the crown season 5
Source: Daniel Leal/AFP

“The Crown” introduces new cast members in season five as the storyline enters a new period in history. This Netflix original series highlights the life of the late Queen Elizabeth II from the 1940s to modern times. Each season uncovers romances, political rivalries and personal intrigues.

The latest season is no different. It dives into the truth behind Princess Diana’s doomed marriage, the depressing early 1990s in Britain, the alleged affair of Princess Anne, and more. Below we look into the early life and schools of its star-studded cast:

For fans of the royal family, here’s where the cast of ‘The Crown’ Season 5 studied at:

Imelda Staunton

the crown season 5

Award-winning British actress Imelda Staunton has won over 20 awards in her 30-year career. Source: Anthony Harvey/AFP

Award-winning British actress Imelda Staunton grew up in a household where her mum sang and played both the fiddle and the accordion but the family was not at all exposed to performing arts. 

She was introduced to the world of drama and acting when she studied at La Sainte Union (now known as Sainte Convent). Here, she actively starred in school plays and her talent was picked up by her elocution teacher who encouraged her to apply to a drama college. At 18, she enrolled at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London and pursued repertory theatre for six years. 

Today, she has played a wide variety of roles in theatre, TV, film as well as radio and has won over 20 awards in her 30-year career. Some of these nominations and awards include: the Screen Actors Guild Award for outstanding performance by a female actress in a leading role in the 2004 movie “Vera Drake” and a London Critics Circle Film Awards nomination for best supporting actress in “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” film. 

Jonathan Pryce

the crown season 5

Jonathan Pryce acts as Prince Philip in ‘The Crown” season five. Source: Daniel Leal/AFP

Jonathan Pryce’s exposure to acting started similarly to that of Staunton. Starting his earlier education at Holywell Grammar School (now known as Ysgol Treffynnon), he eventually trained to be a teacher at Edge Hill College (now Edge Hill University) in Lancashire. 

Pryce was also actively participating in college theatre productions. Here, an impressed tutor applied on his behalf to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA). Not only was he accepted, he was also subsequently awarded a scholarship to study at the academy. Upon graduation in the 1970s, he began his career at Liverpool Everyman Theatre.

This Welsh actor is well known for his versatility and powerful presence on screen. He has worked in Hollywood studio films and West End of Broadway musicals. 

Dominic West

the crown season 5

Dominis West joined theatre as a child. Source: Daniel Leal/AFP

English actor Dominic West was born and brought up in Sheffield. His mother, Pauline Mary was an actress. West discovered his interest in acting when he joined his mother’s theatre group at the Sheffield University Drama Studio and since then went on to take on professional acting jobs around London. 

He attended Westbourne School and went on to enrol at Eton College and Trinity College Dublin where he studied English Literature. After two years, West graduated in acting from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in 1995. 

West has acted alongside many other famous stars such as Julia Roberts, Anthony Hopkins, Sandra Bullock, Mark Wahlberg and Kiera Knightley.

Elizabeth Debicki 

the crown season 5

Elizabeth Debicki was a trained dancer before she became an actress. Source: Daniel Leal/AFP

Born in Paris, Elizabeth Debicki moved to Melbourne, Australia when she was five. Growing up, Debicki was always interested in ballet due to her parents’ ballet backgrounds and trained as a dancer before deciding to make the switch to theatre. 

In Australia, she was a student at Huntingtower School and pursued a drama degree at the Victorian College of the Arts under the University of Melbourne. When she was in her second year of training at the university, Debicki was awarded the Richard Pratt Bursary worth 7,000 Australian dollars for being an outstanding acting student in her cohort. 

Debicki will be starring in the 2023 Guardians of the Galaxy Volume Three movie playing the character of “Ayesha.”