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Why The Crown's Josh O'Connor won't miss playing Prince Charles

The Crown has become famous for switching out its cast every two seasons. While many fans will be sad to see Josh O'Connor end his tenure as Prince Charles, O'Connor himself has no such reservations. In a recent conversation for Variety, the actor spoke with his Emma co-star, Anya Taylor-Joy, about leaving the hit series.

O'Connor noted that, for the role, he had to empathise with the Prince of Wales, despite disagreeing with many of his choices.

"Prince Charles is a tricky one. I think you have to part ways with the real version of him in order to capture something unique or different," O'Connor said. "There’s the sacrifice you sometimes have to make."

Photo credit: Alex Bailey - Netflix
Photo credit: Alex Bailey - Netflix

He continued: "I just remember there was this amazing thing that Peter Morgan, the writer, said to me very early on. He was like, 'Just try to remember that this boy shares his mother with an entire nation of people.' I was like, oh, my God. It’s a terrible affliction on some young kid. So every time someone says, 'Is that a bit harsh the way you’re playing him?' I go, 'No. I think he’s going through the wringer.'"

Taylor-Joy then followed up with O'Connor, asking if he will miss playing the Prince. "I’m actually good," he replied.

The pair also spoke about their time together on Emma, the 2020 adaptation of Jane Austen's classic novel. Taylor-Joy played the titular role, while O'Connor played Mr. Elton, the local vicar, with whom Emma tries to matchmake her friend, Harriet (played by Mia Goth). O'Connor and Taylor-Joy discussed having fun on set, and divulged that there is indeed a still-active Emma WhatsApp group.

Photo credit: Courtesy of Box Hill Films
Photo credit: Courtesy of Box Hill Films

Taylor-Joy did confess that working with O'Connor had its complications. She noted, "You were a nightmare on Emma because you were the only person I could not stop laughing at."

"You really couldn’t handle me. I know. It was terrible," O'Connor replied.

"You made me feel so unprofessional," Taylor-Joy said. "From the moment I met you, I was like, 'Oh, this is going to be a nightmare. He’s going to make me look so bad.' It was just so brilliant to watch you."

Finally, Taylor-Joy noted that, while O'Connor may not miss playing Prince Charles, she'll be sad not to see him on The Crown. Taylor-Joy is an avid watcher of the Netflix series.

"It’s my turn to fangirl, please. I was just rewatching The Crown, because I loved it the first time I saw it. But now, really just keying into your performance, everything you do is believable and everything you do is completely natural," she said. "It’s astounding. I mean it."

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