Netflix has announced that actress Olivia Colman will be taking on the role of Queen Elizabeth II on the award-winning, period drama The Crown, replacing Claire Foy who has played the ruling monarch for the first two seasons.
Olivia Colman isn't new to the binge-worthy Netflix series scene, having played a police detective in Broadchurch. She is also known for her roles in Hot Fuzz, The Lobster, and her Golden Globe-winning performance on the AMC miniseries, The Night Manager. She is also in the upcoming film, Murder on the Orient Express. So if you haven't seen her in anything yet, there is a lot to choose from!
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The recasting was kept under wraps until recently. Foy announced in an interview with People back in April that she would be leaving the show, but the details have been kept secret. Even in an interview on The Graham Norton Show, a couple of days ago, Claire Foy was tight-lipped about who would be her successor. She hinted that it was someone we might have heard of, but she didn't say much more than that.
Each season of The Crown covers approximately one decade in the life of the Queen. According to the producers of the show, they had planned to recast the lead roles after season 2 since the beginning. Colman's rule as Queen so far is set to seasons 3 and 4, reports Entertainment Weekly. It still hasn't been announced who will be taking over the role of Prince Phillip for Matt Smith.
The show returns to Netflix, with Claire Foy as Elizabeth II, for season 2 on December 8. The new season is expected to cover the late '50s through the mid-60s. From the looks of the teaser trailer, it is a turbulent time for the Queen.
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