elizabeth debicki© Photo: Rex

Everything you need to know about The Crown's Elizabeth Debicki

She's taking over the role of Princess Diana

Senior Online Writer
November 10, 2022

Now that the new season of The Crown has hit Netflix, we've had the chance to see Elizabeth Debicki take on the role of Princess Diana – and the resemblance is uncanny.

SEE: Meet the full cast of The Crown season five

That makes it hard to believe, though, that the actress has had a very different life from the late Princess, and isn't even British!

How much do you know about Elizabeth's background, upbringing and previous roles?

Don't worry, because we've done the digging for you, read on to find out all about the star…

WATCH: The Crown season five portrays Diana and Charles' divorce

Where is she from and who are her parents?

Elizabeth was born in Paris in 1990. Her father is Polish and her mother is Australian, and the family moved to Melbourne when Elizabeth was five years old. She is the eldest of three, with a younger brother and sister.

MORE: Sarah Ferguson forced to deny collaboration with The Crown producers

MORE: The Crown season 5 will not recreate major Princess Diana moment - details

Their parents were both ballet dancers who met while starring in a show together, and the star reportedly wanted to follow in their footsteps before she developed an interest in acting.

What was her big break?

Shortly out of drama school, the actress was spotted in an Australian film by director Baz Luhrmann and asked to audition for The Great Gatsby, winning the role of Jordan Baker, for which she won an Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts award for Best Supporting Actress.

elizabeth debicki lace© Photo: Rex

The actress was born in Paris

What else has Elizabeth Debicki starred in?

Quite a lot! You might have seen Elizabeth in films The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and Everest, or the television miniseries The Night Manager, in which she appeared alongside Tom Hiddleston and former The Crown monarch Olivia Colman. She also appeared in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, playing Ayesha, a role she will reprise for the third instalment.

You could also have caught the talented actress in thriller The Cloverfield Paradox, Widows alongside Viola Davis and Liam Neeson, and Tenet, where she played Kenneth Branagh's estranged wife Kat. If you are very observant, you could have recognised her voice as Mopsy Rabbit in Peter Rabbit and Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway.

Who is Elizabeth Debicki's partner?

The 32-year-old keeps the details of her love life to herself, never using social media or discussing her relationships. She was rumoured to be dating Tom Hiddleston, with whom she shared a raunchy sex scene in The Night Manager but she told The Guardian in 2016: "Have I got a boyfriend-slash-girlfriend?... I don't want to say anything. I'm really private."

What has Elizabeth Debicki said about playing Princess Diana?

Speaking to Vogue earlier this month, the blonde beauty said: "It's a huge gift to learn what I've learnt about this person. In so many ways, it’s a story of immense transformation – and triumph too. The public got to watch her evolve into an incredibly strong woman, trying to control a narrative that was the slipperiest thing ever."

© Photo: Rex

Elizabeth is the second actress to play Princess Diana on the show

She revealed that one of the aspects of playing the late Princess that most fascinated other people was the fact that she would be wearing Diana's famous 'Revenge Dress'.

Speaking of filming those scenes, Elizabeth told Entertainment Weekly: "It provoked something in me as an actor. I can't really explain it. It's pretty incredible that a dress would represent a moment in history, or that this human's life would represent so much and become so iconic. So that was a big day on set for me!"

Why is Elizabeth Debicki taking over from Emma Corrin?

Emma Corrin, who is six years younger than her successor, was only intended to play the late Princess during her youth. They have since moved on to other high-profile roles, including starring with Harry Styles in the recent period drama My Policeman.

What has Elizabeth Debicki said about season six of the Crown?

The actress insists that the late Princess' death will be handled with sensitivity. Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, she said: "I'll say that Peter [Morgan, the show's creator] and the entire crew of this job do their utmost to really handle everything with such sensitivity and truth and complexity, as do actors."

Has Elizabeth Debicki addressed the controversy around The Crown?

With some critics suggesting that the show fictionalises too much, and Netflix agreeing to add a disclaimer that makes clear it is a drama rather than a documentary, the star was restrained in her response when asked about the debate.

MORE: The Crown: Royal fans point out historical inaccuracies ahead of season 5

Speaking to the Radio Times, Elizabeth simply said: "I respect people's points of view and I, being an actor in the show, understand the nature of what the show is.

"It was always very clear to me that one can never know what happens behind closed doors and that a writer is interpreting what may have happened… There’s a huge amount of room for interpretation and that’s the value and beauty of The Crown as well, that you receive a different message depending on who you are. That’s good drama to me."

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