Seeking your casting suggestions for The Crown, Series 3

[mommybunny]

OK, so we know Olivia Colman will be the Queen and Helena Bonham Carter is probably going to be Princess Margaret. I think they're both great choices and look forward to seeing them.

Who can we cast in the other roles?

I understand the series is meant to cover the 70s, and it's been suggested that the natural "end" to the series is Thatcher's election. So we probably won't see Diana or Fergie yet, but could see Camilla.

Here is where I'm at in my head right now:

Prince Philip (fair-haired male, mid-40s/mid 50s in age): not my idea but I think Iain Glen is absolutely inspired

Queen Mother (short, dark-haired female, 60s-70s in age): Imelda Staunton, Celia Imrie

Prince Charles (dark-haired male, mid 20s/mid 30s in age): Jonah Hauer-King (he played Laurie in Little Women)

Princess Anne (fair-haired female, mid 20s/mid 30s in age): Emilia Clarke (she'd kick some ass!)

Ted Heath (grey-haired male, mid 50s in age): possibly Samuel West (who, it must be noted, has already played Ted Heath, in a drama about the young Thatcher)

Harold Wilson (grey-haired male, mid 50s in age): for some reason I'm thinking Matthew MacFadyen could be good, though he may be too young

James Callaghan (grey-haired male, late 50s in age): Timothy Spall maybe?

Margaret Thatcher (fair-haired female, 50s in age): Jemma Redgrave, Emily Watson, Samantha Bond (who would be my first choice)

That's all I've got for now, though there must be a way to fit Peter Capaldi in as someone's private secretary. Give me your ideas!

Bill Nighy as older Tommy Lascelles (I know we won’t really need one).

Anna Maxwell Martin is too old to play Camilla.

David Thewlis as Snowdon? It isn’t obvious to me but if he had smokin’ hot chemistry with Helena Bonham Carter in his screen test I’d consider it. Because apparently as awful as Margaret’s and Tony’s marriage was they still supposedly had an insatiable lust for each other.

FallenMadonna I remember that one. Threlfall certainly has range to go from Frank Gallagher to Prince Philip, and I think he might've played Charles in the past too!

Helen Mirren's said she won't be playing the Queen after Olivia Colman:

www.digitalspy.com/tv/the-crown/news/a847552/helen-mirren-wont-play-queen-the-crown-netflix/

What about Alison Steadman for Maggie t?

Alison Steadman is too old for Maggie in the 1970s though, needs to be someone 50ish. Julia Sawalha?

Ah bugger yeah I keep forgetting about that.

Thatcher was around the same age as the Queen, so the actress playing Thatcher shouldn’t be wildly off Olivia Colman’s age. Samantha Bond I think just makes it. So do Emily Watson and Gillian Anderson.

I think Julia Sawalha might be the right age but she doesn’t look anything like Thatcher. The others have a closer resemblance, I think. That said, I’d offer her a screen test.

Shit, Julia Sawalha is 50?? I used to watch her in Press Gang back in the day. Feel old now!

I don't think Olivia Colman looks anything like the Queen tbh, but the right wigs and make up can do the trick. It's about conveying the character rather than doing an impersonation isn't it?

She's 49. I think she could do it - much prettier than Thatcher, but if you look at pictures of her looking serious I think she could do it.

If you saw her in Press Gang, her character was hard as nails so not far off Mrs T!

I loved Press Gang. I wanted to be Lynda Day.

I've never seen Press Gang, so don't have that point of reference. All I really know Julia Sawalha from is Pride and Prejudice and Lark Rise to Candleford (and a little bit of AbFab), and none of those roles make me think "ah yes, Thatcher!"

But as I said, I'd try her out.

Helena BC is 51 though and apparently she's been cast as the younger sister of 44 year old Olivia Coleman.

Indeed - I know I should get strict "age" notions out of my head because the real casting directors don't have them.

HBC does look younger than her years though. And Olivia looks older. Helena's casting hasn't been confirmed yet but the photo with Vanessa Kirby was a bit of a giveaway!

I wonder why it's taking so long for Netflix to announce who's playing Philip? Surely filming has to start soon?

I'm not sure they have finished the scripts yet.

I reckon Philip will be a big name like Paul Bettany

My guess is that they’re delaying Philip’s announcement because it’s someone who’s currently “live” in a tv show and hasn’t announced his departure. Which leads me to the fear that Star Trek Discovery is going to kill off Jason Isaacs at the end of the series in a month’s time .

I like Paul Bettany for Phillip, he has the right frame I think, plus he is a fab actor, great voice.

I want James Norton in it, but I can't really see where, too handsome for Charles, and possibly too old?

I had thought of Fiona Shaw for Thatcher, she was sharp enough in Harry Potter, might be a bit old now though as born in '58.

Oh yeah Paul Bettany would be fab! I think the next series is due end of 2019. Series 2 was a 9 month shoot, finished in July for a December release so they could wait quite a while before they start shooting for series 3.

I also like Paul Bettany for Philip, but would have thought he'd be too, I don't know, "Hollywood" for the role, if that makes sense?

On the actors we'd like to see but don't have roles yet, remember we are only casting Series 3 (and, therefore, Series 4). There are still Series 5 and 6 to come, so bear them in mind. This is why I said Charles Dance could be a great S5 and S6 Philip - he'll be mid-70s by then and is tall and fair, and outstanding with a cutting remark.

There is a definite move into high status TV shows by those traditionally found in big budget films. Think about Big Little Lies, Westworld, The Man in the High Castle etc