Princess Margaret is getting a royal makeover ahead of The Crown‘s fifth and final season.
The Netflix drama has tapped Academy Award-nominated actress Lesley Manville (Phantom Thread) to play Queen Elizabeth II’s sister, succeeding Vanessa Kirby (who originated the role in Seasons 1 and 2) and Helena Bonham-Carter (who assumed the part in Seasons 3 and 4).
Manville joins the previously cast Imelda Staunton, who will take over the role of Queen Elizabeth in Season 5.
“I could not be happier to be playing Princess Margaret,” Manville said in a statement. “The baton is being passed on from two formidable actresses I really don’t want to let the side down. Furthermore, to play siblings with my dear friend Imelda Staunton will be nothing short of a complete joy.”
A veteran of stage and screen, Manville is perhaps best known for her role opposite Daniel Day-Lewis in the 2017 film Phantom Thread, which earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. On the small screen, she headlined the recently ended BBC Two sitcom Mum and had a supporting role in Hulu’s Harlots.
Manville’s casting comes roughly six months after it was confirmed that The Crown would end with Season 5. Series creator Peter Morgan initially intended the historical drama to run for six seasons, but had a change of heart, explaining in a statement, “Now that we have begun work on the stories for Season 5, it has become clear to me that this is the perfect time and place to stop.”
Season 4 of The Crown, which will welcome Gillian Anderson as UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and newcomer Emma Corrin as a young Diana Spencer, is slated to bow later this year, with Season 5 likely arriving in 2021.
https://pmctvline2.files.wordpress.com/2020/07/lesley-manville.jpg
