The Crown’s Lesley Manville Binged The Series Well Before Being Cast

In July 2020, shortly after her casting was announced, Lesley Manville spoke with Deadline about her decision to sign on to play Princess Margaret. To begin with, Manville had nothing but high praise for the drama series. Manville declared, “It’s mind-blowing television.” The actress then noted that she had binged the show a couple of years prior on her off days while filming a project, describing it as her “treat.” Manville, however, never thought about joining the cast until showrunner Peter Morgan approached her. Naturally, it was an easy decision — especially when she found out which role Morgan offered her.

Manville said, “There was never any doubt that I would say yes. When they said ‘Margaret,’ I hadn’t really thought about it. Then I thought, yes, Margaret! That’s fabulous because she was so avant-garde. So naughty, delightful, and funny. What a wonderful woman to play.”

Not only does Manville have nothing but praise for the series as a whole, but she also has only kind things to say about those who took on the role before her, Vanessa Kirby and Helena Bonham Carter. She also admitted that she doesn’t find it intimidating to follow in their footsteps — even though both actresses received Emmy nominations for their performances. Manville lightheartedly remarked, “I don’t find that daunting; I find it thrilling. I think, come on, Manville, you’ve got to take that baton and not let those two actresses think, ‘Oh, we were great; shame about Manville.’ Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.”