Greatly honoured: Imelda Staunton on playing Queen Elizabeth in ‘The Crown’ S5

Team Udayavani, May 12, 2020, 2:40 PM IST

Los Angeles: British actor Imelda Staunton says she feels “greatly honoured” to get an opportunity to play Queen Elizabeth II in Netflix series “The Crown”.

The critically-acclaimed royal drama will conclude after its fifth season which will see Staunton replacing Oscar winner Olivia Colman as the eponymous monarch.

Talking with Entertainment Tonight, the 64-year-old actor said she has to live up to the standards set by her predecessors — Colman and Claire Foy — with the role.

“I’m greatly honoured. I don’t want to let the air go out of the balloon and I really have to bring it home. I would love to do that for all the people who have gone before me,” Staunton said.

Colman, who took over the part from Foy after the first two seasons, made her debut as the Royal Queen with the third season in November last year. She is set to appear in the show’s upcoming fourth season.

Staunton is best known for playing Dolores Umbridge in the “Harry Potter” series. The actor has also appeared in movies such as “Downtown Abbey”, “Vera Drake”, “Nanny McPhee” and “Maleficent”.