Elizabeth Debicki Says ‘The Crown’ Producers Saw Something ‘Diana-ish’ in Her Audition
To portray Diana, Princess of Wales, in The Crown, actor Elizabeth Debicki had to find aspects of the late royal’s personality and mannerisms to connect with in order to make the character feel more authentic. Subsequently, Netflix producers realized before the actor did that she had something “Diana-ish” that could give legitimacy to the critical role that dominates season 5 of the series. However, Debicki wasn’t so sure.
Elizabeth Debicki originally auditioned for season 2 of ‘The Crown’
In an interview with The Guardian, the actor revealed she initially read for a part in the Netflix series ahead of season two. However, Debicki did not reveal what role that was because another actor played it “beautifully.”
“Also, if I told people, they’d be like, what?” she added of her audition.
The series’ sophomore run tackled Queen Elizabeth’s life from the mid-1950s to 1964. It focused on the complexities of her and Prince Philip’s marriage. The installments also delve into Princess Margaret’s marriage to Antony Armstrong-Jones and the years that John F. Kennedy and his glamorous wife, Jackie were in the White House.
Elizabeth Debicki says ‘The Crown’ producers saw something ‘Diana-ish’ in her initial audition
Several seasons later, The Crown’s creator, Peter Morgan, returned to Debicki when looking to cast the role of Princess Diana for seasons 5 and 6 of the hit series. Debicki said she believed her initial audition didn’t contain anything that could have linked her characterization to that of the late Princess of Wales.
“They obviously saw something Diana-ish in my audition, which is really not what I was going for at that time,” she recalled of season 2 of The Crown.
Subsequently, her agent later informed Debicki there was some talk about her playing Princess Diana in the series’ future. However, this role did not come to fruition until 2020, when she received a call from producers to formally ask her to consider the part.
The actor ‘went off instinct’ when it came to the titular role
In portraying Diana, Princess of Wales, Debicki admits much of her portrayal was instinctual. She shared with The Guardian, “I went off instinct and didn’t overthink it. I’ve watched this show and loved it for years.”
She continued, “I knew I was stepping into working with people who were extremely intelligent and very sensitive about how they went about creating the script and making decisions. So I never felt like I’d jumped on unstable ground.”
However, when it comes to audiences looking for a literal portrayal of the Princess of Wales and the royal family, the actor believes The Crown might land differently for those viewers.
“I mean, it is clearly fictional. I feel like audiences know that because there are actors playing parts. However, I never watched The Crown and thought, this is a documentary, or this is true,” Debicki noted.
The Crown season 5 is streaming on Netflix.
