Australian actress Elizabeth Debicki has officially been cast to play Diana the Princess of Wales in the popular Netflix series, The Crown.
On Sunday, the series announced Debicki would join for seasons five and six – succeeding Olivia Colman and Claire Foy in the role – alongside a new cast that features Imelda Staunton as Queen Elizabeth II, Lesley Manville as Princess Margaret and Jonathan Pryce as Prince Philip.
“Princess Diana’s spirit, her words and her actions live in the hearts of so many,” Debicki said of landing the iconic role. “It is my privilege and honour to be joining this masterful series, which has had me absolutely hooked from episode one.”
The 29-year-old rising star has already been involved in a slew of projects prior to The Crown, including Christopher Nolan’s upcoming thriller Tenet, as well as The Great Gatsby, The Burnt Orange Heresy and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.
Most recently, Debicki starred alongside fellow Australian actress Margot Robbie in Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway.
Growing up in the suburbs of Melbourne, filming The Crown will see the 29-year-old make head over to the UK.
“They’re all up in the north. I do also like working here and when I started doing films a lot of things were shooting here,” she said in a British interview.
“I spent a lot of time here after I finished drama school and it feels very homey to me. And I’m the hugest Bake Off fan ever, since years and years ago – I love Mary Berry deeply.”
The character of Princess Diana is set to make her first appearance in season four of The Crown, where she will be played by newcomer Emma Corin while Gillian Anderson will play former British PM, Margaret Thatcher.
Debicki’s appearance as Diana, however, will likely focus on the gritter parts of the Princess’ life, including her split and eventual divorce in 1996 to Prince Charles, along with her tragic death in a car crash in Paris in 1997.
