Olivia Colman finished her final season of playing Queen Elizabeth in The Crown on Netflix and admitted that it has been one of her most challenging roles to date because she felt that Her Majesty was superhuman.
The actress said in an interview that the real Queen Elizabeth was "strong as steel" with a stoic mindset. On the other hand, Colman is the complete opposite of the character because she would easily burst into tears.
The actress also said that while the Queen might naturally feel like she would want to cry, she can't show her emotions in public. So, on The Crown, Colman tried to be like that Queen and stick to her character, which was not too easy to do.
But while Colman is done playing the monarch on the royal drama, the show is still not finished depicting the character. In The Crown season 5 and 6, Imelda Staunton will replace Colman as Queen Elizabeth.
However, Colman doesn't have the nerve to advise her successor about playing Her Majesty because, like the Queen, Staunton is "extraordinary." Colman also believes that the new Queen Elizabeth in The Crown will do a lot better than her, and she can't wait to watch Staunton on the Netflix show.
Staunton might be best known to fans as Dolores Umbridge, the Harry Potter villain, or Vera Drake, her Academy Award-nominated role. The actress told Variety in July that she has been preparing for her latest role.
Staunton agreed with Colman and Claire Foy, who was Queen Elizabeth for The Crown season 1 and 2 that it is a daunting role. She said that she's terrified and excited at the same time because it is a huge responsibility to play the Queen.
The actress revealed that she had met Her Majesty in person when she sang with a choir for the Queen's 90th birthday in 2016. She also met her in 1986, when the Queen came with the Queen Mother to watch Staunton on stage.
Staunton is a CBE and OBE awardee and received one of her honors in a ceremony with Queen Elizabeth. She said that it feels weird to be doing the monarch on the screen since Staunton has met her in real life.
However, like a true artist, the actress said she has a job to do and will definitely turn on a "bloody believable performance" as Queen Elizabeth.
The Crown season 5 will begin filming in London in the summer of 2021. The show won't return on the screen until 2022, according to Deadline.
