The Crown: Olivia Colman condemns ‘absurd’ claim that her face is too left-wing to play the Queen
A columnist for The Daily Telegraph, Charles Moore, previously expressed concern over the actress’s casting as the Queen
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Olivia Colman has condemned the “absurd” claim that her “left-wing face” means she is unsuitable to play Queen Elizabeth II in The Crown.
In August, a columnist for The Daily Telegraph, Charles Moore, expressed doubts over Colman’s casting in the Netflix hit, writing that she had “a distinctly left-wing face… hard to describe but easy to recognise.”
Speaking to The Times, Colman called the comment “absurd”.
“It’s just absurd to say that you can’t play someone if you’re not actually them,” she said. “I mean, what’s the point in acting at all?
“What’s the point of putting on an accent or dyeing your hair or playing anybody if you have to be identical in the first place and have the same feelings? I think it’s absurd.”
She also added that she personally believed the Queen to be more politically left than right, anyway.
“I think she’s a leftie, but I think what’s extraordinary and wonderful about her, she can be everything to anybody,” Colman said. “Whatever you want her to be, she sort of is. I want her to be a leftie and think she is because she loved Harold Wilson.”
It’s just absurd to say that you can’t play someone if you’re not actually them
Last month, Colman told The Sunday Times that she only discovered the furore over Moore’s comments after “getting weird texts from mates laughing at my left-wing face” while on holiday.
“I do feel sorry for [Moore] because he’s had quite a backlash,” she added. “But it was a ridiculous thing to say – that you can’t act or write anyone unlike you.”
Colman succeeds Claire Foy in the role of the Queen in the forthcoming third season of The Crown. It arrives on Netflix on 17 November.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments