Here’s How Olivia Colman Is Preparing For The Crown Season Three

olivia colman

by Katie Rosseinsky |
Published on

Taking on the role of Queen Elizabeth in Netflix’s The Crown might seem like a daunting prospect for actress Olivia Colman, the star tasked with playing the monarch in the show’s third season, but we have every confidence that she’ll do a brilliant job. In the meantime, it seems that the Broadchurch star has been taking tips from the show’s current Queen, Claire Foy.

‘She’s f—king amazing and it’s a very hard act to follow,’ the actress told the Radio Times, before revealing that The Crown’s producers had put her in contact with Claire (presumably so that the latter could share her wisdom on her cut glass pronunciation of ‘Philip’…)

‘They – the people, the grown ups – put us in touch so I could ask her about it and she was just lovely – she’s one of the sweetest people ever and she’s brilliant,’ she said, adding that Claire has another super fan in the form of her husband, fellow actor Ed Sinclair.

NOW READ: The Crown: TV Versus Real Life

Gallery

the crown characters versus real life slider

prince philip the crown1 of 26
CREDIT: Getty

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...

Prince Philip actually only became a Prince of the United Kingdom in 1957, when it was announced that he'd be known as His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

prince philip the crown2 of 26
CREDIT: Netflix

Played by Matt Smith

Matt Smith's Philip becomes more of a central focus for The Crown's second season, which explores the Duke's place in the royal family while hinting at his rumoured infidelity.

the queen claire foy3 of 26
CREDIT: Netflix

Played by Claire Foy

*The Crown *marks the second time that Claire Foy has played a Queen: she previously starred as Anne Boleyn in the BBC's adaptation of Wolf Hall.

queen elizabeth4 of 26
CREDIT: Getty

Queen Elizabeth II...

Season two sees Elizabeth more established in her role as Queen, but having to contend with a tumultuous political climate and tensions in her marriage.

vanessa kirby the crown5 of 26
CREDIT: Netflix

Played by Vanessa Kirby

Prior to playing Princess Margaret, Vanessa balanced stage work with credits in film and TV productions like Great Expectations, *About Time *and Me Before You. She'll next be seen opposite Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible 6.

princess margaret portrait6 of 26
CREDIT: STF/AFP/Getty Images

Princess Margaret

Widely perceived as the Queen's 'wilder' sister, Margaret associated with a more bohemian circle in the 60s and 70s.

queen mother7 of 26
CREDIT: Getty

Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother...

Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, was widely considered among the most popular members of the royal family, and was active in public life even as she turned 100.

victoria hamilton the crown8 of 26
CREDIT: Netflix

Played by Victoria Hamilton

Fan of Doctor Foster? Victoria Hamilton's turn as Gemma's neighbour Anna was certainly a contrast to her royal role as the Queen Mum.

jared harris the crown9 of 26
CREDIT: Netflix

Played by Jared Harris

The son of actor Richard (aka Dumbledore from The Philosopher's Stone), Jared Harris' screen credits include *Mad Men, Sherlock Holmes *and Lincoln.

king george iv10 of 26
CREDIT: Getty

King George VI...

Known as Bertie to his family, George VI never expected to become King. Upon the abdication of his older brother, however, the throne was his.

matthew goode the crown11 of 26
CREDIT: Netflix

Played by Matthew Goode

Matthew Goode is something of a period drama mainstay, having previously appeared in the likes of *Downton Abbey, Brideshead Revisited *and The Imitation Game.

Antony Armstrong-Jones12 of 26
CREDIT: Getty

Antony Armstrong-Jones...

Antony Armstrong-Jones had a notoriously tempestuous relationship with Princess Margaret, but even after their 1978 divorce, he continued as the royal family's photographer of choice.

jackie kennedy jodi balfour13 of 26
CREDIT: Netflix

Played by Jodi Balfour

South African actress Jodi Balfour most recently starred as DI Elaine Shephard in the BBC's police procedural Rellik; prior to that, her biggest role was in Canadian TV drama Bomb Girls .

john f kennedy the crown14 of 26
CREDIT: Netflix

Played by Michael C. Hall

American actor Michael C. Hall is best known for his roles as the serial killer of the title in *Dexter *and as a mortician in *Six Feet Under. *

duke of windsor the crown15 of 26
CREDIT: Netflix

Played by Alex Jennings

Alex Jennings is another *Crown *star to have previously played a different member of the royal family on screen: he starred as Prince Charles opposite Helen Mirren in The Queen.

wallis simpson the crown16 of 26
CREDIT: Netflix

Played by Lia Williams

Alongside her TV roles, actress Lia Williams has starred in a number of plays, directed short films and runs a production company with her husband.

peter townsend the crown17 of 26
CREDIT: Netflix

Played by Ben Miles

Ben Miles has previously appeared in shows like Cold Feet, *Coupling *and the BBC's Shakespeare adaptation, *The Hollow Crown. *

jackie kennedy18 of 26
CREDIT: Getty

Jackie Kennedy...

*The Crown *marks the second screen incarnation of former First Lady Jackie Kennedy of 2017: Natalie Portman earned an Oscar nod for unconventional biopic Jackie earlier this year.

wallis simpson19 of 26
CREDIT: Getty

Wallis Simpson, the Duchess of Windsor...

Upon her third marriage, American socialite Wallis Simpson became the Duchess of Windsor, though she was never truly accepted by the royal family.

Edward VIII20 of 26
CREDIT: Getty

The Duke of Windsor, formerly Edward VIII...

Britain was gripped by scandal - not to mention a constitutional crisis - when King Edward VIII proposed to Wallis Simpson, an American divorcée who was still technically married to her second husband.

peter townsend real life21 of 26
CREDIT: Getty

Group Captain Peter Townsend...

A royal equerry from 1944 to 1953, Peter Townsend's romance with Princess Margaret caused a scandal due to his being recently divorced from his wife.

john f kennedy22 of 26
CREDIT: Getty

John F. Kennedy...

John F. Kennedy made just one state visit to Buckingham Palace during his presidency, which took place in the summer of 1961. The real life events form the subject of 'Dear Mrs President' in *The Crown's *second season.

Prince Charles and Princess Anne23 of 26
CREDIT: Getty

Prince Charles and Princess Anne...

Before Charles and Anne headed off to boarding school, they were educated by a governess at Buckingham Palace.

Prince Charles and Princess Anne24 of 26
CREDIT: Netflix

Played by Billy Jenkins and Lyla Barrett-Rye

Billy has previous appeared in Channel 4's Humans, while Lyla played a younger version of Romola Garai's title character in a recent adaptation of Emma.

lord mountbatten the crown25 of 26
CREDIT: Getty

Lord Mountbatten...

Philip's Uncle was born Prince Louis of Battenberg, a title which was dropped in anticipation of anti-German sentiment ahead of WWI. A descendent of Queen Victoria, he was also Elizabeth's second cousin once removed.

lord mountbatten the crown26 of 26
CREDIT: Netflix

Played by Greg Wise

You'll probably know Greg Wise for his role as the dashing but caddish Willoughby in the 1995 screen version of *Sense and Sensibility *(in which he starred opposite future wife Emma Thompson).

‘We are completely obsessed with The Crown anyway but whenever Claire Foy comes on he goes, “Oh, she’s amazing,”’ she said.

‘Watching the first series was blissful because I had no idea. With the second series I now know I’ve got to follow in her footsteps.’

According to Olivia, who is as yet the only new cast member to be officially confirmed by The Crown’s team, she knows as little about the forthcoming season as we do. ‘I don’t start until July so I know nothing about it yet apart from they said I could do it, so I’m holding them to that,’ she told the Radio Times. So, no hints as to who will be cast as Camilla and Diana, then…

It’s been heavily rumoured that Olivia will star alongside Helena Bonham Carter as Princess Margaret, though Matt Smith’s Prince Philip is yet to be re-cast, after Paul Bettany stepped back from the role due to schedule clashes.

Just so you know, we may receive a commission or other compensation from the links on this website - read why you should trust us