Claire Foy says being cast on The Crown was like getting the ‘biggest promotion’
By Lauren Del Fabbro, Press Association Entertainment Reporter
The Crown actress Claire Foy has described being cast on the hit series as like receiving the “biggest promotion”.
Foy, 41, portrayed the late Queen Elizabeth II in the Netflix royal drama series, which won her two Emmy awards and a Golden Globe.
Despite having worked in the film and TV industry for nearly a decade before landing the role, Foy said nobody knew who she was and that the show opened up a number of doors for her.
Speaking to Radio Times, Foy said: “It was like being in a blockbuster film.
“Afterwards, I got opportunities I’d never had before. It’s like the biggest promotion you can imagine.”
Her sharp rise to fame, however, did not typecast her, the actress said, adding that it has not defined or limited her career.
She said: “I don’t think it’s a double-edged sword.
“I doubt Olivia Newton-John hated being known for Grease – I bet she loved it.
“If I had just done The Crown and never worked again, that would be one thing. But I don’t feel any pressure to be anything for anyone else. I’m just doing my job.”
Foy has since starred alongside Normal People’s Paul Mescal and Fleabag actor Andrew Scott in the 2023 fantasy drama All Of Us Strangers – and portrays Helen Macdonald, an academic who attempts to tame a goshawk following the death of her father in the upcoming biographical drama H Is For Hawk.
The fame that comes with her job has been both “alarming” and “illuminating” at times, Foy said, however she has managed to protect herself from being impacted by it.
She added: “On the whole, I’ve stayed the same.
“Protecting your humanity is the most important thing. You have to keep yourself sane.”
The actress is also known for starring in the BBC historical drama Wolf Hall, and A Very British Scandal.
Her film credits also include 2022’s drama Women Talking, alongside Hamnet star Jessie Buckley, which follows the true story of how a group of women begin to realise the extent of the sexual abuse they have suffered by the men in their religious community after they start sharing their experiences with one another.
