The Crown season 4 casting: Gillian Anderson to play Margaret Thatcher

The Crown continues to round out its cast for season 4, with season 3 set to premiere November 17.

The Crown hasn’t even returned for its much-anticipated third season yet. But we have confirmation of a very important casting for season 4.

Gillian Anderson, who you know from a little show called the X-Files, will play former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher next season. Thatcher served the office from 1979 to 1990.

Anderson tweeted that she is “relishing exploring beneath the surface and, dare I say, falling in love with the icon who, whether loved or despised, defined an era.” She also calls Thatcher a “complicated and controversial woman.”

To give you all a bit of a history lesson, Thatcher was the first female Prime Minister of Great Britain and longest-serving person to serve the post in the 20th century. She was also known as the “Iron Lady.”

Since Thatcher’s tenure lasted for the entirety of the 1980s, it seems as though season 4 will cover Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s 1981 wedding. It has been previously announced that Emma Corrin (Pennyworth) will play Diana on the fourth season of The Crown.

All main characters from the first two seasons of The Crown are being replaced with older actors instead of being altered with make-up and special effects. The replacements will take over the roles for seasons 3 and 4.

Olivia Colman (The Favourite) will step into the role of Queen Elizabeth II, previously held by Claire Foy. Tobias Menzies (Game of Thrones) will play Prince Phillip, Helena Bonham Carter (Harry Potter, The Kings Speech) will play Princess Margaret, and Ben Daniels (House of Cards) will play Anthony Armstrong-Jones.

Josh O’Connor (Les Miserables mini-series) will play an adult Prince Charles, while Emerald Fennell (Call the Midwife) will play Camila Parker Bowels.

All ten episodes of the third season of The Crown will be released on Netflix November 17.

Source: Deadline