Dominic West Is a 'Sensitive Soul' Who 'Worried' About Reviews for 'The Crown'
Dominic West is content now that Netflix's The Crown has ended after a six-season run.
The English actor told an outlet: "I don’t want to make their lives any more difficult than they already are, so I suppose it does concern you," he replied when asked if he thought about what the real royals think of his role as Prince Charles. "All reactions worry me. I read all the reviews and spent two days in bed. So yes, I’m a sensitive soul; I worry about what people think."
"It's such a relief now to go back to the theater and not have to talk about the monarchy anymore," West added. "I was reluctant to take it on, but you don’t turn down a Peter Morgan script very easily … He’s such a great writer, and it was such a great show. I loved 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 portrayed King Charles III while he was the Prince of Wales in the final two seasons of the historical drama, which turned out to be the most divisive within the fandom, and both installments received mixed reviews from critics. Elizabeth Debicki starred as the doomed Diana, Princess of Wales, and the second half of the last series focused heavily on Prince William (Ed McVey) and Kate Middleton (Meg Bellamy).
Despite a divided reception, in which one critic called the show's ending "anti-climactic," West appreciated the chance to portray such raw emotion in his scenes surrounding Diana's death in 1997.
"When I read that Peter had written how Charles reacts to the news of Diana — when he sees her dead, he howls with grief in the Paris hospital to the point that they could hear him outside the room — I thought, 'Oh, God, no. Oh dear.' We don’t know, obviously, how Prince Charles reacted," West previously told Variety.
He continued: "But anyway, he obviously decided to make him very emotional, and I’m glad he did, in hindsight and having done it. I think Charles is an emotional man compared to some of his family."
"It really signifies the royal family’s leap from the 20th century into the new millennium," author Christopher Andersen said of the final season. "As I pointed out in my book, Kate is a transformative figure: a descendant of coal miners whose mother grew up in public housing and worked as a flight attendant before starting her own children’s party planning business at home."
He continued: "The press went crazy, just as it had when Charles started dating Diana. Kate handled all the pressure with amazing strength, calm, and grace. William, meanwhile, was having nightmares that the woman he loved might meet the same terrible fate Diana did."
Variety reported on West's comments.