Imelda Staunton: 5 Things About The Oscar Nominee Playing Queen Elizabeth II In ‘The Crown’ Season 5

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• Imelda stars as Queen Elizabeth II in The Crown season 5.
• Imelda is known for her role in Harry Potter movies.
• Imelda is married to a Downton Abbey alum.

Imelda Staunton steps into the role of Queen Elizabeth II in the latest season of The Crown. The 66-year-old is playing the monarch in the final two seasons of the Netflix series. Imelda follows Claire Foy and Olivia Colman in the iconic royal.

“I have loved watching The Crown from the very start,” Imelda said in a statement when her casting was announced. “As an actor, it was a joy to see how both Claire Foy and Olivia Colman brought something special and unique to Peter Morgan’s scripts. I am genuinely honoured to be joining such an exceptional creative team and to be taking The Crown to its conclusion.” Get to know Imelda now that The Crown season 5 is here:

1. Imelda played Dolores Umbridge in the Harry Potter movies. 

The actress made her first appearance as Dolores Umbridge in Harry Potter & The Order of the Phoenix. Dolores was quite the (well-dressed) adversary for Harry and his friends as a professor, Headmistress of Hogwarts, and more. Imelda also appeared in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1.

2. Imelda and the real-life Queen Elizabeth II met.

Imelda attended the final night of Queen Elizabeth II’s 90th birthday celebrations in 2016. In addition to The Crown, Imelda already has a connection to the monarchy. Imelda was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2006 and Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2016 for services to drama.

3. Imelda has starred in a number of major movies.

She plays Knotgrass in the Maleficent movies and voices Aunt Lucy in the Paddington movies. Her titular role in the 2004 film Vera Drake earned her an Oscar nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role. She recently played Maud Bagshaw in Downton Abbey: A New Era.

4. Imelda is married.

Imelda is married to actor Jim Carter. Jim is best known for playing Mr. Carson in the Downton Abbey series and movies. They got married in 1983 and welcomed a daughter, Bessie, in 1993.

5. Imelda is a prominent stage actress.

The actress has won four Olivier Awards over the course of her long career. Imelda has starred in London productions of Into The Woods, Sweeney Todd, Gypsy, Guys and Dolls, The Wizard of Oz, and more. She met her husband when she starred in the 1982 National Theater production of Guys and Dolls.