‘The Crown’: Elizabeth Debicki Admits She “Lost the Line’ Between Herself and Portraying Princess Diana
Actor Elizabeth Debicki who plays Princess Diana in the Netflix series The Crown, claims that she “lost the line” between herself and the late Princess of Wales while filming. Season 5 features ten episodes that feature Diana’s story in the early 1990s as she faces the end of her marriage to then-Prince Charles and the prospect of a new life outside of the royal family.
‘The Crown’ season 5 depicts the monarchy’s low point
Season 5 of The Crown illustrates a low point in the monarchy where The Windsors could no longer depend on the tabloid press to cover them with deference. Instead, photographers and reporters wanted to capture the clan in unguarded moments, leaving the family to make a case for its relevance in 1990s Britain.
In the early 1990s, Queen Elizabeth II’s values seemed old-fashioned and out of step with modern times. However, seeds of discord within her family were planted and bloomed out of control as the decade wore on. These moments will be featured in The Crown.
This discord included Diana’s desperate attempts to break free from royal constraint and a loveless marriage. Also addressed is Charles’ 1993 “Camillagate” tape, where he fantasized about being Camilla Parker Bowles’ feminine hygiene product.
Princess Anne had an affair and divorced her longtime husband, Captain Mark Phillips, and several months later, she married Cmdr. Timothy Laurence. Prince Andrew and his wife, Sarah Ferguson, divorced after a cheating scandal. Finally, a fire destroyed 115 rooms of Windsor Castle, leading the queen to call 1992 “Annus Horribilis.”
Elizabeth Debicki Admits She “Lost the Line’ Between Herself and Portraying Princess Diana
In an interview with The Guardian, Debicki claimed she “lost the line” between herself and portraying Princess Diana in season 5 of The Crown.
“You know, I did something the other day on set, and someone went, God, you’re so like her! And I went, I’m not even doing it anymore. Where is the line? I’ve lost the line,” she jokes. “But that’s understandable because I’ve been in this for a long time.”
Despite Debicki’s belief that the lines between character and actor had blurred, she admits that scripts for The Crown helped her focus on delivering what the character needed.
“Suddenly, what feels like a vast field of information is very quickly, extremely narrowed down to existing within the framework that Peter [Morgan] has built for you. It was a huge relief,” she explained.
“I remember thinking, now my responsibility is to bring to life what he has written and his interpretation of these events and these people,” Debicki concluded of playing Diana in The Crown.
The actor defended ‘The Crown’s’ storytelling in light of criticism of the project
Debicki spoke of how The Crown came under fire for taking liberties in telling the story of the British royal family. The Crown has always presented itself as a dramatized, fictional version of royal history. After all, no one knows exactly what goes on behind palace doors.
“I understand what the show is and what it’s trying to do. I also understand the reaction to it. I think this is a period of time that’s been told many times over and will continue to be told, and I know the degree of care and respect people enter into these stories with,” Debicki explained.
However, she reiterates that the story is “clearly fictional. I feel like audiences know that because there are actors playing parts. I never watched The Crown and thought, this is a documentary, or this is obviously true.”
The Crown season 5 is currently streaming on Netflix.
