Imelda Staunton: 5 Things To Know About The Actress Cast As The Last Queen Elizabeth In ‘The Crown’

There’s another new Queen Elizabeth II in town. Imelda Staunton has been cast as the final Queen Elizabeth II in the fifth and final season of ‘The Crown.’

Netflix announced on Jan. 31 that Imelda Staunton, 64, will take on the role of Queen Elizabeth II in the fifth and final season of The Crown. “I have loved watching The Crown from the very start,” Imelda said in a statement. “As an actor, it was a joy to see how both Claire Foy and Olivia Colman brought something special and unique to Peter Morgan’s scripts. I am genuinely honoured to be joining such an exceptional creative team and to be taking The Crown to its conclusion.” If you’re unfamiliar with Imelda, HollywoodLife has rounded up 5 key things to know about her.

1. Imelda is most widely known for playing Dolores Umbridge in the Harry Potter movies. The actress made her first appearance as the character in Harry Potter & The Order of the Phoenix. Dolores was quite the (well-dressed) adversary for Harry and his friends as a professor, Headmistress of Hogwarts, and more. Imelda also appeared in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1.

2. Imelda and the real-life Queen Elizabeth II have met! Imelda attended the final night of Queen Elizabeth II’s 90th birthday celebrations in 2016. In addition to The Crown, she already has a connection to the monarchy. Imelda was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2006 and Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2016 for services to drama.

3. She has starred in a number of major movies. She plays Knotgrass in the Maleficent movies and voices Aunt Lucy in the Paddington movies. Her titular role in the 2004 film Vera Drake earned her an Oscar nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role.

4. Imelda has won multiple awards for her work. The actress won the BAFTA for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role for her performance in Vera Drake. She has also won two British Independent Film Awards.

5. She is a prominent stage actress. She has won four Olivier Awards over the course of her long career. Imelda has starred in London productions of Into The Woods, Sweeney Todd, Gypsy, Guys and Dolls, The Wizard of Oz, and more.