A multiple award-winning actress, Imelda Staunton has appeared in countless theatre productions, films and television shows and we can't wait to watch her take on the role of our late, much-loved monarch Queen Elizabeth II in The Crown. But how much do you know about her?
Imelda Staunton in The Crown
How does one go about playing Queen Elizabeth II? She was the most instantly recognisable woman in the world.
It is a tall order for even the most talented of thespians – something both Claire Foy and Olivia Colman have previously commented on as they took on the challenge to play The Queen in Netflix’s The Crown in earlier seasons. Now the sceptre has been passed to Imelda and it seems that she prepared for this royal role of roles in rather an unusual way.
“I would go out into the garden with the dog, trying to speak like The Queen,” she has recalled. “Jim saw me and came out saying, ‘What on earth are you doing?’ I asked, ‘Could you hear me?’ and he replied that indeed he could and that it was like seeing a mad person wittering on! There would be times when I didn’t even know I was doing it – wandering about being The Queen!”
Multiple award-winner Imelda has played some iconic characters over her illustrious career but playing Her Majesty sounds like one of the most challenging. “There is pressure from every angle,” Imelda says. “I’m following two extraordinary actresses – Claire and Olivia – but I’m also playing an extraordinary human being. You might say The Queen was the original Spice Girl – being head of state, she was all about girl power!
“Whether you’re a Royalist or not, you have to admire this person who got up for work every day for 70 years and never failed in her duty. We were so familiar with her all our lives – how she looked and sounded. I think an extra challenge is that when Claire played The Queen, for instance, it was almost historical as she was portraying her as a young woman. I’m not doing that. I’m playing The Queen we all became more familiar with.”
The Crown has been criticised for fabricating much of what has happened within the Royal Family. Where does Imelda stand on this? Appearing on Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour last year, the actress waded into the debate saying she believed it was. “up to the producers and director to decide” whether there should be a warning clarifying these are imagined events based on historical occurrences.
After much pressure from Dame Judi Dench, who said the series should come with a disclaimer to state it is a ‘fictionalised drama’, Netflix has thankfully listened and now added a ‘fictional’ disclaimer.
Imelda met the late Queen in real life on more than one occasion. “She came to Stratford-upon- Avon in 1986 to watch a show I was in. Then in 2006, she presented me with my OBE – and now here I am playing her. That’s a bit odd!”
Imelda’s late mum, Bridie, was a massive fan of Her Majesty’s. How would she have reacted to her daughter playing The Queen?
“She would be over the moon!” says Imelda. “I’m the daughter of immigrants; Mum came over in the Fifties and she adored The Queen. I don’t know if it was her dress sense, but Mum just adored her.” We have a hunch we’ll feel the same about Imelda playing her!
Imelda's childhood
Imelda Mary Philomena Bernadette Staunton O.B.E, was born to Joseph and Bridie Staunton on the January 9 1956 in North London.
Imelda has very fond memories of her childhood home, telling us: “I was raised above a hair salon in north London. I regarded that as home. We moved when I was 10 or 11 and for most of my adult life, probably until I had my own house and family, I dreamt about that house all the time because I wanted to be there. If you’re a child of a family in the Forces you move all of the time but if you’re lucky enough to have had a home that you stayed in during your formative years, you become very attached to it.”
Imelda Staunton's husband
Imelda married fellow actor Jim Carter in 1983. You'll no doubt recognise Jim from Downton Abbey where he plays Mr Carson in the ITV series.
In fact, the couple even worked together when Imelda joined the cast for the Downton Abbey film last year when she played Lady Bagshaw.
Imelda told HELLO: "Downton was just luxury, like a nice box of chocolates. Jim and I only worked together for about two days. It was so nice, so exciting. But of course, I have been living with Downton for six or seven years… I tried to get the dog in it, no they weren't having [it]."
Imelda Staunton's daughter
Imelda and Jim have a daughter together, Bessie, who was born in 1993.
Bessie has followed in her parents' footsteps and appears in the Netflix show, Bridgerton. Bessie plays Prudence Featherington, the eldest of the three Featherington sisters.
Imelda Staunton's films
The actress has enjoyed an incredible film career with roles in Much Ado About Nothing, The Awakening, Finding Your Feet and Taking Woodstock. Here are just a few of our favourites...
Vera Drake
Imelda received the Best Actress honours at the European Film Awards, the BAFTAs, and the Venice Film Festival for her performance in Vera Drake as the title role of a housekeeper providing abortions to local women with unwanted pregnancies.
A Bunch of Amateurs
In this 2008 British comedy, Imelda starred as Mary, an adoring fan of Washed-up Hollywood star Jefferson Steel (Burt Reynolds).
Harry Potter
In a role that made many of shiver, Imelda portrayed the cruel Dolores Umbridge in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1.