The only two actors to have played the Queen of England twice
The subject of royalty is one neatly packaged for wondrous dramatisation. Not only do such families come complete with glitz, glamour and intrigue, but their lives are wonderfully different from the general public’s, and diving into a version of them is incredibly enticing for audiences. This meant that either in Hollywood or on the West End stages, kings and queens were meticulously portrayed in the spotlight.
Taking on the role of a royal family member is a tricky thing to do well. naturally dependent on the tone of the production, it is difficult not to immediately assume the role comes with built-in gravitas. Within an instant of putting on that plastic crown, you might turn your nose slightly upward and start to glide through the room instead of walking.
Plenty of actors have taken on such roles and attacked them with a buffoonery more usually reserved for court jesters. Nicholas Hoult’s portrayal of Peter III of Russia in The Great comes to mind. However, most try to add a touch of regality to their role, something that two actors have had the opportunity to do twice.
Not all actors are set to play kings and queens. Some performers just don’t feel suited to the roles. However, nobody could argue that the only two women to play the Queen of England twice are anything but perfectly placed for their spotlight moments on the throne. Few would argue that Olivia Colman and Judi Dench were anything but acting royalty, but they have also acted as royalty on two fabulous occasions each.
Which movies have Olivia Colman and Judi Dench played the Queen?
Olivia Colman has become one of the most celebrated actors in modern Britain. Despite her starting out in a beloved sitcom, Peep Show, Colman has come to personify English eccentricity as she has stamped her way up the red carpets of Hollywood on the way to an impressive career that also includes an Academy Award. Colman has also been the Queen of England on two occasions.
The first game was when she picked up that fabled gold statuette as she took on the role of Anne in The Favourite. It’s a delightfully eccentric piece of cinema that saw Colman become a mainstay in Hollywood circles for her crass and somewhat wild portrayal of the royal figure. The second time atop the throne came when she portrayed Queen Elizabeth II in The Crown, which captured the late queen as a more normal component in an unfolding real-life story. It provides two sides of the approach to playing royals and captures Colman’s ability perfectly.
Judi Dench has decades of experience as one of Britain’s most beloved actors. While she accused The Crown of “crude sensationalism” she did appear in Shakespeare in Love as Queen Elizabeth I delivering a rousing performance that would gain her an Oscar for ‘Best Supporting Actress’.
Dench was also nominated for her role as Queen Victoria in 1998’s Mrs Brown, which saw the gifted stage actor deliver one of her most glorious performances. A role she would reprise in Victoria and Abdul in 2017, as she took on the role of Britain’s longest-reigning queen for a second time.
