After Paul Bettany dropped out of talks to star as Prince Philip in the third season of Netflix’s The Crown, the series has now found a new actor to take on the role. According to Deadline, Tobias Menzies (Outlander) has finalized a deal to play the Prince for the next two seasons of the series, taking over the role from Matt Smith.
The Crown creator Peter Morgan has always planned to change the cast every couple of seasons to better age the characters. Menzies joins Olivia Colman (Murder on the Orient Express) and Helena Bonham Carter (Ocean’s 8) in the latest season. Colman will play Queen Elizabeth, formerly played by Claire Foy, with Carter as Princess Margaret, replacing Vanessa Kirby.
Menzies recently wrapped up a role in BBC and Amazon’s King Lear alongside Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson. He will portray the Duke of Cornwall in the film.