How 'The Crown' Season 5 Nailed Queen Elizabeth II's Most Subtle Mannerisms

glamour.com:

, would be daunting for anyone, and Academy Award-nominee Imelda Staunton is no exception. The veteran actor, best known for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Vera Drake, and the Downton Abbey films (opposite husband Jim Carter) tells Glamour that stepping into the late monarch's shoes for the fifth season of actually made her feel ill. “It was not easy for me,” she says on a recent Zoom during a break from filming of the Emmy-winning Netflix series. “People kept saying, ‘Are you enjoying it?’ No, not until nearly the end because it was too frightening.”Ironically—and whether Staunton realizes it or not—she took a page from the monarch's “keep calm and carry on” playbook by approaching the role with clear focus and intent.

Much like Olivia Colman and Claire Foy before her, Staunton's reserved portrayal speaks volumes. When her teflon exterior gives way to human emotion, the scene stays with you long after the episode ends.

Part of that is because Staunton and her on-screen husband, Jonathan Pryce (who plays Prince Philip), adapted and studied such specific mannerisms that even the most diehard royal watcher might not notice.

Now, as season five premieres on Netflix, the two open up about their approach and what you never realized about the royal couple.Imelda Staunton as Queen Elizabeth II in season five of The Crown.Glamour: Were there any mannerisms that we the audience wouldn't have picked up on but you wanted to make sure to execute in your portrayal of the queen and Prince Philip?Imelda Staunton: The queen had a lot of faith and she got great strength and stability from her faith.