WatchingNetflix’sThe Crowncan often feel like watching a documentary about the royal family.
We all know that the events of the show aredramatized to some degree.
Nevertheless, the performances often feel unnervingly real.
Want to find out more about how the actors managed to transform so convincingly for the show?
Here’s what the characters fromThe Crownlooked like in real life compared to the actors who portrayed them.
In the first two seasons, she was portrayed by Claire Foy.
As Colman revealed toHarper’s Bazaar, her transformation wasn’t easy.
One of the main things she worked on was nailing the voice.
“I thought that general ‘posh’ would do it, but apparently not,” the actress said.
“Really unusual vowel sounds.
If you’re saying ‘yes,’ you said ‘ears.'”
Apparently, the show’s extensive voice department helped her to master the iconic voice of the Queen.
Colman’s physical transformation was also pretty detailed.
Cate Hall, the show’s makeup and hair designer, spoke toL’Officielabout creating the Queen’s look.
“So the most important thing was to establish the hair shape for the 1960s.”
She added that the wig has three or four different colors of human hair, too.
No wonder Colman was so convincing!
However, he did undergo a pretty extensive transformation for the role.
Menzies explained toDeadlinethat few people recognize him for his role inThe Crown.
Looking at him without his makeup and hair, it’s true that the dark-haired Menzies is almost unrecognizable!
According to Craig Brown, author of99 Glimpses of Princess Margaret, choosing Bonham Carter was wise move.
“She followed the arts and culture and changed her hairstyle and makeup regularly,” Hall said.
Apparently, Bonham Carter was excited about that.
Despite Bonham Carter’s impressive physical transformation, capturing the essence of Princess Margaret proved to be tricky.
“There’s very little footage of Margaret speaking as herself,” she explained.
Nevertheless, Bonham Carter captured the princess’s sadness and eccentricity perfectly.
From the moment she was cast, people were quick to comment on thesimilarities between Doherty and the princess.
Nevertheless, Doherty did have to undergo a drastic transformation.
Apparently, Princess Anne is one of the few royals who has watched some ofThe Crown.
She spoke about Doherty’s transformation in the ITV documentaryAnne: The Princess Royal at 70(viaIndependent).
“I’m thinking, ‘How could you possibly take that long?’
I mean it takes me 10 to 15 minutes,” Princess Anne revealed.
“Everybody’s marveling at these side-by-sides of how impeccably right that you got it,” she said.
Later in the interview, O’Connor explained how he worked hard nailing Prince Charles’ physicality.
In another interview, O’Connor explained how the show’s dialect coach helped him master Prince Charles' voice.
“When Charles speaks everything is through the teeth,” he toldGQ.
He also spoke about how he adopted some of Prince Charles' mannerisms.
It’s clear that O’Connor worked incredibly hard to master his incredible Prince Charles portrayal.
InThe Crown, he appeared several times during season 4.
As Prince Edward, Imrie portrayed a very different pop in of character.
With his rosy, youthful looks and his floppy hair, Imrie is a perfect choice.
InThe Crownseason 4, he is portrayed by newcomer Tom Byrne.
For Byrne, playing Prince Andrew was fairly daunting.
Byrne began his research with old documentaries.
“I got the voice mainly through watchingDiana: In Her Own Wordson repeat,” Corrin toldGlamour.
Since then, fans of the show have also been blown away by her performance.
However, it’s Corrin’s physical resemblance to the princess thatreally got people talking.
She also experimented with how Princess Diana’s iconic floppy hair could be used as a shield.
Stepping into Parker-Bowles' shoes was something that Fennell was interested in early on.
As she toldTown & Country, she even asked her agent to get her an audition.
for approach the role, she looked more at the character in the script than the real person.
Still, we think her portrayal is pretty impressive!
She was played by the well-known actressGillian Anderson.
As she explained, Thatcher’s hair changed over the years.
So, the team had to do “a subtle transition of color throughout the series.”
They also had to practically destroy the wig to get the right texture and silhouette.
Aside from the wig, Anderson’s performance is pretty impressive.
As she toldHarper’s Bazaar, she began her research early.
As she explained toMeaww, she did extensive research to prepare.
Bailey also shared some slightly surprising facts about how she managed her physical transformation for the role.
Apparently, she wore a special bra made of “lentil and bird seed” for a natural-looking bust.
As theDaily Mailnoted, his transformation for the role was pretty striking.
With Mark’s recognizable red floppy hairstyle, Fox looked perfect for the role.
Fox spoke toTown & Countryabout how he prepared to play Mark.
We’re impressed by the level of detail Fox dove into to make it get this character right!
Initially played by Greg Wise, Charles Dance took over the role in the third season.
You probably remember him as Tywin Lannister fromGame of Thrones.
However, he was too young.
In an interview withThe Times, Dance mused that his face seems to fit many aristocratic roles.
Despite his aristocratic looks, Dance doesn’t naturally resemble Lord Mountbatten.
“I look nothing like him,” he admitted.
“But you know, with a wig and make-up, one goes for it,” he said.
And we’re certainly glad he did!
Boxer, like many of his fellow actors onThe Crown, dove into research for the character.
The Denis Thatcher biography,Below the Parapetwas “absolute gold dust,” according to the actor.
As it was written by Denis' daughter, it gave Boxer insights into his private life.
For Boxer taking on the role of Denis Thatcher came with a sense of duty.
He felt compelled to change his caricature-like legacy.
