning Tony and Olivier Awards for his performances in Miss Saigon and Hamlet. With experience this diverse, it is safe to say that he will fit right in with the multi-talented cast of The Crown.
Though The Crown's non-traditional casting may have been a risk at the beginning of the series' run, it is a risk that has largely paid off. The original cast of the show was well-received by fans, and while there is always a risk with recasting that fans won't receive the new cast as warmly, The Crown has managed to attract a very high pedigree of actors. Olivia Colman's Elizabeth II is different than Claire Foy's Elizabeth II, and Imelda Staunton's will be different too, but the actors have made the roles their own instead of feeling like replacements. The Crown, through its casting, has found a way to make historical drama not only detailed and engaging, but more relatable as well.
Source: Deadline
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August 13, 2020 at 05:33AM
