Dame Helen Mirren doesn't see herself playing the Queen in 'The Crown'

Helen Mirren during the filming for the Graham Norton Show at BBC Studioworks 6 Television Centre, Wood Lane, London, to be aired on BBC One on Friday evening. (Photo by Isabel Infantes/PA Images via Getty Images)
Helen Mirren during the filming for the Graham Norton Show at BBC Studioworks 6 Television Centre, Wood Lane, London (Isabel Infantes/PA)

Dame Helen Mirren has taken herself out of the running to play Queen Elizabeth II in hit television series The Crown.

The actress won an Oscar for her portrayal of the monarch in 2006 film The Queen and in 2015 popped on the crown again to play her on stage in The Audience, winning a Tony Award for her performance.

But she said she can not see herself taking over as the royal in the TV series.

Read more: Dame Helen Mirren doesn’t believe in binary ideas of male and female

The role was previously played by Claire Foy but Olivia Colman is taking over for series three.

Dame Helen, 74, was asked by TV presenter Lorraine Kelly if she would consider joining the programme after Colman, but said: “I don’t think so.

“A lot of people are wonderful.

“Claire (Foy) I thought was brilliant, I know that Olivia is going to be.”

The actress said she thought it was “more interesting when you see other portraits”.

“It builds up a much more interesting picture than someone just coming back and doing it,” she added.

Read more: Dame Helen Mirren arrives at premiere in ornate litter

However, while another reign as Queen Elizabeth II might be off the table, the actress has not said goodbye to playing royalty completely.

Her latest big role is as 18th century Russian monarch Catherine The Great in a Sky Atlantic drama.

Dame Helen recently confessed to a few nerves about taking on the role, adding: “It is going to be one of the highlights of my career without a doubt, and I did go into it, as I say, very, very sort of reluctantly and very nervously.”

The new series of The Crown launches on Netflix on November 17.