British actress Olivia Colman has opened up about how she’s preparing for season three of The Crown, which begins filming in July. Colman replaces Claire Foy in the lead role of Queen Elizabeth II.
Colman, who won a Golden Globe for her role in The Night Manager and should have won one for her portrayal of detective sergeant Ellie Miller in Broadchurch, told Radio Times she’s a little apprehensive of taking over from Claire Foy. “She’s f***ing amazing and it’s a very hard act to follow.”
“They – the people, the grown ups – put us in touch so I could ask her about it and she was just lovely – she’s one of the sweetest people ever and she’s brilliant.”
The 43-year-old actress revealed her husband is also a Claire Foy fan, adding, “We are completely obsessed with The Crown anyway but whenever Claire Foy comes on he goes, ‘Oh, she’s amazing’.”
But it appears Foy is equally enamoured with Colman. “I just love her,” she told Digital Spy. “I admire her so much and the idea that we sort of will be doing the same job but not actually working together is just enough, I’m honoured by that.”
Foy won a Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Award, plus an Emmy nomination, for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth in season one, and won a Screen Actors Guild Award and Golden Globe nomination for her work in season two.