Here's who should play Prince Philip in The Crown season 5
First came Matt Smith, then came Tobias Menzies – but who should star opposite Imelda Staunton in the final two seasons of The Crown?
Which actor will complete The Crown's trio of Prince Philips? Who will follow in the footsteps of Matt Smith and Tobias Menzies to play the Queen's husband in the final two seasons of the Netflix drama? The casting has yet to be revealed – but we do have some inspired suggestions to make.
We already know that Imelda Staunton will play Queen Elizabeth II in seasons five and six, with Lesley Manville joining as her sister Princess Margaret.
It also looks like this third iteration of the cast will pick up the story in around 1990, so let's do some *maths*. Prince Philip is currently 99 years old, so we're looking for an actor who can portray him from the age of 69-ish onwards. Here's how he looked at the time, in 1992:
And for what it's worth, Imelda Staunton is 64 years old, which is the same as the Queen was in 1990. So she'll have to play older than her real age as the seasons progress.
With all this in mind, we've picked out some great candidates for the job. Casting directors, take note:
Jeremy Irons
Age: 71
We've put Jeremy Irons at the top of our list because he'd just be perfect, wouldn't he? Irons is a brilliant, Oscar-winning, well-respected actor; he looks the part, he can do posh English, and he's about the right age. A no-brainer.
Peter Capaldi
Age: 62
Scottish actor Peter Capaldi is perhaps on the young side for this role, but with a little make-up and a haircut he could definitely be made to look Philip-like. Could he do the English accent? That's an unknown, but we'd be very curious to see him bring his charm to The Crown.
Sam Neill
Age: 72
At a youthful-looking 72, Sam Neill is firmly in the right age bracket to play the Queen's husband. The Northern Ireland-born New Zealand actor would be a rogue choice for The Crown, but he's a terrific actor with three Golden Globe and two Emmy nominations to his name. The beard would have to go, though.
David Bradley
Age: 78
David Bradley is possibly slightly too old to co-star alongside a 64-year-old Imelda Staunton, but he'd be the perfect age by the time we get to season six. The British actor is a well-respected veteran of the acting world with a ton of credits to his name, and he actually looks quite a lot like the real Prince Philip.
Mark Rylance
Age: 60
Oscar-winner Mark Rylance is definitely on the younger side to play Prince Philip (mark 3), but we can still see it anyway. The English actor has shown himself to be an impressive, adaptable actor – and he has that necessary twinkle in his eye.
Michael Douglas
Age: 75
At 75, Michael Douglas is the second-oldest actor on our list – but again, he'd be perfect for the later episodes! While the American actor would have to put on an English accent to play Prince Philip, visually he kind of looks the part. And as a hugely-experienced, Oscar-winning actor, he'd be a good bet for Netflix.
Daniel Day-Lewis
Age: 63
Look, yes, we know Daniel Day-Lewis has officially, definitively retired. But still! If he could be persuaded to return to acting, he'd be a very good signing for The Crown. The three-time Oscar-winner is a highly-respected English actor, and it's not hard to imagine him transforming into Prince Philip. You know he'd take it seriously.
The Crown season 4 is expected to air in late 2020, with season 5 in 2022. Looking for something else to watch? Check out our guide to the best TV series on Netflix and best movies on Netflix, or visit our TV Guide.
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