Meet the cast of The Crown
Everything you need to know about the cast and characters of Netflix's drama
Jared Harris – King George VI
Elizabeth and Margaret’s father, King George VI (aka Albert or Bertie), is stoic, yet a gentle and extremely affable man. King George VI was never comfortable with the pressure that came with wearing the Crown. However, he, like his daughter, is driven by a sense of duty to his people in his role as Sovereign.
“He always understood that he was the spare, but that he never thought he would be put in that position,” says Harris. “He was always happy with his family and that they would be trotted out for minor events, but that they would have as normal a life as they could.”
Where do I recognise him from?
He was Lane Pryce in Mad Men, and has also appeared in blockbusters The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows and Lincoln.
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Vanessa Kirby – Princess Margaret
Margaret is Elizabeth’s younger, and more carefree, sister. She was always the natural born star, who craved the spotlight.
“They are completely different,” says Kirby. “As Elizabeth is thrust into this position, you see their relationship become more and more strained.”
Where do I recognise her from?
She has appeared in a wide range of films, including About Time, Everest and Queen and Country. She also played Stella Kowalski on stage in A Streetcar Named Desire.
Ben Miles - Group Captain Peter Townsend
The King's Equerry was one of George VI's closest confidante's and served the family - including Princess Margaret, with whom he developed a particularly close relationship
Where do I recognise him from?
Miles is perhaps best known to TV fans as Coupling's Patrick Maitland, and he also appeared in the most recent series of Black Mirror, portraying the Chancellor of The Exchequer in Hated in The Nation. You might also have spotted him in The Forsyte Saga, Prime Suspect and Lark Rise to Candelford, among others.
John Lithgow – Winston Churchill
Returning to the seat of power at the age of 78, Churchill is focused on re-defining his legacy as a peacemaker rather than a war-monger. With a young queen ascending to the throne months after his re-election, Churchill sees his chance to have a lasting influence on the monarchy and the state of the country.
“He has two particular on-going dramas,” says Lithgow. “One is teaching the Queen to be a Queen, and the other is hanging onto the role of Prime Minister, when he really shouldn’t be anymore. A lion in winter.”
Where do I recognise him from?
The Footloose actor most recently played Donald in Interstellar and fans of 90s TV will remember him as Dr. Dick Solomon in 3rd Rock from the Sun. He also voiced Lord Farquaad in Shrek, and terrorised fans of Dexter with a stunning turn as the sinister Trinity Killer.
