Who Should Play Prince Charles on ‘The Crown’ Seasons 5 & 6?
The Crown has unveiled the majority of its core cast for Seasons 5 and 6, the final in the series, but one role remains open — Prince Charles.
Fans fell for Josh O’Connor’s turn as the lonely eldest son of Queen Elizabeth (Olivia Colman) and Prince Philip (Tobias Menzies) in Season 3 and are sure to enjoy more from the actor in Season 4. But he’ll have to pass the baton to someone else eventually, and with the other roles quickly being filled, we can’t help but imagine a few replacement options.
One key factor when it comes to casting is likeness, but that’s not always the last word as fans have come to know between casting shifts. An example of acceptable discrepancies in appearances includes the height difference between the former and current Princess Margaret actresses Vanessa Kirby and Helena Bonham Carter.
Josh O’Connor as Prince Charles (Credit: Netflix)
And the first Queen Elizabeth — Claire Foy — had the correct blue eye color to portray the monarch, but that didn’t prevent Olivia Colman, who has brown irises, from snagging the role for Seasons 3 and 4. With these considerations, we’re taking a look at possible Prince Charles candidates for Seasons 5 and 6 below.
Scroll to see which stars made our casting wish list of actors who could join already announced stars Imelda Staunton (Queen Elizabeth), Lesley Manville (Princess Margaret), Jonathan Pryce (Prince Philip) and Elizabeth Debicki (Princess Diana).
The Crown, Seasons 1-3, Streaming now, Netflix
Eddie Redmayne
The Oscar-winning actor is a pro at playing an awkward introvert, a tone that was set for Prince Charles’ character by Josh O’Connor in Season 3. Their striking resemblance also makes Redmayne a desirable casting choice, allowing for a smooth transition between actors. The casting would depend upon Redmayne’s schedule most likely, but we could easily see him embody the Prince during a crucial time in his life.
Domhnall Gleeson
If it’s hard to see past Gleeson’s red hair, have no fear because he can easily darken it like he did for his character in the award-winning film Brooklyn. Most recently the actor appeared alongside Merritt Wever in HBO’s short-lived Run, but the actor has plenty of other roles under his belt including work in Netflix’s dark anthology series Black Mirror and the Harry Potter and Star Wars franchises. We could see this star take on Prince Charles’ more introverted side with ease and his likeness to the real-life figure and O’Connor would make it a smart match.
Benedict Cumberbatch
Everyone knows the actor for Sherlock and his role as Doctor Strange in the Marvel Universe, but Benedict Cumberbatch could easily fit into the royal family for Seasons 5 and 6. Over the years he’s proven to be a versatile performer which allows for plenty of opportunities onscreen, and we’d be willing to bet he could pull off Prince Charles.
Matthew MacFadyen
Currently entertaining audiences with his role as Tom in the HBO hit Succession, MacFadyen’s talent for implementing understated anxiety and shyness within his performances would make him a strong candidate for the role of Prince Charles. Looking at some of his past roles including the stately Mr. Darcy in 2005’s Pride and Prejudice, MacFadyen has proven many times over that he has the chops to pull Charles off.
Tom Hiddleston
Potentially a bit of a stretch in terms of casting, Tom Hiddleston could be a good option for Charles in contrast with the recently cast Elizabeth Debicki as Princess Diana. His charming and charismatic onscreen presence could serve an older Charles well and his similarities in looks to O’Connor doesn’t hurt the possibility either. But this is surely a long shot, especially with the actor’s busy schedule surrounding Disney+’s Loki.
Tom Mison
Tom Mison’s most recent role as a submissive servant named Mr. Philips in HBO’s Watchmen could be a peek into the window of what his version of Prince Charles may look like. Prim and proper, Mison could pull off Charles’ more rigid appearance, but in terms of looks, he definitely differs greatly from Josh O’Connor’s version of the prince, which could hurt his chances — if that chance exists beyond our wish list. Only time will tell for sure whether Mison or any of the above stars will make the cut.
