The Crown's Elizabeth Debicki Admits That She Was Initially Overwhelmed By The Idea Of Playing Princess Diana
The reign of Netflix's show "The Crown" continues with Season 5, and fans are excited to see Princess Diana have a bigger presence in the story. "The Crown" follows the life of Queen Elizabeth II, beginning with her marriage to Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh. Season 5 focuses on 1991 to 1997, so fans are excited to see more of the Princess of Wales on screen.
Actor Elizabeth Debicki is joining the cast and will play Princess Diana in the last two seasons of the show, succeeding actor Emma Corrin, who portrayed Diana in Season 4. Elizabeth Debicki accompanies Imelda Staunton, who currently portrays Queen Elizabeth; Jonathan Pryce as Prince Philip of Edinburgh; Lesley Manville as Princess Margaret; Dominic West as Diana's husband, Charles; and Olivia Williams as Camilla Parker Bowles.
In the new season, audiences can see more of the uncomfortable relationship between Diana and the Queen, Diana in the Revenge Dress, and the funeral of Leonora Knatchbull (Clara Graham). In Season 5, Diana contributes to a biography written by Andrew Morton (Andrew Steele), gives the famous "Panorama" interview, and gets divorced from Charles, and the season concludes with her on the cusp of meeting Dodi Fayed (Khalid Abdalla) — who died alongside Diana in real life. Despite the confidence with which Debicki tackles the role, the actor was very overwhelmed when first presented with the idea of playing the Princess of Wales.
She's such an incredibly important figure
Elizabeth Debicki was cast back in 2020 and was very overwhelmed at first when Peter Morgan, "The Crown" showrunner and creator approached her about the part (via The Hollywood Reporter). "The acting challenge of it alone is so great, but it's such an excellent challenge. It's such a true challenge," she said. But she also said she leapt at the chance to play such an iconic person. "She was such a remarkable human being and so the idea of stepping into it is daunting but very exciting," Debicki told "Good Morning America."
It makes sense to be a little nervous; Diana left some shoes that might be hard to fill. The Princess is remembered for her charming personality and the time she spent working with charities. Most notably, Diana helped destigmatize HIV and AIDS patients (via Bustle). Her cause of the year during 1987 was the AIDS crisis, and she worked hard to disprove the fear that AIDS was transmitted through touch by shaking hands while gloveless, and while interacting with patients in a respectful manner. Diana tried to share the message that they were still people who deserved care in their time of need.
While Debicki might've been a little anxious to take on the role, she has earned critical acclaim for her performance, with Shannon Connellan of Mashable, Chris Panella of The Daily Beast, and even Andrew Morton, Diana's biographer, identifying Debicki's performance as a standout of the season (via IndieWire), even as a standout Diana portrayal in general. Debicki first rose to prominence with 2013's "The Great Gatsby" as Jordan Baker, for which she won the AACTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role, and went on to star in "The Night Manager," "Widows," and "Tenet" before debuting as Diana.