Josh O’Connor, the British actor who stars in The Crown, tells GQ how his portrayal of Prince Charles changed his life.
There was a before and an after of “The Crown” for Josh O’Connor. The British actor, who played a very believable Prince Charles in seasons 3 and 4 of the Netflix series, talks about how the role changed the course of his life in an interview with GQ magazine.
The Crown actually brought him into the light and brought him out of anonymity overnight. It certainly wasn’t the first role of his career, but his performance and the response to the series made him a recognized star on the street.
“It was a difficult time. I had a hard time getting stopped on the street,” he explains in GQ.
“We want to participate in projects that are successful and monitored, but I think we sometimes underestimate the impact that a loss of anonymity can have, even if it is minimal.”
He didn’t want to audition for the role
Josh O’Connor is photographed and constantly asked what he thinks of the royal family. He is not a fan of the monarchy and describes himself as more of a republican. He didn’t even want to audition for the role.
Like him, Claire Foy, the actress who played Queen Elizabeth in the show’s first two seasons, spoke of her embarrassment at this sudden fame, declaring: “Success as I know it is very difficult to experience.”
Josh O’Connor as Prince Charles in The Crown. -Netflix
Josh O’Connor, who appears in seasons 3 and 4 of The Cronw, plays Prince Charles in his late twenties, when he has just met Diana (played by Emma Corrin), up until the early difficulties of their marriage in the 1980s years. He plays a Prince of Wales who is trapped in a role and a marriage that doesn’t suit him. The role earned the actor a Golden Globe nomination and an Emmy Award in 2021.
Asked about the coronation of the real Prince Charles, who became King Charles III after the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth II. He said he was very happy for him because “he must have the impression that his whole life has reached its peak at this moment.” And adds wryly: “I’m sure it’s the icing on the cake The point is to wear a very expensive headdress in a beautiful cathedral.”
After Josh O’Connor, it was Dominic West who took on the role of Prince Charles in season 5 of The Crown, a role he will reprise in the next season, the sixth. She will speak in particular about the death of the Princess of Wales.