Fans of Netflix’s royal drama are still waiting for season 3 to arrive, but one major bit of casting news for the fourth season of The Crown was confirmed by the streaming service over the weekend. A few outlets revealed this back in January, but now it’s official: Gillian Anderson will be playing former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher on the hit show.
The casting was announced via The Crown‘s official Twitter account, which shared a photo of Anderson along with her statement on playing Thatcher. The X-Files actress wrote that she was excited to be joining the drama and to have the opportunity to play “such a complicated and controversial woman.” Anderson then teased that she’ll be bringing some humanity to the infamous political leader.
“I am relishing exploring beneath the surface and, dare I say, falling in love with the icon who, whether loved or despised, defined an era,” she said.
Netflix recently revealed that we can expect season 3 to air later this year and when it returns, The Crown will have a completely new cast as the show moves into the middle years of the life of Queen Elizabeth II and her family. Olivia Colman has taken over the keys to the kingdom from Claire Foy with Tobias Menzies replacing Matt Smith as Prince Phillip. Helena Bonham Carter, meanwhile, is now Princess Margaret with Ben Daniels as Lord Snowden.
Season 3 is due to cover the 1960s, as the royal family adjusts to the changing attitudes and culture of the time, the tenure of Prime Minister Harold Wilson (Jason Watkins) and the beginnings of the relationship between Princes Charles (Josh O’Connor) and Camilla Parker Bowles (Emerald Fennell). Suffice it to say, there’s much to cover.
The 10-episode run of The Crown arrives on November 17th and the fact that Anderson has been confirmed to be playing Thatcher likely means season 4 will start shooting soon.