'The Crown': Diana's tragic storyline was 'unbearable' for Elizabeth Debicki
The sixth and final installment of The Crown is almost here. Recently, Elizabeth Debicki—who plays Princess Diana—opened up about the challenges she faced while portraying the events leading up to Diana's tragic demise. While the series doesn't depict the actual car crash in Paris, it explores the days preceding the incident and the relentless media scrutiny Diana and her partner Dodi Fayed faced. For Debicki, embodying these emotionally charged scenes proved to be a deeply moving experience.
'It's a really unpleasant experience...'
Debicki described the process as "difficult," "heavy and very manic," and "incredibly invasive." In comments briefed to the press by Netflix, she said, "At times it's almost like an anomalistic response to being pursued, by that many actors playing the press, because there's nowhere you can go and you only have to be in a situation like that for about a minute before you realize this is completely unbearable."
Debicki reflected on balancing tragedy and joy, trusting Peter Morgan
Debicki further expressed her confidence in The Crown creator Peter Morgan's "emotional blueprint" for Princess Diana. She aimed to balance the tragic crash with moments of "real joy, happiness, lightness, and genuine fun on the screen," particularly in the early parts of the series. "That was the piece I felt that I could control. I needed to have a good time, and so we did, as much as we could, with the kids and [Khalid Abdalla] and [Salim Dau]."
Co-stars reduced to tears while filming Princess Diana's death scenes
According to The Crown cast members, they were brought to tears while filming scenes related to Princess Diana's death. Jonathan Pryce, who portrays Prince Philip, admitted he "could not stop crying" when director Christian Schwochow showed them footage from the series about Diana's passing. Pryce added that the cameraperson and director were also tearful. Meanwhile, Abdalla (who plays Fayed) shared that he retraced the path taken by the car in which the couple died to better comprehend the events.
From release date to cast: Everything about 'The Crown' S06
The Crown Season 6 is set to debut its first four episodes on November 16, with the second batch arriving four weeks later. The cast remains unchanged from the previous season, featuring Dominic West as Prince Charles, Imelda Staunton as Queen Elizabeth II, and Pryce as Prince Philip. Debicki will return to her Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated role as Princess Diana.
