Gillian Anderson Is Tipped To Play Margaret Thatcher In "The Crown" And There's A Lot Of Excitement

    Despite Netflix declining to comment on the casting news, people are thrilled that Anderson could be joining the landmark series.

    Scott Bryan
    by Scott Bryan

    BuzzFeed TV Editor

    The Crown, the Netflix drama covering the modern British royal family, is not only one of the best dramas at the moment but it also has some of the best damn casting.

    Getty Images / Hulton Archive

    Olivia Colman and Helena Bonham Carter are due to take over from Claire Foy and Vanessa Kirby for the show's third season.

    As the series follows Queen Elizabeth II and her family one decade at a time, it took the rather eyebrow-raising step of replacing the entire main cast at the end of the second season so that the actors would reflect the age of their characters.

    Over the weekend, the British newspaper the Sunday Times reported that Gillian Anderson, who currently stars in Netflix's Sex Education, is to join the show as prime minister Margaret Thatcher.

    Getty Images / Hulton Archive

    However, contacted by BuzzFeed News, Netflix declined to comment nor confirm that Anderson was to play the role. A representative for Anderson did not respond to a request for comment.

    Needless to say, a lot of people are very excited.

    tita // exams @titasjournall

    i woke up to the news that gillian anderson is playing margaret thatcher in the crown and i genuinely had a heart attack from excitement she is going to kill it

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    mia @ohgilllian

    gillian anderson is going to sweep awards season 2019 for sex education and 2020 for the crown and i’m so fucking proud of her

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    And a lot of people picked up on the fact that she will be appearing opposite Colman and Bonham Carter.

    hannah @oliviacoImans

    I CAN’T BELIEVE GILLIAN IS PLAYING MAGGIE THATCHER TO OLIVIA’S ELIZABETH II AND HBC’S MARGARET HOLY SHIT

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    Jill Gutowitz @jillboard

    olivia colman and gillian anderson playing 1970s british political icons in ‘the crown’ will be like ‘magic mike’ for queer women

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    While others have highlighted the complexities of being excited about a rather divisive prime minister.

    Keith Starmzy @angrysigh

    NO. DON'T MAKE HOT THATCHER. I DON'T WANT TO BE HORNY FOR THATCHER https://t.co/DVrwfJMTaj

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    The Thatcher’s Grave Pisser @william_daw

    Absolutely devastated to learn Gillian Anderson is going to play Thatcher meaning I’m in love with Thatcher

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    Lewis Knight @ThatsOurLewis

    I’m sure Gillian Anderson will ace playing Margaret Thatcher but at the same time, Thatcher doesn’t deserve to be played by Gillian Anderson

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    If Anderson is indeed joining The Crown, it will be quite a wait until we actually see her in the show.

    Netflix

    As Season 3 will be covering the Queen’s reign during the late 1960s and early ’70s, we likely wouldn’t even see Thatcher until Season 4. Thatcher became leader of the Conservative Party in 1975 and was elected as prime minister four years later.

    We have not even had confirmation of an airdate for Season 3, with production understood to be nearing completion.

    So basically...HURRY UP ALREADY!

    Netflix

    CORRECTION

    Olivia Colman and Helena Bonham Carter are joining The Crown for its third season. A previous version of this post said it was the second.