Lesley Manville will become the latest addition to The Crown’s new cast, with the Oscar-nominated actress set to takeover from Helena Bonham Carter in playing Princess Margaret.
Netflix confirmed on Thursday that Manville has signed up for the fifth and final season of the lavish royal drama, which British producer Left Bank Pictures will begin shooting next year.
She joins Imelda Staunton, who signed up to play Queen Elizabeth II in January, replacing Olivia Colman. Princess Margaret is the Queen’s younger sister and was portrayed by Vanessa Kirby in Seasons 1 and 2.
In a quote published on The Crown’s Twitter account, Manville said she is taking over from “two formidable actresses and I really don’t want to let the side down.” She added that Staunton is a “dear friend.”
Manville secured a supporting actress Oscar nomination for her work in Phantom Thread in 2017. She has also featured in Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil and is the lead in hit BBC comedy Mum.
Peter Morgan-penned The Crown will return for Season 4 later this year. The show snuck under the wire in wrapping just before the coronavirus pandemic swept through the UK, but it did rob the current cast of a farewell party.