ALISON BOSHOFF: How Vanessa Kirby gave rising star Andrea Riseborough the role of Princess Margaret in The Crown
As The Crown comes to an end, following the final release of its sixth series on Netflix this week, writer Peter Morgan looks back at the origins of the mega-hit drama.
He has previously spoken about almost overlooking Claire Foy, who played the young queen, even though she auditioned multiple times.
And now he says Vanessa Kirby almost lost the role of Princess Margaret, too.
“Everyone was leaning towards another actress who they felt was a major win. And I wasn’t 100 percent sure about that person,” he revealed.
But who was the ‘significant get’ who was cast in the role by Kirby?
The Crown writer Peter Morgan has looked back at the origins of the mega-hit drama and revealed Vanessa Kirby almost lost the role of Princess Margaret in the first season.
Sources indicate it was Andrea Riseborough, who was high at the time after playing Wallis Simpson in Madonna’s film WE, who almost took the role
Sources indicate it was Andrea Riseborough, who was high at the time after playing Wallis Simpson in Madonna’s film WE
The loss didn’t hurt her; Since then she has starred in films such as Nocturnal Animals and To Leslie, for which she received an Oscar nomination.
Her upcoming projects include two roles opposite Kate Winslet: the Lee Miller film Lee and the TV drama The Palace.
Kirby, meanwhile, has appeared in the Mission Impossible films and also stars opposite Joaquin Phoenix in Ridley Scott’s Napoleon.
She told an interviewer this year that Princess Margaret was the favorite role of her career, saying: “She’s so much cooler than me, and that was really fun.”
“To play someone who was so Technicolor, so powerful.”
Series six, part two, of The Crown dropped on Netflix on Thursday, December 14, bringing the show about the British royal family to a close.
The episodes explore William and Harry’s grief following Diana’s death, the final years of Princess Margaret’s life, as well as William and Kate’s first romance while studying at St Andrews University.
The loss didn’t hurt Riseborough; Since then she has starred in films such as Nocturnal Animals and To Leslie (pictured), for which she received an Oscar nomination
Kirby went on to appear in the Mission Impossible films and also starred opposite Joaquin Phoenix (pictured) in Ridley Scott’s Napoleon
But the series has proven controversial for its deeply intimate portrayal of recent events, including scenes involving surviving members of the royal family.
The Crown has also come under fire for blurring fact and fiction in its depiction of historical scenes.
Meanwhile, Meg Bellamy, 21, who plays a young Kate Middleton, admitted she “didn’t remember the real life events” depicted in the final season as the trio revealed how that affected their performances.
Part two brings the key university moment in the blossoming relationship between the current Prince and Princess of Wales to our screens.
Meg explained, “We were babies, we don’t really remember any of the actual events of this series.”
“I think that’s helpful because we could just look at it as a character on the page,” Ed added.
Series six, part two of The Crown, dropped on Netflix on Thursday, December 14, bringing the show about the British Royal Family to a close (Pictured: Imelda Staunton as the Queen)