Highlights
- Actress calls landing The Crown her “biggest promotion”
- Says fame opened doors but did not define her career
- Talks about protecting her “humanity” amid success
- Stars in All Of Us Strangers and upcoming H Is For Hawk
From unknown to centre stage
Claire Foy has said being cast as Queen Elizabeth II in The Crown felt like receiving “the biggest promotion” of her life.
Although she had spent nearly a decade working in film and television, the 41-year-old said few people recognised her before the Netflix drama.
Speaking to Radio Times, she compared the experience to stepping into a blockbuster. After the series aired, she said, new opportunities followed quickly. The role went on to earn her two Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe.
Fame without being boxed in
Despite the global attention, Foy does not believe the role trapped her in a single image. She said it never became a “double-edged sword”.
She compared it to being remembered for an iconic role, saying she doubted stars like Olivia Newton-John ever regretted being known for Grease. For her, the key is that The Crown did not become the only thing she did.
She added that she does not feel pressure to meet other people’s expectations, saying she is simply focused on doing her job.
Choosing varied roles
Since The Crown, Foy has taken on a wide mix of projects. In 2023 she starred with Paul Mescal and Andrew Scott in the fantasy drama All Of Us Strangers.
She will next appear as Helen Macdonald in H Is For Hawk, playing an academic who tries to tame a goshawk after her father’s death. The film is based on Macdonald’s memoir.
Her earlier work includes BBC dramas Wolf Hall and A Very British Scandal, as well as the 2022 film Women Talking, which tells the true story of women in a religious community confronting long-hidden abuse.
Protecting herself from fame
Foy admitted that fame can be both “alarming” and “illuminating”, but said she has worked hard not to let it change her.
She said she feels largely the same person she always was, adding that “protecting your humanity” matters more than anything else in the industry.
Keeping grounded, she said, is essential to staying sane in a public life.
