Imelda Staunton reveals playing Queen Elizabeth on ‘The Crown’ was a ‘terrifying prospect’

The Crown season five star Imelda Staunton said playing Queen Elizabeth was a 'terrifying prospect.'

Staunton, 66, took over the role of Her Majesty from Olivia Coleman for the forthcoming season on the historical blockbuster. She is playing the monarch during mid-90s in arguably the most controversial season yet.

The veteran actress told The Binge Guide in Stellar Magazine, “[It was a] terrifying prospect. But the production was so sublime, and these people are interesting and complicated,” the Daily Mail reported.

Staunton added, “And [creator] Peter [Morgan] gives you an imagined life behind the doors. But it’s not ridiculous.

“We all try to tread a very truthful line, and the challenge of playing people who are, for all intents and purposes, constrained by their lives and their duty and their relationships, in some cases, is a great acting challenge. So to try to keep the standards up from the previous four seasons was a privilege.”

The much-hyped season chronicles the events during which the royal family dealt with Prince Charles’ affair with Camilla, Diana’s divorce, the fire at Windsor Castle, and more.

The Crown season five arrives Wednesday (Nov. 9) on Netflix.