Claire Foy is looking back on how “The Crown” changed her life — and why she doesn’t see her breakout role as something she needs to escape.
The 41-year-old actress portrayed Queen Elizabeth II in the first two seasons of the Netflix royal drama, and she recently told Radio Times that the attention surrounding the series felt immediate and career-changing.
Foy is also promoting her new biographical drama “H Is for Hawk,” based on Helen Macdonald’s 2014 memoir of the same name. The film hits theaters on January 23 and follows Macdonald as she navigates her father’s death and finds solace through falconry.
Here’s what Foy said about the impact of “The Crown” and what she learned from working with her most intimidating co-star yet.
‘The Crown’ Put Claire Foy in the Spotlight Overnight
Foy said joining “The Crown” came after nearly a decade of acting work — but she wasn’t widely recognized until the show premiered and exploded in popularity.
“I’d been working for almost 10 years when I made it, but nobody knew who I was,” Foy told Radio Times. “It was like being in a blockbuster film.”
“Afterwards, I got opportunities I’d never had before,” she said. “It’s like the biggest promotion you can imagine.”
Still, Foy insisted she doesn’t view being linked to “The Crown” as a negative. She compared her experience to another famous performer associated with a beloved project.
“I don’t think it’s a double-edged sword,” she said. “I doubt Olivia Newton-John hated being known for ‘Grease’ – I bet she loved it!”
Foy added that she doesn’t feel pressure to perform a certain way or fit into a specific identity because of her past roles.
“If I had just done ‘The Crown’ and never worked again, that would be one thing,” she said. “But I don’t feel any pressure to be anything for anyone else, really. I’m just doing my job.”
Playing Queens Doesn’t Mean Foy Is Typecast
While audiences know her best for “The Crown,” Foy also portrayed Anne Boleyn in “Wolf Hall.” Still, she pushed back on the idea that she keeps getting offered similar roles.
“There aren’t that many queens and I did two of them!” she said. “I think any more would be weird.”
Foy explained that actors are often viewed through the lens of what casting directors already know they can do — but she hopes the range broadens over time.
“You get offered what people think you’re capable of,” she said. “The goal as you get older is for that to be broader, not narrower.”
Claire Foy Gets Real About Her Newest Co-Stars
Her new project, “H Is for Hawk,” takes her into very different territory. The film follows Helen Macdonald, who adopts and trains a European goshawk named Mabel as part of her grief journey. Collider also released a sneak peek of the film showing the moment Helen first meets the bird.
According to Collider, the movie stars Foy alongside Brendan Gleeson as Helen’s father, Alisdair Macdonald, and Denise Gough. The film is directed by Philippa Lowthorpe, with a screenplay credited to Lowthorpe, Emma Donoghue, and Macdonald.
Foy admitted she was uneasy about working so closely with birds — especially one with a reputation as challenging as a goshawk.
“I was nervous! Goshawks are the most difficult birds to handle,” she said, explaining that trainers Rose and Lloyd Buck warned she would likely get “footed.”
“Which is basically when the bird claws you,” Foy added. “And our director (Philippa Lowthorpe) had to say, ‘No, she won’t!’, because otherwise we wouldn’t get insured.”
Even so, it still happened — just at the very end of production.
“I did get footed, but only in the last shot of the whole thing,” she said. “We used five birds and it was by Jess, the least likely one. It was her little ‘see you later.’”
“H Is for Hawk” premieres in theaters on January 23.
