The “Tenet” actor has been added to the cast of the Netflix drama’s fifth and sixth seasons. The announcement was made on Aug. 16.
Courtesy of Warner Bros
The fourth season of “The Crown” has yet to premiere on streaming platform Netflix but that hasn’t stopped series creator Peter Morgan from working ahead. On Sunday, it was announced that Elizabeth Debicki will portray the late Diana, Princess of Wales, in the show’s fifth and sixth seasons.
"Princess Diana’s spirit, her words and her actions live in the hearts of so many. It is my true privilege and honour to be joining this masterful series, which has had me absolutely hooked from episode one," Debicki said in a post that was shared via the show’s Twitter account.
Debicki’s breakout role came in 2013 when she played Jordan Baker in Baz Luhrmann’s interpretation of “The Great Gatsby” which also starred Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire and Carey Mulligan. After the adaptation of the infamous F. Scott Fitzgerald novel, Debicki had roles in “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.,” “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2,” “Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets,” “Peter Rabbit,” and other films.
The 6-foot-3 Australian was born in Paris and will be seen in Christopher Nolan’s forthcoming big-budget tentpole “Tenet.” Debicki’s parents were dancers who moved from Paris to Australia when Debicki was 5 years old. She has two siblings and turns 30 years old on Aug. 24.
Three seasons consisting of 30 total episodes of “The Crown” are streaming to date. Principal photography for the fourth season was completed in London prior to the film industry shutting down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The third season of “The Crown” received 13 Emmy nominations in July, including Outstanding Drama Series. The cast of season three won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in January.
“The Crown” features a rotating cast, as the drama encapsulates the life and reign of Queen Elizabeth II from the 1940s through the 20th century with cast turnover occurring after every two seasons to address the passage of time and the aging of characters. Morgan had previously stated that the series would end after five seasons, but early this year he unveiled that plans had changed and the show would play out an additional season.
Other actors added to the show for the fifth and sixth seasons include Imelda Staunton as Queen Elizabeth II, Lesley Manville as Princess Margaret and Jonathan Pryce as Prince Philip. Staunton succeeds Olivia Colman and Claire Foy before her.
The series, which is distributed by Netflix, is a production of Left Bank Pictures and Sony Pictures Television. Season four is expected to premiere late this fall.