Dominic West Says He Got in Bed and Didn’t Leave for Two Days After Reading Reviews of ‘The Crown’
Much like the character of Prince Charles that he portrays, West is “a sensitive soul.”
So very few (if any) people wanted The Crown—Netflix’s hit show about the British royal family—to come to an end. That is, save for one very notable person: Dominic West, who played then Prince Charles on the show in its later seasons. (The second part of season six, the series’ final season, dropped last month.)
In an interview on BBC Radio 4’s Today program, West said that he is relieved the show is over, and also opened up that he spent “two days in bed” after he “read all the reviews”: “I’m a sensitive soul,” he said. “I worry about what people think.”
When asked if he was worried about the royal family’s reaction to his portrayal of the now King, West said “All reactions worry me. You know, I read all the reviews, and I spent two days in bed.”
West is currently starring in the theater production of A View from the Bridge and joked as he added “It’s such a relief to now go back to theater and not have to talk about the monarchy anymore.”
Per People, West—who played Charles in seasons five and six—said that though he was initially “reluctant to take” on the role, he ultimately “loved” the part and working on the show. “You don’t turn down a Peter Morgan script very easily,” he said. “He’s such a great writer and it’s such a great show and I love being on it. I loved wearing the clothes. I loved driving the cars, and I loved having people bow to me. It’s an absolutely wonderful feeling. I miss it.”
West said that portraying a royal changed his own opinion of the royal family: “I suppose one’s perception is so dictated by what you read in the media, and what you see in their public persona, that working on trying to find out what’s going on privately and what’s going on in their minds and what’s going on in their private conversations,” he said of his task as an actor. “Peter [Morgan] imagines them so brilliantly and base grounds them very firmly in whatever facts we have, that I suppose I came to empathize much more, certainly, with Charles and feel a sympathy for him.”
West said that he thought the “big emotional scenes”—which he described as “wonderful for an actor”—were the scenes he was most worried about filming in season six, in particular the scene in the hospital in Paris where Charles “bawls” over the death of his ex-wife, Princess Diana, played by Elizabeth Debicki.
Stay In The Know
Get exclusive access to fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more.
“I read that and thought, ‘How does a famously buttoned-up family, famously unemotional family, what are they like in times of high emotion when something deeply traumatic happens?’” he said. “I was very worried about it. Then, of course, comes the day when you’re doing it and you’re acting, looking at the body of Diana and what you’ve got is a cross on a map box, that’s what you’ve got to look at. They’re difficult, those scenes. And I suppose those are the ones I was most worried about.”
Rachel Burchfield is a writer, editor, and podcaster whose primary interests are fashion and beauty, society and culture, and, most especially, the British Royal Family and other royal families around the world. She serves as Marie Claire’s Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor and has also contributed to publications like Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, People, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and W, among others. Before taking on her current role with Marie Claire, Rachel served as its Weekend Editor and later Royals Editor. She is the cohost of Podcast Royal, a show that was named a top five royal podcast by The New York Times. A voracious reader and lover of books, Rachel also hosts I’d Rather Be Reading, which spotlights the best current nonfiction books hitting the market and interviews the authors of them. Rachel frequently appears as a media commentator, and she or her work has appeared on outlets like NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN, and more.
-
I Tried Biologique Recherche's Two-Hour Scalp Detox Treatment
Is the French-girl favorite worth the hype?
By Hannah Baxter Published
-
Jennifer Lawrence's Maternity Style Era Is Off to a Must-Shop Start
She knows what she likes—and how to wear it.
By Halie LeSavage Published
-
'The Lincoln Lawyer' Finale Teased A Game-Changing Cliffhanger—Will There Be a Season 4?
We're on the case of whether or not Mickey Haller and co. are coming back to Netflix.
By Quinci LeGardye Published
-
Kim Kardashian Visited the Menendez Brothers in Prison Following 'Monsters' Premiere
The reality star was reportedly joined by actor Cooper Koch, who plays Erik Menendez in the Netflix series.
By Amy Mackelden Published
-
'Emily in Paris' Star Lily Collins Couldn't Get into the 'Vanderpump Rules' Sandwich Shop
"I needed a sandwich and I couldn't get my sandwich!"
By Amy Mackelden Published
-
'Selling Sunset' Icon Chrishell Stause Reveals Her "Vintage" Breast Implants Ruptured
"My first thought was fear."
By Amy Mackelden Published
-
Interestingly, the Showrunner of ‘The Crown’ Admits He’s “Not Really That Interested in the Monarchy”
Peter Morgan also admitted that, after Queen Elizabeth’s death in September 2022, “I didn’t really want to do it anymore.”
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Travis Kelce Lands First Major Acting Role in a Forthcoming Ryan Murphy Horror Series
Will Kelce follow in celebrities like Kim Kardashian’s footsteps and use a Murphy-produced project to launch an acting career?
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Well, Netflix’s ‘The Crown’ Might Not Be Completely Done After All
The success of ‘Scoop’ is reportedly prompting the streaming giant’s bosses to bring ‘The Crown’ back in a new, interesting form after the show concluded last year.
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
During a Rare Television Interview, Princess Beatrice Gives a Health Update on Her Mother, Sarah Ferguson
The Duchess of York was diagnosed with skin cancer in January after beating breast cancer last year.
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Taylor Swift “Wants a Happy Ending” with Travis Kelce, and Hopes “He Doesn’t Get Freaked Out About the Fame”
The couple just returned from a private couples’ getaway with friends Gigi Hadid and Bradley Cooper.
By Rachel Burchfield Published