The Crown star was a “reluctant viewer” initially: "I'm not a monarchist"
Jonathan Pryce says he was "split" over whether or not to take the role.
Jonathan Pryce will make his debut as Prince Philip in season 5 of The Crown this week – although the actor has admitted he's "not a monarchist" and he was initially "split" over whether or not to take the role.
Pryce will be taking over from Tobias Menzies to play the late Duke of Edinburgh opposite Imelda Staunton, who is replacing Olivia Colman as the Queen. Pryce described himself as a "reluctant viewer" of the series, before explaining it was Claire Foy's portrayal of the Queen in season 1 that pulled him in and got him "hooked".
Pryce also revealed that the show's creator Peter Morgan encouraged him to take the part after disclosing something about Prince Philip's journey during season 5 "which was really exciting".
"It started the usual way with a call from my agent, but I was kind of split about it," the star told Netflix. "Half of me thought, 'That’s a great idea,' but the other side of it was, 'I'm on a hiding to nothing with people’s expectations of that character.' I already knew it was a really good series, as I'd watched it from the beginning – though I started off as a reluctant viewer.
"I'm not a monarchist, and I thought I would have very little interest in the royal family but my wife Kate and I decided to watch it. We just got hooked. It’s so incredibly well made and beautifully produced, but it was Claire Foy’s performance that pulled me into it, as it was a view of the Queen that I wasn’t aware of."
He added: "What made me the most nervous is the public’s perception of Philip, and whether I could come anywhere close to it. So I went to meet Peter Morgan to talk it through and he told me something about Prince Philip’s journey during series five, which was really exciting."
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Season 5 will focus on Prince Philip's close relationship with Penny Knatchbull, played by Natasha McElhone. Knatchbull, Countess Mountbatten of Burma, is the wife of Norton Knatchbull. She was one of the 30 mourners in attendance at his funeral.
The upcoming series features a whole new cast including Elizabeth Debicki as Princess Diana, Lesley Manville as Princess Margaret, Dominic West as Prince Charles and Jonny Lee Miller as John Major.
The Crown season 5 will be released on Netflix on 9th November 2022 and you can watch seasons 1-4 right now. Sign up for Netflix from £6.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.
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