Dominic West has revealed that, like many people, he too was surprised when he got the call confirming that he had landed the role of the heir to the throne in the hit Netflix drama The Crown.
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“It’s quite disconcerting as I didn’t look anything like him when I looked in the mirror. I kept telling the producers that they had cast the wrong person. But they explained that this was not a show of imitations.”
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He added to MailOnline: “But that was difficult as this is a real person who is hugely famous and recognisable.”
The 52-year-old actor also revealed that he has met the Prince of Wales on a number of occasions before since they own neighbouring properties in Wiltshire, which no doubt has helped him with his portrayal of him.
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Dominic and his wife Catherine FitzGerald - who comes from an Irish royal and aristocratic dynasty - live just 14 miles away from Charles and Camilla’s home, Highgrove.
Dominic West will be playing the royal in the final two seasons of the Netflix drama
“Yes. I’ve met him a couple of times,” he admitted but revealed that he was not left starstruck by the royal.
“Oh, a little bit. But no, not really. I mean, I’m a huge fan of his, but I was far more drawn to meeting Maggie Smith,” he said, referencing his role in Downton Abbey: A New Era, which saw him share scenes with the veteran actress.
However, it turns out that Dominic’s wife knows the royal a little better, having been chosen to redesign the 100-acre gardens of Hillsborough Castle, the Queen’s official residence in Northern Ireland.
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When the estate was reopened in 2019, she was personally thanked by Prince Charles for her work. She also worked closely with the famously green-fingered royal on a project in Transylvania and has shared links to a cultural charity in the region.
Dominic and Catherine’s eldest son Senan has also been cast in the upcoming fifth season of the historical drama. He will join his dad in the role of Prince William.