‘The Crown’: Who Is More Believable as Queen Elizabeth II, Claire Foy or Olivia Colman?
Olivia Colman and Claire Foy have both won awards for their portrayal of Queen Elizabeth on Netflix’s The Crown. But which of the two stars was more convincing in the role? Fans voted on whether Foy or Colman played the “more believable” version of the queen, and here are the results.
Claire Foy and Olivia Colman have won Emmy Awards for their portrayals of Queen Elizabeth II on ‘The Crown’
Olivia Colman and Claire Foy have each won a Golden Globe and an Emmy Award for their portrayals of Queen Elizabeth on The Crown. Foy played the queen in season1 and 2, while Colman took on the role in seasons 3 and 4.
Following Queen Elizabeth’s death in September, the two stars opened up about the royal during the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival. “I think that she was an incredible monarch,” said Foy (per Indie Wire). “She united people and she was a massive symbol of continuity and dignity and grace.”
Foy added, “My main feeling is just thinking about her as a mother and a grandmother and a great-grandmother, really. I’m very honored to have been a teeny tiny, small part of her story.”
When asked about the queen’s legacy, Colman said, “I wouldn’t know where to begin with that. She made a promise as a young woman and she absolutely kept it with such dignity. We’re all incredibly impressed by what she did.”
‘The Crown’ fans voted on whether Claire Foy or Olivia Colman is the ‘more believable’ Queen Elizabeth
Season 5 of The Crown premieres on Netflix on Nov. 9, but Olivia Colman and Claire Foy won’t be in it. Imelda Staunton, perhaps best known for her portrayal of Dolores Umbridge in the Harry Potter movies, will take on the role of Queen Elizabeth.
Before the new season aired, British fans of the show voted on who they think played the “most believable” version of Queen Elizabeth.
According to survey research carried out by Betfair Casino, Claire Foy was voted the most believable character compared to her real-life royal counterpart in the Netflix show. Olivia Coleman followed in second place, with Matt Smith’s portrayal of Prince Philip taking third.
Helena Bonham Carter (who, like Imelda Staunton, appeared in the Harry Potter films) came in fourth place for playing Princess Margaret in seasons 3 and 4.
The votes were, however, extremely close: Foy received 12.9% of the votes, barely edging out Colman, who received 12%. Smith followed with 7.4%.
Fans have debated which star portrayed the royal the best
For years, The Crown fans have debated whether Olivia Colman or Claire Foy played Queen Elizabeth the best.
In one Reddit thread, most fans agreed that each actor did an incredible job of portraying the royal during a specific period of her life.
“Olivia is the Queen, Claire is Elizabeth,” wrote one fan, to which another responded, “Spot on. Foy is superb as a young Elizabeth but it is not the Queen, rather a fabulous representation of a young Elizabeth. Coleman I feel has nailed THE QUEEN.”
Another Reddit user wrote, “I liked Claire Foy a lot and I felt that I could relate to her but she didn’t strike me as a realistic portrayal of the queen who comes across as more ‘everywoman’-y, I think Olivia Colman nails that much better.”
“Hard to take a side here,” commented one Reddit user. “Both actresses did an amazing job and I felt portrayed the Queen from the respective time periods very well. As others have mentioned, Foy with her exuberance and youthful playfulness and Colman as a woman with growing maturity and responsibilities.”
And one fan said, “I for one am glad the show-runners chose to alternate characters. Watching both Coleman and Foy in the role has been most satisfying.”
