Imelda Staunton Confirmed to Play Queen Elizabeth in Fifth and Final Season of THE CROWN

Imelda Staunton is to set play Queen Elizabeth in the fifth and final season of The Crown, according to Variety.

The Crown began with Claire Foy playing Queen Elizabeth in the first two seasons. The third season, which debuted last year, saw Olivia Colman takeover as the monarch.

Creator and executive producer Peter Morgan, the creator and executive producer of The Crown, confirmed the news saying, "I'm absolutely thrilled to confirm Imelda Staunton as Her Majesty The Queen for the fifth and final season, taking 'The Crown' into the 21st Century. Imelda is an astonishing talent and will be a fantastic successor to Claire Foy and Olivia Colman."

Cindy Holland, VP of original content for Netflix, said: "The first three seasons of 'The Crown' defined an era, and I know the upcoming fourth season will build further on that success. It's a stunning example of award-winning entertainment, created in the U.K. and loved by millions of fans around the world. I fully support Peter Morgan's creative decision and am excited to see how he, Imelda Staunton and the cast and crew of Season 5, bring this landmark series to a fitting and spectacular end."

Staunton added, "I have loved watching 'The Crown' from the very start. As an actor it was a joy to see how both Claire Foy and Olivia Colman brought something special and unique to Peter Morgan's scripts. I am genuinely honoured to be joining such an exceptional creative team and to be taking 'The Crown' to its conclusion."

Imelda Staunton recently completed acclaimed runs in the 2018 West End revival Stephen Sondheim's Follies and a revival of Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

She won an Olivier Award for her performance as Mama Rose in Gypsy. Amongst her many other theatre credits, notable performances include Mrs Lovett in Sweeney Todd, for which she won an Olivier Award, Circle, Mirror, Transformation for the Royal Court and the role of Claire in Edward Albee's A Delicate Balance at The Almeida Theatre. In total, Staunton has been nominated for Eleven Olivier Awards, winning four. On film Staunton is perhaps best known for playing the title role in Vera Drake, for which she received the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role, and for the role of Dolores Umbridge in the Harry Potter films.

Read the original article on Variety.