Why ‘The Crown’ Season 5 Star Imelda Stanton Looks So Familiar
The Crown Season 5 entered the 1990s and introduced fans to a new actor in the role of Queen Elizabeth. After Claire Foy played Her Majesty in her younger years during seasons 1 and 2 — and Olivia Colman took on the role of a middle-aged monarch in seasons 3 and 4 — Imelda Staunton is playing the royal in the later part of her life. But why does Staunton look so familiar?
‘The Crown’ Season 5 star began her acting career in the theater
Staunton is an English actress, born in London, who attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA). After graduation in 1976, she spent years in English repertory theater before making the transition to television and movies. Staunton starred in the Royal National Theatre’s performance of Guys and Dolls, The Beggar’s Opera, and Schweyk in the Second World War.
She had small roles in various on-screen projects throughout the 1980s, but it was the 1990s when she really started to make her mark. On the big screen, Staunton starred in Much Ado About Nothing, Sense & Sensibility, and Shakespeare In Love.
On the small screen, she landed the lead role of Izzy Comyn in the BBC’s Up The Garden Path. She also starred in the British sitcom Is It Legal?
Why does Imelda Staunton look so familiar?
After the turn of the century, Staunton was showing up in at least two movies a year. She starred in Bright Young Things, Vera Drake, and Nanny McPhee. But, the role that made her recognizable around the globe was Dolores Umbridge in 2007’s Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.
Described as coming close to “stealing the show” by The Guardian, Staunton’s performance snagged her a nomination for a London Film Critics Circle Award for “British Actress in a Supporting Role.” Three years later, she reprised the role in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 1.
Staunton continued starring in numerous TV shows and films throughout the 2010’s. Most notably, she starred in the first Downton Abbey film and its sequel Downton Abbey: A New Era as Lady Maud Bagshaw.
‘The Crown’ Season 5 star has won numerous awards for her performances on stage and screen
Staunton has been nominated for a number of awards, mostly in the UK, for her performances on both stage and screen. She’s won a whopping four Laurence Olivier Awards (the British equivalent of a Tony) for her work as Bessie Watty in The Corn is Green, the Baker’s Wife in Into The Woods, Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd, and as Mama Rose in Gypsy.
She’s also made a name for herself as a voice actor, appearing in the Paddington film series, as well as Alice in Wonderland. She is currently reprising the role of Bunty in the Chicken Run sequel Dawn of the Nugget, which is scheduled for a 2023 release.
Staunton will also reprise the role of Queen Elizabeth in the sixth and final season of The Crown.
The Crown Season 5 is now playing on Netflix.
