“The crown” has found its definitive prince Philip.
Legendary British actor Jonathan Pryce is set to play the Queen’s husband in the fifth and sixth seasons of “The Crown,” Variation has confirmed.
Pryce will take over from fellow ‘Game of Thrones’ alum Tobias Menzies, who portrayed the often controversial figure in season 3 and into the upcoming fourth season. He will star Imelda Staunton as Queen Elizabeth II (taken over by Olivia Colman) and Lesley Manville as Princess Margaret (taken over by Helena Bonham Carter). Former “Doctor Who” star Matt Smith created the role of Philip in the series.
News of Pryce’s casting comes just a month after “The Crown” showrunner Peter Morgan confirmed that the massive Netflix series would return for a sixth and final season, after originally saying it was scheduled to end to season 5. Seasons 5 and 6 will take royal family in the early 2000s.
“When we started discussing the story lines for Series 5, it soon became clear that in order to do justice to the richness and complexity of the story, we needed to go back to the original plan and do six seasons. To be clear, Series 6 will not bring us any closer to today’s time – it will just enable us to cover the same period in more detail, “Morgan said in announcing the decision to expand to a sixth season.
‘The Crown’, which received a whopping 13 nominations for Emmy for its final outing, packed shots on season 4 mid-March, just before the UK was placed in lockdown. It is expected that season 4 will launch later this year, and the final turn will be Oscar winner Colman as queen. It will cover the Margaret Thatcher era, as well as the tumultuous marriage of Prince Charles and Princess Diana.
Pryce is best known for his roles in classic features such as “Brazil” and “Glengarry Glen Ross,” and more recently for his turn as the High Sparrow in HBO’s “Game of Thrones.” Earlier this year, Pryce was nominated for an Oscar for his role in the Netflix movie “The Two Popes,” in which he starred opposite Anthony Hopkins.
