Dominic West is set to play another member of the royal family after his portrayal of the Prince of Wales, now King Charles III, in seasons five and six of Netflix's historical drama The Crown. Speaking to HELLO! in an exclusive interview, the 56-year-old opened up about his role in the upcoming period drama Monstrous Beauty, which also stars The Last of Us actor Bella Ramsey.
"I'm supposed to be playing Charles II, which I was really looking forward to," said the Brassic actor. "Romola (Garai), who's an old friend of mine from The Hour, has written and is going to direct it, so she asked me to be Charles II, which I thought would be quite interesting after playing Charles III."
Sharing an update on the project, he added: "But that hasn't happened yet, so I'm looking forward to that. Hopefully, it's going to go ahead."
Dominic's role in The Crown
Dominic portrayed the Prince of Wales in two seasons of The Crown, with season five beginning in 1991 and season six ending in 2005. The two series covered a turbulent period for the royal family, including significant events such as the fire at Windsor Castle, Prince Charles and Princess Diana's acrimonious separation and the death of the Princess of Wales.
Dominic starred alongside the likes of Imelda Staunton as Queen Elizabeth II, Jonathan Pryce as Prince Philip and Elizabeth Debicki as Princess Diana in the drama.
Dominic previously revealed that he had an "overwhelming feeling" he'd been miscast, telling Netflix that his decision to take on the role was a "fully foolish, foolhardy mission" to replace his predecessor Josh O'Connor's "hugely gallant success."
Despite his initial reservations, Dominic received critical acclaim for his portrayal of the now-monarch and was nominated for Emmy, Golden Globe and BAFTA awards for Best Actor.
I'm a big fan of The Crown, which is undoubtedly one of the best historical dramas of the 21st century thanks to its brilliant writing, which seamlessly blends major historical events with family drama, as well as its stunning cinematography, detailed costumes and exceptional acting performances. Dominic delivered a convincing and emotional performance in the show, and I can't wait to see him take on another royal!
All we know about Monstrous Beauty
Monstrous Beauty is an upcoming period drama penned and directed by Atonement and star Romola Garai, which combines fiction with real historical figures. The story follows an aspiring playwright (Bella Ramsey) in the court of King Charles II, who lives with a rare condition that means she is entirely covered in hair.
Dominic and Bella are joined by Oscar nominee Ruth Negga (Presumed Innocent, Passing) as Charles' mistress Nell Gwyn and Fiona Shaw (Bad Sisters, Killing Eve) as Aphra Ben, the first ever published female playwright in history.
"I'm supposed to be playing Charles II, which I was really looking forward to. I thought it would be quite interesting after playing Charles III.
The official synopsis (via Deadline) reads: "Set in the 17th Century, Monstrous Beauty is the story of a unique young woman, Barbara Field (Ramsey), born into poverty with a rare condition that means she is entirely covered in hair. Given the precious gift of an education, she is offered the opportunity of a place in the luxurious and decadent court of King Charles II (West), as a 'Natural Wonder' where people with extraordinary appearances mix with the aristocracy."
It continues: "Fuelled by the desire to be defined for who she is rather than how she looks, Barbara aspires to become a playwright under the auspices of famous actress Nell Gwyn (Negga), powerful mistress to the King. Nell herself is intent on teaching Charles a public lesson on the true appreciation of women beyond their physical appearance. Barbara seeks the help of famous playwright of the day, Aphra Behn (Shaw), and casts beautiful actor Vale (the object of Barbara's own desire) as the lead, despite his lack of talent. But will Barbara succeed in becoming a woman of independent means whilst challenging a highly patriarchal society, and become master of her own destiny?"
A release date has yet to be confirmed, but given filming hasn't yet begun and with no update on when production might commence, viewers could be waiting a little while.