The Crown Season 3 Cast: Who Is Playing Prince Philip Opposite Olivia Colman's Queen Elizabeth?

Claire Foy and Matt Smith talk about their royal replacements for Netflix's hit series

By Chris Harnick Dec 05, 2017 3:18 PMTags
The Crown, Claire Foy, Olivia ColmanNetflix; Getty Images

The Crown season two is just days away, yet there is already a lot of attention on the upcoming third season which is set to feature new actors playing Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip and the rest of their famous family.

Taking over the role of Queen Elizabeth from Claire Foy is Olivia Colman, the star of Broadchurch and The Night Manager. "She's great," Foy told Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show.

"You'll forget all about me and the rest of the cast," Foy joked. "You'll be like, ‘Who are they?' We're the warm-up act."

Colman has signed on for seasons three and four, with a different actress expected to take over the role for the already planned seasons five and six. As for Prince Philip, Matt Smith said he's not allowed to say who is taking over the role, but if it's who he thinks it is.

"I don't know if I know," Smith told Seth Meyers on Late Night. "I'm not meant to know, but I maybe know."

Is he flattered by the suggestion this is what he would look like years older? "If it's the person it could be, I was just totally flattered I thought, ‘How marvelous.'"

"I don't want to speculate too much, but yeah, no, he's brilliant," Smith said after discussing his previous role of playing a younger version of Ralph Fiennes in a movie. "If it's the person I think it might be, and he's incredibly handsome as well."

"I have morphed into someone far better looking than I," Smith joked.

While you speculate about season three, know that season two picks up where season one left off. The monarchy is getting ready for the 1960s, a visit from John F. Kennedy, played by Dexter star Michael C. Hall, and all political and royal family drama that comes with the crown.

Vanessa Kirby, Matthew Goode, Anton Lesser, Jodi Balfour, Victoria Hamilton and more also appear in season two.

The Crown season two premieres Friday, Dec. 8 on Netflix.