The Crown ‘forced to rewrite their script as major star refuses to reprise their role’
The Crown bosses are ‘forced to rewrite their planned script as the big star refuses to reprise their roles for the sixth and final season’
Producers of Netflix’s The Crown were reportedly thrown into chaos over not being able to bring back Gillian Anderson for the upcoming series.
The Hollywood actress previously played Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in the royal drama, but has reportedly declined to reprise the role for the new series.
Despite winning an Emmy Award for Best Supporting Actress for the role, “scheduling issues” have been rumored to mean she won’t be reprising the role.
Series six of the show, which depicts the events leading up to Princess Diana’s death in 1997, is expected to air towards the end of 2023.
But the casting issues seemed to be causing problems behind the scenes, citing a source The sun Gillian’s failure to return was a ‘blow’ to the production.
Chaos: The Crown bosses were reportedly forced to rewrite their planned script because Gillian Anderson refused to reprise her role for the sixth and final season (pictured in the show)
The insider told the publication: ‘Gillian’s portrayal of Thatcher received global critical acclaim and she was a huge asset to The Crown.
“It was hoped that she would be able to act in scenes around the golden wedding, but unfortunately that was not the case due to scheduling problems.”
The source assured that altered scripts mean viewers won’t notice any behind-the-scenes issues, adding: “It’s been another blow to producers in what has already been quite a stubborn production”.
It is alleged that the original script was planned for the show to emulate a dinner held by Queen and Philip, attended by Thatcher, Princess Anne and others.
But without Gillian to play the former prime minister, executives would have switched it to another dinner, which she didn’t attend — meaning the Sex Education actress would no longer be needed.
MailOnline has reached out to Netflix and Gillian Anderson for comment.
It was quite a acclaimed role for the movie star as she bagged her second career Emmy award in 2021 for the portrayal.
Despite the season portraying the love story of Princess Diana and Prince Charles, it was Gillian’s Margaret Thatcher, tackling Britain’s political world and her relationship with the Queen, that resonated with viewers.
A source said: ‘It was hoped she could act in scenes surrounding the Golden Wedding, but unfortunately that’s not the case due to scheduling issues’
In character: The Hollywood actress previously played Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher (left in 1989) in the royal drama, but reportedly declined to reprise the role for the new series
The Crown was created and written by Gillian’s ex-partner Peter Morgan, with the pair dating from four years to 2020 and sparking rumors of a renewed romance earlier this year.
The highly anticipated sixth and final season of The Crown sees the return of Princess Diana from Elizabeth Debicki – in scenes depicting the year of the late princess’s death.
In recent weeks, footage has been filmed for the series at St Andrews University, where the Prince and Princess of Wales met as students in 2001.
And many locals have seen the actors in action, with videos shared on TikTok showing Meg Bellamy and Ed McVey – who have been cast as Kate Middleton and Prince William – filming scenes on the historic campus, which dates back to the 15th century.
Bond: The Crown was created and written by Gillian’s ex-partner Peter Morgan, with the pair dating for four years until 2020 and sparking rumors of a rekindled romance earlier this year (pictured together)