Season 5 of The Crown is finally debuting on Netflix on Nov. 9 — and the show’s cast is so ready for fans to dive in.
“You want to just get it out there,” Dominic West (who takes over the role of Prince Charles in Seasons 5 and 6) told Tudum on the red carpet at the show’s London premiere. “Finally, [people can] make their judgments based on seeing the show rather than speculating about it.”
The drama’s fifth season is set in the ’90s, a time when public opinion of the royal family was at an all-time low and some people were beginning to question the monarch’s (now played by Imelda Staunton) relevance. To round things out, it’s also the decade in which Princess Diana (Elizabeth Debicki) and Prince Charles’ marriage finally fully crumbled.
But despite the grim times depicted on-screen, Jonny Lee Miller, who plays Prime Minister John Major this season, is also eager to get the new episodes in front of audiences. “I’m always excited for things to come out and for people to see them,” he said on the carpet. “That’s the whole point. It’s exciting. We’re quite proud of the work and being able to be involved in the show.”
The feeling of pride in their work is echoed by Jonathan Pryce, who plays Prince Philip — although he does admit to Tudum that he hasn’t actually seen the full season yet. “It’s nice to have something to do with my free nights,” he joked. But Olivia Williams, who takes on the role of Camilla Parker Bowles, knows people “will be very interested to see what we’ve done with it. I think it’s both fair and fascinating,” she said at the premiere.
What keeps the show fair and fascinating in Staunton’s eyes is that everyone involved in the production handles the story with great care. “Peter Morgan always wants to be respectful and give all the characters dignity and empathy, and let the audience imagine what it’s like being that family who, day in, day out, just went to work every day,” said the actor who portrays Queen Elizabeth II herself. “I think the outpouring of gratitude that was shown at the queen’s funeral was to do with her ability to just keep working every day.”
The Crown Season 5 premieres on Netflix on Nov. 9.
