Helen Mirren is one of the outstanding English actresses in the entertainment industry. Her iconic performances in the historical genre have earned her immense recognition. Meanwhile, she has also presented her diverse acting work by working in several films like Eye in the Sky, Red 2, and the Fast and Furious film series.
Given her proficiency in acting, she was considered to play the role of Queen Elizabeth II in The Crown series. However, she rejected the British royal family drama series, here’s why!
Helen Mirren Rejected to Play The Protagonist Role in The Crown Series
Netflix’s The Crown series became one of the top trending shows since its release in 2016. It revolved around the reigning story of the late Queen Elizabeth II, with each season reflecting a specific period in her timeline. The main protagonist’s role is portrayed by three different actresses to showcase the different versions of the late Queen during her reigning era.
In the first two seasons, Claire Foy played the late monarch’s role in the series which was succeeded by Olivia Colman for a third and fourth season. For the final portrayal of the Queen in the last two seasons, rumors were hinting that Helen Mirren would be playing the role.
Back in 2019, when she was asked about her interest in revisiting Queen Elizabeth’s role in the series, she replied, “I don’t think so.”
She continued,
“I think it’s more interesting when you see other portraits and it builds into a more interesting picture than just someone coming back.”
Though she clearly shared her intention of not portraying the Queen, she praised the actresses who played the role in the four seasons.
“I thought Claire was wonderful, [and] I know Olivia will be fantastic.”
Had she been in the series, she would definitely have charmed her viewers with her portrayal as she is well-known for portraying the same role in the 2006 film, The Queen. The final portrayal eventually went to Imelda Staunton who played the role in the fifth season.
The Crown is Among The Most Expensive Show List!
The Netflix series written and created by Peter Morgan is one of the most expensive television series ever due to the extravagance it chose to portray while correctly depicting the British royal family. It is quite common for historical dramas to have a big production budget given that it has to aesthetically and accurately portray the period which the show definitely showcased.
The series purely reflected the extravagant lifestyle of the royal family, which eventually cost a fortune to correctly portray the sets, costumes, hair, and characters to achieve the level of excellence.
This drama didn’t disappoint the viewers which reportedly cost around $13 million per episode to produce. As of 2020, the estimated production budget of the series was reportedly $260 million, making it among the most expensive shows ever. However, it was worth the money as the show reviewed much acclaim and awards justifying its relevance.
The Crown is available on Netflix.
Source: Lorraine
