The Crown’s Olivia Colman ‘wouldn’t dare’ give Imelda Staunton tips on playing the Queen

She recently finished her tenure playing Queen Elizabeth II on The Crown, with the role now being passed on to Imelda Staunton.

But Olivia Colman has admitted that she ‘wouldn’t dare’ offer the Harry Potter actress, 64, any advice about playing the Queen on the Netflix drama.

The Broadchurch star, 46, humbly said she believes her successor will be ‘much better’ than she was, adding that she can’t wait to see Imelda in the next two series.

‘She’ll do it better than me!’: Olivia Colman has admitted that she ‘wouldn’t dare’ offer Imelda Staunton any advice about playing Queen Elizabeth II on The Crown

Olivia told Radio Times: ‘I haven’t spoken to Imelda and I wouldn’t dare offer any advice about playing the Queen.

‘Imelda is extraordinary and she’s going to do it all much better than me. I can’t wait to watch what she does.’

She went on to gush that the Queen is ‘as strong as steel’, saying her ‘superhuman’ stoicism is very far removed from her own ’emotional nature’.

The Oscar-winning actress said it was difficult to stay in the Queen’s ‘mindset’ as she normally bursts into tears over little things, including seeing a picture of a puppy.

Confirmed: The actress, 64, will take over the role from Olivia, 46, for the final stint of The Crown, which will cover the Royal Family’s history throughout the 1990s and into 2003

Olivia’s latest comments come after she recently told JustJared that she would warn Imelda that the Queen’s ‘wig is itchy’ if the star rang her.

She joked: ‘If she calls me, I’ll be so excited. Then what would you say to Imelda Staunton? Good luck… the wig’s itchy.’ 

Imelda will take over the royal role for the final two series of The Crown, which will cover the Royal Family’s history throughout the 1990s and into 2003.

She will be joined by Lesley Manville, who is taking over the role of Princess Margaret from Helena Bonham Carter, while Jonathan Pryce will play Prince Philip.

The fourth series of the drama proved to be a hit, as reports previously claimed that 29million people logged on to Netflix to watch it during its first week of release from November 4, The Sun reported.

Humble: The Broadchurch star, 46, said she believes her successor will be ‘much better’ than she was, adding that she can’t wait to see Imelda in the next two series

Netflix does not officially publicise figures until at least a month after a show comes out, with official figures for series three showing that 21million watched in its opening week.

The latest series drew in floods of viewers due to its highly publicised portrayal of Charles (played by Josh O’Connor) and Diana’s (played by newcomer Emma Corrin) early years of courtship and marriage.

But the drama hit headlines after calls from Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden to state that it is clearly a work of fiction, while the streaming service insisted the show is billed as a drama, meaning a disclaimer isn’t needed.

TV star Emma, 25, spoke out on the disclaimer row in an interview with Variety for their iHeart Radio podcast The Big Ticket, saying: ‘It is very clearly a dramatised version of events.’

The actress echoed her co-star Josh’s claims that viewers are well aware the series is a work of fiction. 

Success: The fourth series drew in viewers due to its portrayal of Charles (Josh O’Connor) and Diana’s (played by newcomer Emma Corrin) early years of courtship and marriage

He told the Los Angeles Times’ The Envelope podcast: ‘We were slightly let down by our culture secretary, whose job it is to encourage culture.

‘In my opinion, it’s pretty outrageous that he came out and said what he said. Particularly in this time when he knows that the arts are struggling and they’re on their knees, I think it’s a bit of a low blow.’

The actor, 30, said viewers are aware The Crown is a work of fiction, adding: ‘My personal view is that audiences understand.

‘You have to show them the respect and understand that they’re intelligent enough to see it for what it is, which is pure fiction.’ 

However, Earl Spencer, Princess Diana’s brother, has indicated his support for a disclaimer being added. 

Controversy: Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden called for the show to state that it is a work of fiction, but Netflix insisted the show is billed as a drama, so a disclaimer isn’t needed

He previously told ITV’s Lorraine: ‘I think it would help The Crown an enormous amount if, at the beginning of each episode, it stated that: “This isn’t true but it is based around some real events”.’

He added: ‘I worry people do think that this is gospel and that’s unfair.’

Helena Bonham Carter also said the show has a ‘moral responsibility’ to make it clear to viewers it is a drama and not historical fact.

While creator of The Crown, Peter Morgan, had previously appeared on the show’s official podcast to defend his right to creative licence.

Read the full interview with Olivia Colman in Radio Times magazine.