Entertainment
The Crown star Vanessa Kirby says playing Princess Margaret alerted her to problematic representation of women on screen
Vanessa Kirby has spoken about playing Princess Margaret on Netflix’s The Crown, saying it helped her notice the problematic representation of women on screen.
The actress starred as the royal from 2016 to 2017 in seasons one and two, and experienced feelings of empowerment on the drama – as did her co-star Claire Foy.
Talking to Porter magazine, Vanessa said: ‘Claire asked me, “Do you feel really empowered on this?” and I was like, “Yeah, I actually feel like I have space to do the work I’ve always wanted to”.
‘She said the same, and we realised that [it was because] we were the protagonists of our own story.’
Vanessa, who also recently won acclaim for her performance in Pieces of a Woman, said that The Crown differed from other projects she’s been involved in which focus primarily on male characters.
‘It was that [moment] which illuminated the number of times when you were in [projects] where you were saying things that only helped the psychological journey and the narrative of the male characters,’ she said.
Vanessa starred as Princess Margaret in The Crown’s first and second seasons, which also saw Claire appear as Queen Elizabeth II.
Helena Bonham-Carter took over from Vanessa in seasons three and four. Lesley Manville is due to take over as Margaret in seasons five and six.
Vanessa also spoke in the interview about her intentions to set up her own production company focusing on telling female-centred stories.
‘From my experience of being a woman in the world, I know that you have to be an agent of that change,’ she said. ‘I know how wonderful it felt for me to have that space on a set, and now to be creating a company where I can continue to make those choices.’
On her approach to seeking out new roles, Vanessa said: ‘One of my first questions will always be, “Is this something that scares me?” A lot of movies have these very neatly drawn female archetypes who are a film version of women, and that’s not what I identify with.’
Meanwhile, incoming The Crown star Imelda Staunton has admitted she’s daunted by the task of taking over the role of Queen Elizabeth in season five.
The actress is taking over from Olivia Colman in the upcoming two seasons, bringing the life story of our reigning monarch through to its conclusion in the modern day.
The Crown is available to watch on Netflix.
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