Why Dominic West Refused To Play Prince Charles On ‘The Crown’ Initially

Dominic West nearly failed to arrive at the castle. The actor revealed that he almost turned down the part of King Charles III (then identified as Prince Charles) after ‘The Crown‘ creator Peter Morgan approached him. The role was intended for seasons five and six of the show.

As it examines various millennia of the British Royal Family, the series, which is entering its final season, has welcomed many new actors to its cast. Jonathan Pryce as Prince Philip, Elizabeth Debicki as Princess Diana, and Imelda Staunton as the late Queen Elizabeth II in ‘The Crown‘ are some more notable additions.

‘The Crown’

‘The Crown,‘ a widely anticipated Netflix series, now has the season 5 trailer online. It shows a family that is struggling, and the world can see the fractures that the royal family is starting to show.

The series aims to take us through Queen Elizabeth II’s life in the 1990s, revealing the political and intimate events that influenced her and her reign. It is based on actual events. Although the story is fictional, Peter Morgan’s television series did receive praise from all around the world and even won 21 Emmys.

Imelda Staunton portrays Queen Elizabeth II, Elizabeth Debicki portrays Princess Diana, Jonathan Pryce portrays The Duke of Edinburgh, Lesley Manville portrays Princess Margaret, Dominic West portrays Prince Charles, and Olivia Williams plays Camilla Parker Bowles in the television series. But what may come across as a surprise, is that Dominic West had initially turned down the role of Prince Charles!

Dominic West Almost Didn’t Make It To The Royal Palace

In an interview, Dominic West discussed how he almost declined to accept the part when Peter Morgan, the show’s creator, tried to approach him about it. The actor told Entertainment Weekly, “You’ve got the wrong guy. I don’t look anything like him.”

Josh O’Connor, however, who played Prince Charles in seasons three and four, and received an Emmy for his portrayal, was the real reason why West turned down the role. “I’d been watching the show, I’d been a fan from the start,” West stated. “I was very conscious of Josh’s amazing performance, and his amazing success, and thought it was a bit of a hiding to nothing to try to follow that.”

So, What Made West Accept The Role Eventually?

But in the end, the ‘Colette‘ star accepted the position, because he couldn’t escape it. “I thought about it for several weeks, and it was one of those things you can’t really get out of your head,” he explained.

He further added, “[I] realized that you’ve got to give it a go because you’ll regret it if you don’t. He’s a fascinating man, Charles, and it’s a fascinating life, and a fascinating role. I mean, apart from anything else, it’s a huge show, and I loved the first four seasons. I realized that I could very happily live with this character for two years.”

Well, good for us that he finally came around because we can’t see anybody else acing this role as well as he has.

What Can We Expect To See About The Prince This Season?

Season five of ‘The Crown‘ is going to focus on some of Prince Charles’ most notorious controversies, including ‘Camillagate,’ the 1993 uproar over the conversation between him and Camilla that was leaked, among more. Fans of the show might anticipate seeing the final years of Princess Diana and Prince Charles’ marriage given the time period. This will cover the separation of the royal couple, which resulted in their divorce, as well as the media’s barrage of rumors and conspiracy theories surrounding them.

The biography of Princess Diana, which did not downplay her marital issues with the Prince, will also be covered in the upcoming season. This will certainly also be incorporated into Charles’ plot, as it was crucial in getting him to finally admit to having an affair.

‘The Crown’ season 5 will premiere on Netflix on November 9.