Imelda Staunton on Portraying Queen Elizabeth in 'The Crown' After Monarch's Death: 'It Was Odd'

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Imelda Staunton, who will star as Queen Elizabeth II in the next two seasons of The Crown, said that some on set found it hard to look at her in character after the monarch's death.

"We filmed the day after the funeral, and I felt it was difficult for the other people looking at me 'cause we have a lot of supporting artists and they were all looking at this act of playing the person who had been buried yesterday," Staunton, 66, told Entertainment Tonight. "So, it was odd."

After Queen Elizabeth's Sept. 8 death, The Crown paused filming of its sixth season.

"Everyone was extremely sad, and I know I was very inconsolable that evening," Staunton said. "My reaction surprised me. Of course, I would feel something. But having lived with her very closely for two years, it felt strange."

After the actress took the filming break for 10 days, she said she could tell there was a "great sense of sadness" among the cast and crew. "I think his love letter to the queen started a long time ago… I think it's gone on a long time," Staunton said of show creator Peter Morgan, who launched the series in 2016. "So, it's obvious that he is very passionate about this family."

RELATED: Meet the Cast of Netflix's The Crown Season 5

To copy Queen Elizabeth's look, Staunton utilized the help of the show's hair and makeup team, as she realized the result looked "passable" as the Queen. The late monarch was previously played by Claire Foy in seasons 1 and 2, and Olivia Colman in seasons 3 and 4. Both won Emmys for their work on the show.

"I think this Queen is a more familiar look for many people around the world," Staunton told ET. "Certainly, for Claire Foy, when it started that was like a costume drama, many years ago. And this is the present queen, what she was like in the '90s. So, I felt more daunted."

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For the final two seasons of the series, including season 5 arriving on Netflix on Nov. 9, the Harry Potter alum will lead the cast as they portray a "tumultuous time for the royal family." The storyline for the show's next season will focus partially on 1992 — when three of her four children were separated from their spouses and a devastating fire hit Windsor Castle — which the Queen declared to be an "annus horribilis" (Latin for "horrible year").

Staunton was the first cast member announced in January 2020, playing a more contemporary version of the Queen, and previously described the task as an "extra challenge" since she's "the Queen that we're a little more familiar with."

The first-look photo of Staunton in character was released in July 2021. Other members of the cast include Jonathan Pryce as Prince Philip, Dominic West as Prince Charles and Elizabeth Debicki as Princess Diana. Debicki previously called taking on the role an honor.

"Princess Diana's spirit, her words and her actions live in the hearts of so many," she said. "It is my true privilege and honor to be joining this masterful series, which has had me absolutely hooked from episode one."

Netflix

On Wednesday, Netflix released a behind-the-scenes look at the newest installment of the series, where cast members spoke about what to expect and how it came together.

"Season 5 plays against a period of real criticism and uncertainty and unconfidence," Morgan shared. "It's quite shocking how overtly critical people were of the monarchy at that time."

The Netflix series has also been the subject of criticism in recent months, after Dame Judi Dench penned an open letter to The Times, arguing that the streaming giant would be "cruelly unjust" not to preface each episode with a statement declaring it historical fiction. Netflix included a disclaimer to The Crown's season 5 trailer on YouTube and the drama's Netflix page that says, "Inspired by real events, this fictional dramatization tells the story of Queen Elizabeth II and the political and personal events that shaped her reign."