Oscar-nominated
Actor Jonathan Pryce will play the role of Prince Philip in the final two series of The Crown.
Deadline was the first to report that Jonathan will take over the role from Tobias Menzies in the fifth and sixth series of the hit
Netflix drama.
The Duke Of Edinburgh was previously played by Matt Smith in the first two series of The Crown.
Jonathan will be acting in the show alongside Imelda Staunton, who is succeeding Olivia Colman in the lead role of
Queen Elizabeth II.Jonathan was nominated for his first Academy Award in 2020, for his portrayal of
Pope Francis in another Netflix offering, The Two Popes.
Other on-screen credits from his lengthy career in film include the big-screen version of the musical Evita, the
James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies and the drama The Wife, in which he appeared opposite Glenn Close.
He also played The High Sparrow in two series of
Game of Thrones.Netflix had always planned for The Crown to run for a total of six series, with three different actors taking on the lead role of
Queen Elizabeth II throughout that time.
However, when Imelda was confirmed as the successor to the drama’s throne, it was announced that they were cutting this short and ending at the fifth run.
Fortunately for fans, this is a decision that has since been reversed, with creator Peter Jackson saying: “As we started to discuss the storylines for series five, it soon became clear that in order to do justice to the richness and complexity of the story we should go back to the original plan and do six seasons.”
It’s worth noting that the fourth series of The Crown – the last with Olivia Colman at the helm – is also still to come, with the team managing to wrap production just before the
UK went into lockdown.READ MORE: The Crown's Olivia Colman Reveals Toe-Curling Encounter With The Real Prince William The Crown Newcomer Tobias Menzies Admits He's Actually Far From A Royalist The
Royal Family Wants You To Know They Don't Endorse The Crown