Queen Elizabeth II may have died, but through the power of cinema, she is immortal.
The Queen lives on, not just through her own recorded appearances in documentaries and Christmas telecasts, but behind the faces of the many actors who have played her across the years in film and on TV.
Playing a member of royalty may sound like the crowning moment of an actor鈥檚 career, but what is it like to tackle a well-loved role such as the Queen?
Marlis Schweitzer, a theatre and performance historian who works as an associate professor at York University, told CTVNews.ca that it鈥檚 no easy feat for actors to play a historical figure known to audiences as well as the Queen.
鈥淣o matter what the actor does, their performance is going to be compared to the 鈥榬eal thing鈥,鈥 she said, 鈥渁nd people will nitpick 鈥 they didn't get the voice right, their nose is wrong, that's not how she moves, and so forth.鈥
She added that there could also be pressure from a figure鈥檚 representatives 鈥 in this case, the royal family 鈥 to portray the icon to their tastes.
The Queen is the longest-reigning British monarch thus far, having been on the throne for 70 years before her death this week, so it鈥檚 no wonder that she has been immortalized by more than twenty performers over the decades.
Dramatizations of the Queen鈥檚 life were given new vitality in recent years with the Emmy-award winning Netflix show 鈥淭he Crown." Claire Foy portrayed the Queen in the first two seasons, which follow the Queen鈥檚 life from her marriage to Prince Phillip in 1947 to the birth of Prince Edward in 1964. Foy won acclaim for the role, netting a Golden Globe in 2017, an Emmy in 2018, and two Screen Actors Guild awards.
Olivia Colman 鈥 herself an Oscar winner for a portrayal of a royal, with her performance of Queen Anne in "The Favourite鈥 鈥 took over the role of the Queen in 鈥淭he Crown鈥 in the third season of the show, and also won a Golden Globe in 2020 and a Screen Actors Guild award for her portrayal.
The reins will be turned over to Imelda Staunton in the upcoming fifth season. Staunton, an accomplished performer known for playing Dolores Umbridge in the Harry Potter films, is slated to portray the Queen for the final two seasons of the show.
While the job of portraying some royals 鈥 such as Queen Anne 鈥 requires bringing life to a historical figurehead many are not that familiar with, Queen Elizabeth II is a royal who is very familiar to many audiences.
Some actresses have played on that familiarity to their advantage instead of trying to reinvent the character. Jeanette Charles may not be a household name, but she made her career out of an extraordinary physical resemblance to the monarch: the majority of her acting roles until her retirement in 2014 consisted of playing the Queen. Some of her appearances included a Saturday Night Live skit, 鈥淎ustin Powers in Goldmember,鈥 鈥淣ational Lampoon鈥檚 European Vacation鈥 and 鈥淭he Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!鈥
Another challenge for actors can be their own mythos.
Schweitzer said that some actors have such a 鈥渃ontemporary feel鈥 that it can get in the way of their performances as historical characters.
鈥淚 certainly can鈥檛 imagine 鈥淎merica鈥檚 sweethearts鈥 like Julia Roberts or Sandra Bullock playing pre-twentieth century characters,鈥 Schweitzer said. 鈥淲e love them because they belong to our historical moment. They are our representative 鈥 they don鈥檛 belong to the past in quite the same way.鈥
This may be one of the reasons that actors who can tap into a different historical moment and still feel natural to audiences end up doing it more than once, like Colman.
Many know that Cate Blanchett played Queen Elizabeth I in two separate films, but she also has voiced the second Elizabeth 鈥 in a 鈥淔amily Guy" episode in 2012!
Rosemary Leach, a noted British actress, played the Queen in several TV movies, such as 鈥淧rince William鈥 (2002), and 鈥淢argaret鈥 (2009).
Penelope Wilton, of Pride & Prejudice and Downton Abbey fame, played the Queen in the 2016 film 鈥淭he BFG,鈥 based on a novel by Roald Dahl in which a little girl and an animated giant go on an adventure that includes a visit to Buckingham Palace.
And Emma Thompson, a woman who has always been at home in a period drama, having performed lead roles in both Jane Austen films and Shakespearean adaptations alike, played the Queen in a BBC special in 2015 called 鈥淲alking the Dogs,鈥 which was based on a situation that actually happened in 1982, where an intruder broke into not just Buckingham Palace, but the Queen鈥檚 bedroom.
鈥淧eople have always been fascinated with royalty,鈥 Schweitzer said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e raised on fairytales about princesses and fantasies about long (lost) kings returning to reclaim crowns.鈥
But why has this Queen in particular inspired so many actors and audiences?
It is the very availability of her character鈥攖he years she has been in the public eye and the knowledge we have of how her life has unfolded鈥攁nd the contradictory opaqueness of it that draws us in, Schweitzer said.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 know Queen Elizabeth in the way we know other celebrities鈥攐r even royals,鈥 Schweitzer said. She explained that with someone such as Diana, Princess of Wales, 鈥渨e got to see behind the facade鈥攂ut the Queen doesn鈥檛 have the same opportunity to show herself because she is more than a person; she is an institution.鈥
This means an actor has a lot of room to work with. And sometimes, that work results in an Oscar-winning performance.
For her turn playing the title role in 鈥淭he Queen,鈥 a 2006 film that followed the turmoil in the British Royal Family in the aftermath of Princess Diana鈥檚 death, Helen Mirren won an Academy Award for Best Actress.
And in Schweitzer鈥檚 opinion, this is still one of the best performances of the Queen we鈥檝e seen on screen so far.
鈥淚t wasn't just that she looked and sounded like the Queen 鈥 a lot of that is achieved through hair and makeup 鈥 but she managed to infuse the Queen with such empathy,鈥 Schweitzer said.
鈥淚 felt like I understood the actual Queen Elizabeth better after watching Helen Mirren鈥檚 performance. And that鈥檚 pretty astounding, I think.鈥
Sarah Gadon, a Toronto actress, played the Queen (then Princess Elizabeth) in 鈥淎 Royal Night Out,鈥 a 2015 film that focused on Princesses Margaret and Elizabeth sneaking out to celebrate V.E. Day hidden among the people.
Bel Powley, Sarah Gadon and Emily Watson in "A Royal Night Out."
Freya Wilson, also played Princess Elizabeth, but in the 2011 Oscar winner for Best Picture, 鈥淭he King鈥檚 Speech鈥, a film about her father King George VI鈥檚 fight to overcome a stutter.
鈥淭he Queen,鈥 is also the name of a 2009 docudrama on British television, which cast a different actress as the Queen in each episode: Barbara Flynn playing the Queen during the 1990s, Samantha Bond portraying her during the 1970s, and Emilia Fox taking on the first few years of the Queen鈥檚 reign in the 1950s.
Jennifer Saunders gave voice to the role in the 鈥淢inions" film in 2015, a spinoff of the Despicable Me series.
Fred Armisen impersonated the Queen numerous times on Saturday Night Live, one time alongside guest host Elton John.
Kristin Scott Thomas portrayed the Queen in the British play 鈥淭he Audience鈥 after Helen Mirren, who had played the role for several years, retired from it in 2015.
Donald Trump has said he wouldn't be a dictator 鈥 'except for Day 1.' According to his own statements, he's got a lot to do on that first day in the White House.
Applause erupted over and over at the Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg Sunday as the son of Murray Sinclair, a former judge, senator and chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission into residential schools, spoke about his father.
A children's book written by British celebrity chef Jamie Oliver has been withdrawn from sale after it was criticized for causing offense to Indigenous Australians.
The union representing some 1,200 dockworkers at the Port of Montreal has overwhelmingly rejected a deal with their employers association.
A man who was critically injured in a police-involved shooting in Hamilton late Sunday afternoon has died in hospital, says the province鈥檚 police watchdog.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced voters in Cloverdale鈥擫angley City will pick their next member of Parliament on Dec. 16.
Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago club has been brimming in the last 48 hours with two kinds of people: those angling for a job in the president-elect鈥檚 incoming administration, and those trying to influence him into hiring their picks for the top spots.
Tenty-five of the 43 monkeys bred for medical research that escaped a compound in South Carolina have been recovered, officials said Sunday.
A government-funded report released to 麻豆影视 highlights 'systemic racism' against dozens of Black executives within the federal public service, including allegations of abuse, violence and harassment that, in some instances, led to suicide.
The union representing some 1,200 dockworkers at the Port of Montreal has overwhelmingly rejected a deal with their employers association.
A government-funded report released to 麻豆影视 highlights 'systemic racism' against dozens of Black executives within the federal public service, including allegations of abuse, violence and harassment that, in some instances, led to suicide.
A man who was critically injured in a police-involved shooting in Hamilton late Sunday afternoon has died in hospital, says the province鈥檚 police watchdog.
Police in Newfoundland say a man was electrocuted Saturday by a downed power wire about 10 kilometres north of St. John's, N.L.
Applause erupted over and over at the Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg Sunday as the son of Murray Sinclair, a former judge, senator and chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission into residential schools, spoke about his father.
Nova Scotia's New Democratic Party says a candidate criticized by the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs for "troubling" and "damaging" social media posts is no longer running for the party in the Nov. 26 general election.
Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago club has been brimming in the last 48 hours with two kinds of people: those angling for a job in the president-elect鈥檚 incoming administration, and those trying to influence him into hiring their picks for the top spots.
Much of the U.S. federal workforce is on edge and bracing itself for the likelihood its ranks will be purged when President-elect Donald Trump takes office.
Donald Trump has said he wouldn't be a dictator 鈥 'except for Day 1.' According to his own statements, he's got a lot to do on that first day in the White House.
Thousands of Spaniards marched in the eastern city of Valencia on Saturday to demand the resignation of the regional president in charge of the emergency response to last week's catastrophic floods that left more than 200 dead and others missing.
Paris police said Sunday that 4,000 officers and 1,600 stadium staff will be deployed for a France-Israel soccer match to ensure security in and around the stadium and on public transportation a week after violence against Israeli fans in Amsterdam.
Gunmen open fired in a bar in central Mexico killing 10 people and injuring seven, a local official said.
Murray Sinclair鈥檚 family members say the late justice and senator has been laid to rest according to his wishes.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced voters in Cloverdale鈥擫angley City will pick their next member of Parliament on Dec. 16.
Canada's ambassador to the United States 鈥 and co-lead of the federal government's Team Canada war room 鈥 says U.S. president-elect Donald Trump has a different understanding of the bilateral relationship than he did during his first term in the White House.
Just five more minutes of exercise doesn鈥檛 sound so bad, right? Especially when such a small amount may improve your blood pressure, according to a new study.
Researchers say taking a peek inside a person's brain is as difficult as understanding the universe or discovering the ocean in its entirety.
B.C. health officials say they have detected Canada's first-ever case of H5 avian influenza in a human.
Bernadett 'Bett'鈥 Szab贸, a 19-year-old Hungarian sex worker, was murdered in the Dutch capital in 2009. Now, more than 15 years after her death, police are hoping to uncover new information about her killing.
In 1916, Harold Wrong plucked a flower from the fields of Somme, France and tucked it into a letter he mailed home to Toronto. For decades, the type of flower sent remained a mystery.
Elwood Edwards, who voiced America Online鈥檚 ever-present 'You鈥檝e got mail' greeting, has died Tuesday at his home in New Bern, N. C. He was 74.
Taylor Swift came out on top at the 2024 MTV EMAs on Sunday, walking away with best artist, best U.S. act, best live act and best video for 鈥淔ortnight鈥 (featuring Post Malone).
Chu shared on his Instagram Stories that he and his wife Kristin Hodge welcomed their fifth child on Saturday, writing that he 鈥渃an鈥檛 believe this happened while the movie is premiering.鈥
On Thursday morning, Dave Penny officially ended a suggested hundred-day isolation period that followed his diagnosis and stem cell treatment for non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. On Thursday night, Penny returned to a stage at a downtown St. John's bar, regaling a small crowd with songs and stories with a distinctive Newfoundland flair.
Shannon Davidson was let go from her executive role at a marketing firm last year after a merger led to cuts. She knew she wasn't done with her career yet, but finding her next workplace in her mid-50s was a daunting prospect.
Bitcoin on Sunday hit a new record above US$80,000. The world鈥檚 largest cryptocurrency surged in the run-up to Tuesday鈥檚 US presidential election, rose sharply immediately on election night after it became clear Donald Trump would win and has continued rising in the days since his victory.
Contract negotiations resume today in Vancouver in a labour dispute that has paralyzed container cargo shipping at British Columbia's ports since Monday.
Doom spending, or the practice of spending money to soothe fears about broader issues like politics or the economy, shows up everywhere from YouTube and TikTok videos to Reddit to personal finance discussions and data in surveys.
A Vancouver designer is making waves in the architectural world with an outdoor modular building created to address the city鈥檚 unrelenting housing crisis.
A rare letter signed by three of the U.S. Founding Fathers of the United States is going on sale, and is expected to fetch up to US$1 million when it goes under the hammer next week.\
The Edmonton Oilers may have found the break they were looking for.
No. 15 LSU has been criticized for unveiling a live caged tiger in its stadium for the first time in almost a decade before they were routed 42-13 by No. 11 Alabama in their SEC showdown.
A Maui man who lost a part of his leg to a shark bite is now out of the hospital and thanking those who saved his life and helped him recover.
Select Porsche owners in Canada have been told to stop driving their cars immediately and to seek repairs after an issue was identified that could cause wheels to separate from vehicles.
A driver's trip from London, Ont. to Ottawa to visit their girlfriend ended in a traffic stop for speeding on Highway 417, according to police.
Recall notices have been issued for some Volkswagen models from 2006 to 2019 for airbag safety issues.
A congestion crisis, a traffic nightmare, or unrelenting gridlock -- whatever you call it, most agree that Toronto has a congestion problem. To alleviate some of the gridlock, the Ontario government has announced it plans to remove bike lanes from three major roadways.
For the second year in a row, the 鈥楪ift-a-Family鈥 campaign is hoping to make the holidays happier for children and families in need throughout Barrie.
Some of the most prolific photographers behind CTV Skywatch Pics of the Day use the medium for fun, therapy, and connection.
A young family from Codroy Valley, N.L., is happy to be on land and resting with their newborn daughter, Miley, after an overwhelming, yet exciting experience at sea.
As Connor Nijsse prepared to remove some old drywall during his garage renovation, he feared the worst.
A group of women in Chester, N.S., has been busy on the weekends making quilts 鈥 not for themselves, but for those in need.
A Vancouver artist whose streetside singing led to a chance encounter with one of the world's biggest musicians is encouraging aspiring performers to try their hand at busking.
Ten-thousand hand-knit poppies were taken from the Sanctuary Arts Centre and displayed on the fence surrounding the Dartmouth Cenotaph on Monday.
A Vancouver man is saying goodbye to his nine-to-five and embarking on a road trip from the Canadian Arctic to Antarctica.
Weather watchers were treated to an exceptionally rare display on Friday evening as rare cloud formations filled Vancouver skies.
For some shoppers it was Nov. 1, but for others the first hints of Christmas - saccharine treats, festive-fragranced candles and gaudily wrapped gift sets - were being noticed in stores long before the final Halloween decor had been cleared.
Thousands of people are expected to gather in downtown Vancouver on Monday to observe the city鈥檚 100th Remembrance Day ceremony.
A man who was critically injured in a police-involved shooting in Hamilton late Sunday afternoon has died in hospital, says the province鈥檚 police watchdog.
A man is wanted after allegedly presenting himself as a rideshare driver then sexually assaulting a woman from Brampton late last week, say police.
Patrons were inside a movie theatre when a suspect fired bullets at the business鈥 doors on Saturday night, before the cinema was shot at again hours later in a second incident, police say.
A pair of 105-mm howitzers bark constantly as they turn plywood tank targets into kindling kilometres away on the windswept landscape of one of Canada's largest military bases.
Two semis were among the vehicles involved in a multi-vehicle crash that brought westbound traffic along Stoney Trail Northwest to a standstill on Sunday.
More than 700 people danced, ate, and sang to celebrate Diwali Saturday night at the Genesis Centre in northeast Calgary.
An Ottawa boy with a rare disease will be getting the chance to see Taylor Swift in concert after the winner and organizers of an auction held on his behalf gifted the tickets to him.
CTVNewsOttawa.ca looks at Remembrance Day ceremonies in Ottawa.
After months of controversy surrounding a dog park in Ottawa's west end, a solution has been reached to divide the park in half.
The union representing some 1,200 dockworkers at the Port of Montreal has overwhelmingly rejected a deal with their employers association.
Despite some opposition, a motion was passed at the party鈥檚 convention in Levis, Que. over the weekend to create a Quebec constitution.
The West Island Mission hosted its second food drive Sunday amid increasing demand.
Monday is Remembrance Day, a time to honour armed forces members who have died in the line of duty.
Boasting 2,300 square metres of skating space at its new location, Edmonton's Rollers Roller Rink believes it is the largest in Canada.
A woman is dead after a driver crashed a truck through a Boston Pizza in Fort McMurray late Saturday morning.
Here鈥檚 what鈥檚 opened and closed across the Maritimes on Remembrance Day.
Police in Newfoundland say a man was electrocuted Saturday by a downed power wire about 10 kilometres north of St. John's, N.L.
The Royal Canadian Legion Weymouth Branch 67 Remembrance Day ceremony will display its new basement, accessible doors and other upgrades thanks to community support.
A pillar in Canada鈥檚 history was honoured in Winnipeg Sunday afternoon, with thousands showing up to pay tribute to the life and legacy of the late Murray Sinclair.
Winnipeg police have identified two men involved in a stabbing incident earlier this week.
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers whipped the Saskatchewan Roughriders 38-22 in Saturday's CFL West Division final to earn their fifth consecutive trip to the Grey Cup.
Regina author Valerie Crowther is celebrating the release of her book 鈥榃ar Letters: Linking Lives in the Second World War.鈥
It was a somber day at Mosaic Stadium as members of the Saskatchewan Roughriders officially cleaned out their stalls and closed the book on the 2024 season.
Twilight Tech Arcade, an entertainment location specializing in retro gaming, is closing its doors for the foreseeable future.
A man has been charged after a stabbing at an apartment building in Kitchener.
The Guelph Police Service is putting out a warning after two deaths in the downtown area.
Two new tributes to Canada鈥檚 veterans have been unveiled at the Elmira Cenotaph.
Saskatchewan RCMP are searching for a suspect after a man was seriously injured in a farm-related incident in Montreal Lake.
It was a somber day at Mosaic Stadium as members of the Saskatchewan Roughriders officially cleaned out their stalls and closed the book on the 2024 season.
The Regina Rams claimed the Hardy Cup after a hard fought battle against the Saskatoon Huskies 19-14 on Saturday in the first all Saskatchewan U-Sports western conference final since 2002.
CTVNewsNorthernOntario.ca is livestreaming the annual Remembrance Day ceremony at the Sudbury Community Arena starting Monday at 10:30 a.m.
Donald Trump has said he wouldn't be a dictator 鈥 'except for Day 1.' According to his own statements, he's got a lot to do on that first day in the White House.
Police have arrested a 15-year-old in connection with a break-in and $50,000 in damage done to the Centennial Arena in Elliot Lake in September.
The events will start at 10:15 a.m. with a parade that forms up in front of the Delta London Armories, marches east on Dundas Street and turns north onto Waterloo Street to Dufferin Avenue, the west to the Cenotaph.
Emergency crews responded to the scene on Road 68/Highway 2 east of Thamesford around 7 p.m.
On Friday, the Sarnia Police Service (SPS) received a report of an alleged abduction in the area of Kathleen Avenue and Walnut Avenue.
A group of former NHL players faced off against York Regional Police officers in Newmarket Sunday afternoon to raise funds for Special Olympics programs across the province.
A driver is facing multiple charges after a multi-vehicle collision on Highway 400 early Sunday morning.
The agreed statement of facts was read to the court on Friday in the case of Alex Williams, the 24-year-old jail guard charged last fall with smuggling cannabis and tobacco into Central North Correctional Centre in Penetanguishene.
For Gene Lotz, the spark of curiosity to delve into the history of those who served in war only began when the answers became difficult to find.
One person has been arrested after Chatham-Kent Police Service (CKPS) received multiple complaints about an alleged drunk driver.
An individual is dead following a collision involving a motorcycle in Kingsville.
Environment Canada says heavy rain and winds could cause power outages on Vancouver Island as an "intense" storm system is set to hit the B.C. coast Sunday.
Six deer were struck by vehicles in six different locations in a six-hour period on B.C. highways on Saturday, according to the transportation ministry.
The union for locked-out port workers in British Columbia says the BC Maritime Employers Association cut off talks in less than an hour Saturday, refusing to budge on a final offer that the union has so far rejected.
The emergency department at South Okanagan General Hospital in Oliver, B.C., will be closed for 31 hours this weekend, the second such closure in a week and the third since the start of November.
Police in Kamloops, B.C., are reminding parents and guardians to check their children's Halloween candy after receiving a report of a mother finding a razor blade in one of her daughter's treats.
More than two years after Alannah Brown and Douglas Barker were found dead north of Penticton, police are asking for help identifying a vehicle they believe was associated with the crime.
The Southern Alberta Recreation Association is officially announcing the Town of Taber as next year鈥檚 host for the Southern Alberta Summer Games.
The Lethbridge Hurricanes broke open a close game with three goals in the first two minutes of the third period as they defeated the Warriors 7-3 in a game played Friday night in Moose Jaw.
There might not a lot snow just yet, but many southern Albertans are still itching to get outdoors.
Police have arrested a 15-year-old in connection with a break-in and $50,000 in damage done to the Centennial Arena in Elliot Lake in September.
Mayors of the five largest cities in northern Ontario met in North Bay the last two days to discuss a range of critical issues impacting their cities and the region.
Residents in the Sault expressed concerns ranging from vandalism to privacy invasions during recent consultations on the city's plan to install automated speed enforcement cameras.
Police in Newfoundland say a man was electrocuted Saturday by a downed power wire about 10 kilometres north of St. John's, N.L.
On Thursday morning, Dave Penny officially ended a suggested hundred-day isolation period that followed his diagnosis and stem cell treatment for non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. On Thursday night, Penny returned to a stage at a downtown St. John's bar, regaling a small crowd with songs and stories with a distinctive Newfoundland flair.
A Memorial University scientist says the mysterious white blobs washing up on Newfoundland beaches are actually gobs of plastic -- and they need to be cleaned up.
The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at 麻豆影视. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop.聽Read about us.
