Claire Foy, Matt Smith on Their Future in ‘The Crown,’ Season 2’s Focus on Philip
It was a mutual admiration society as James Corden moderated Netflix’s “The Crown” FYSee chat with fellow Brits Claire Foy and Matt Smith. When Smith ribbed Corden about hearing that Queen Elizabeth II is a fan of Corden, the “Late Late Show” host demurred humbly, saying, “Let’s not make this about me. But yes, she’s a big fan.”
Foy, whose performance as the younger Queen has been critically acclaimed, recalled that she was five months pregnant when she received the script for the show. Impending motherhood affected the way she tackled the role. Foy explained, “She’s been visibly a mother and held down a job. I related to that. She’s an icon, someone to look up to and respect.”
Both stars praised “The Crown’s” principal creative team, Peter Morgan, Stephen Daldry, and Andy Harries. Smith, who plays Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, said that though the idea of playing a royal was intimidating at first, “I loved the acerbic brilliance of the script. The show peels back the mask of what we think the royals are.”
Smith also mentioned that Daldry gave them “big books” containing tons of research about the royal family. He noted, “I learned so much about my own country that I didn’t know which made me feel a bit stupid. In a world where celebrity is so much at the front of our lives, and is so immediate and you’re so communicated at all the time — Trump is a perfect example — the royal family have managed to keep that distance.”
The two stars noted they’ve finished shooting Season 2 of “The Crown” except for some reshoots. Smith teased, “In Season 2, it gets a bit hairier.” The second season focuses more on Philip and will span approximately 10 years, up until 1964. Foy shared, “In Season 2, there are scenes I would never want to relive.” Both actors acknowledged that if there’s a third season of “The Crown,” they will no longer be part of it as the Queen and Prince Philip will be older and older actors will take on the roles.
Season 2 of “The Crown” is expected to stream on Netflix in late 2017.
(Pictured: Ted Sarandos, Claire Foy, and Matt Smith)
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