Claire Foy reveals why she can't stay on as Queen Elizabeth in The Crown
The actress discusses her reasons for abdicating her crown after just two series
Claire Foy sure knows how to quit when she's ahead. The star of Netflix's The Crown previously announced plans to step down from playing Queen Elizabeth after just two seasons - and it seems she has no regrets whatsoever, calling the short-lived nature of her role a "real plus".
Far from being reluctant to abdicate from her Golden Globe-winning Netflix series, Foy and Prince Phillip actor Matt Smith have said they will do two series and no more. Both roles will then be re-cast.
Discussing the "substitution" at the BFI & Radio Times Television Festival, Foy joked, "That's it, I'm on the bench. I'm not even on the bench; I'm just in a different team on my own, unemployed! We're gone, we're gone."
But, she added, "That's not a shock; we always knew when we signed up to it, and also not to be funny but it's also a real plus.
"As an actor there's nothing worse than the sound of 'seven years'. I'm sure to some people it sounds amazing but to us it's like, seven years of playing the same person? And this is a tough job, you know? It's long, a good nine-monther. And that's a lot of your life that you sign over to it."
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However, despite her relief at saying goodbye to The Crown, she added: "I'm going to miss it terribly. But I just can't wait to see where it goes, I just can't wait."
