The Crown's Prince Andrew star opens up on reaction from public
James Murray is set to play Prince Andrew in season 5 of The Crown, which depicts the royal's separation from Sarah Ferguson.
The Crown's James Murray, who makes his debut as Prince Andrew in season 5, has spoken about the reactions he received from the public over his casting, saying that recent headlines have turned him into "a pantomime villain".
Speaking to Netflix ahead of The Crown's release this month, the actor – who has appeared in McDonald & Dodds, Cucumber and Death in Paradise – revealed that he's learnt "how quick people are to judge" since taking on the role.
"It’s difficult, because a lot of opinions about Andrew in recent years have rightfully been negative, so people will turn any ambiguous story into a negative one if they’ve decided somebody is a wrong 'un.
"So many people have come up to me since I got the role and told me stories – either they met him, or someone they know met him, or their parents met him – but while the stories themselves were innocuous there was usually a spin put on them."
He added: "His behaviour, and the choices he made, have made him into almost a pantomime villain."
Murray also said that he would be interested to meet Prince Andrew, but doesn't think the royal would feel the same if he watches The Crown. "I don’t think he comes off the way he wants to come off, put it that way."
The Duke of York has hit the headlines in recent years, with his military titles and royal patronages stripped from him in February after being accused of sexual assault in a US case.
In March, Prince Andrew paid a settlement to Virginia Giuffre, who alleged that the royal sexually assaulted her when she was 17, formally ending the case.
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The upcoming season of The Crown, which will mark the drama's third cast change, follows the royal family in the 1990s, with Prince Charles (Dominic West) pressuring his mother Queen Elizabeth II (Imelda Staunton) for a divorce from Princess Diana (Elizabeth Debicki), while Prince Andrew and his wife Sarah Ferguson (Emma Laird Craig) announce their plans to separate.
The Crown season 5 arrives on Netflix on 9th November. You can watch seasons 1-4 of The Crown 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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