Two-time Oscar nominee Helena Bonham Carter was confirmed to play Princess Margaret in The Crown last month, and she’s currently polishing up her accent for the role.
“I’m posh, but not that posh!” she joked when asked if the royal’s accent would come easy for her during an appearance on the Graham Norton Show today. She’s joined by Ocean’s 8 co-stars Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Rihanna and Sarah Paulson.
“I’ve got two weeks to prepare so I’ve got to find her character soon,” she says.
Princess Margaret, Helena Bonham Carter Mike Lawn/Fox Photos/Getty; Dave Benett/Getty
The show’s official Twitter account made the announcement that the actress, 51, would be appearing as Queen Elizabeth II’s rebellious younger sister in the third and fourth seasons of the series.
“I’m not sure which I’m more terrified about—doing justice to the real Princess Margaret or following in the shoes of Vanessa Kirby’s Princess Margaret,” Bonham Carter said in a statement included in the announcement. “The only thing I can guarantee is that I’ll be shorter than Vanessa.”
The entire original cast of the show was recast for seasons three and four. Kirby played the part in the show’s first two seasons.
Vanessa Kirby/Instagram
Bonham Carter was reportedly first being considered for the role of Queen Elizabeth, but it was decided that Margaret would be a better fit for the star. The part of the Queen went to Broadchurch actress Olivia Colman, which was announced in October 2017.
The Crown was scrutinized in April when it was reported that actress Claire Foy, who played the Queen, earned less than costar Matt Smith, who played her on-screen husband Prince Philip. She received around $275,000 in back pay.
Matt Smith and Claire Foy Robert Viglasky/Netflix
The U.K. production company behind the Netflix drama later issued an apology for putting the stars in the middle of a pay equity debate.
“We want to apologize to both Claire Foy and to Matt Smith, brilliant actors and friends, who have found themselves at the center of a media storm this week through no fault of their own,” Left Bank Pictures said in a statement, according to Deadline. “Claire and Matt are incredibly gifted actors who, along with the wider cast on The Crown have worked tirelessly to bring our characters to life with compassion and integrity.”
She is set to take over from Vanessa Kirby as Princess Margaret in the hotly-anticipated third series of Netflix royal drama, The Crown.
And Helena Bonham Carter has revealed how she's preparing for her regal role as she appeared on The Graham Norton Show, which will air on Friday night.
The actress, 52, protested at her diction being compared to that of the monarchy and joked 'I'm posh, but not that posh!' when asked if the glamorous princess' accent would be easy for her to replicate.
Getting into character: Helena Bonham Carter has revealed how she's preparing for her regal role as she appeared on The Graham Norton Show, which will air on Friday night
The BAFTA-winning star was announced in May as the star who would portray the middle-aged segment of the monarch's life.
The actress told host Graham Norton, 55, she's currently searching for the Princess's 'character', with only two weeks to find her.
She explained: 'I've got two weeks to prepare so I've got to find her character soon.'
Helena was joined on the sofa by her Ocean's 8 castmates Rihanna, 30, Sandra Bullock, 53, Sarah Paulson, 43, and Cate Blanchett, 49, in the first all-female line-up on the chat show in Norton's 20-year career as host.
Hard act to follow: The actress, 52, is set to take over from Vanessa Kirby as Princess Margaret in the hotly-anticipated third series of Netflix royal drama, The Crown
Girl power: Helena was joined on the sofa by her Ocean's 8 castmates (L-R) Sandra Bullock, 53, Cate Blanchett, 49, Sarah Paulson, 43, and Rihanna, 30 in the first all-female show line-up
Helena was absolutely thrilled at news that the female-led heist movie beat out all the male-led flicks to bag the top spot at the box office last weekend.
Speaking at the London premiere of the movie on Wednesday, she enthused: 'At this point, we now that it has made more money than the men's ones on the weekend, so that's amazing.'
In The Crown, Helena takes the role from Vanessa Kirby, who has played the notoriously carefree princess in the Netflix show for it's first two seasons.
Olivia Colman is taking over from Claire Foy, who has played Queen Elizabeth II up until now.
Exciting role: The BAFTA-winning actress was announced in May as the star who would portray the middle aged part of the monarch's life
After former Princess Margaret actress Kirby was nominated for a TV BAFTA for her portrayal of the Queen's younger sister, Bonham Carter has admitted that she's worried about filling the younger star's shoes.
'I'm not sure which I'm more terrified about - doing justice to the real Princess Margaret or following in the shoes of Vanessa Kirby's Princess Margaret,' she said, as the news broke last month.
'The only thing I can guarantee is that I'll be shorter [than Vanessa].'
Bonham Carter is known for her diverse film roles, including The Wings Of The Dove, Hamlet, Alice In Wonderland and the Harry Potter films.
Find out Helena Bonham Carter's unique way of finding friends during Ocean's 8 filming Do you believe in astrology?
Helena Bonham Carter has opened up about getting ready for Ocean's 8 while chatting on the Graham Norton Show, and revealed that she prepared for the role by secretly researching her new A-lister co-stars! The Sweeney Todd star explained: "I did some astrology. I found out everyone's birthday and I knew who I would get on with. I didn't decide anything about anyone beforehand, but I just wanted to know what I was going into. It can be very useful."
Helena opened up about making friends with the Ocean's 8cast
Sandra Bullock also spoke about the all-star cast's bond, which includes Sarah Paulson, Rihanna, Mindy Kaling and Cate Blanchett, explaining: "We were expected not to get on. My publicist got an email from a tabloid saying they had heard I wasn't getting on with everyone else on set and I really took it personally until I found out each one of us had got the exact same email. Everyone wanted us to be pulling each other's hair out, but it's just not true." Helena agreed, adding: "They wanted the cliché of a group of women not getting on, but we didn't live up to it." Helena is having a busy year, as she will shortly begin filming The Crown as Princess Margaret for season three, taking over the role from Vanessa Kirby.
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READ: Helena Bonham Carter reveals she and Princess Margaret are surprisingly similar: find out why
Speaking about the part, she said: "I've got two weeks to prepare so I've got to find her character soon." She added that the royal accent might be a little tricky, joking: "I'm posh, but not that posh!" Speaking about taking over from Vanessa, who won a BAFTA for her portrayal of Margaret, Helena said: "I'm not sure which I'm more terrified about - doing justice to the real Princess Margaret or following in the shoes of Vanessa Kirby's Princess Margaret. The only thing I can guarantee is that I'll be shorter (than Vanessa)."
READ: Helena Bonham Carter reveals fears of playing the late Princess Margaret in The Crown
