Elementary 's Jonny Lee Miller to play U.K. Prime Minister John Major on The Crown

The Crown is adding a new character and a new face to its ranks. On Friday, Netflix announced that Elementary and Trainspotting star Jonny Lee Miller will play former U.K. Prime Minister John Major on the show's upcoming fifth season.

Major's tenure as Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party spanned from 1990 to 1997, coinciding with the final years of Princess Diana's life. He also served in Margaret Thatcher's government from 1987 to 1990 as Chancellor of the Exchequer and Foreign Secretary.

Patrick Eccelsine/CBS via Getty Images; Michael Putland/Getty Images Jonny Lee Miller and John Majors for The Crown

Miller is best known for playing Sherlock Holmes in the long-running CBS series Elementary alongside Lucy Liu and has appeared in shows such as Dexter, Eli Stone, and films like Trainspotting. He joins a cast that includes Imelda Staunton as Queen Elizabeth II, Jonathan Pryce as Prince Philip, Lesley Manville as Princess Margaret, and Elizabeth Debicki as Princess Diana.

Season 5 of the Netflix series will focus on Charles and Diana's highly publicized 1996 divorce as well as Diana's 1997 death. Currently, no premiere date has been announced but the new season is expected to premiere in 2022, followed by a sixth and final season.

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