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- Josh O'Connor has no interest in the royal family after playing Prince Charles in "The Crown."
- "I absolutely loved it. But the reason I wanted to be an actor is to play different people," he told GQ.
- He also confirmed that Dominic West will succeed him as Charles in season 5 of the Netflix drama.
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Josh O'Connor said he still has no interest in the royal family after playing Prince Charles for two seasons on "The Crown."
The 30-year-old English actor told British GQ that he has "very little interest" in the royals despite his role in the hit Netflix drama.
After confessing that he did not watch Harry and Meghan's sit-down interview with Oprah Winfrey, a choice he did not feel bad about, he said his feelings on the family remain the same as before he took on the role.
"I think I find it really hard pinning the real royal family to 'The Crown.' They feel so far removed," he told Stuart McGurk, GQ's Associate Editor.
"I had no interest in the royal family before I did 'The Crown.' And I have very little interest now!" he added.
Despite "a great fondness for Prince Charles as a person, because of all the research" he has done, O'Connor previously said that his liberal views mean he is not interested in the monarchy, and nearly turned down the role of Charles when it was initially suggested to him.
At the start of March, he secured a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a TV series or drama for his performance as Prince Charles but, despite this success, the actor is eager to depart from the role for pastures new.
"I absolutely loved it. But the reason I wanted to be an actor is to play different people," said the GQ cover star.
"Playing that character has brought me a lot of joy. But it's lovely to come away and go, 'Great. Now hand it over to Dominic West,'" he added, confirming his successor for season 5 of "The Crown."
In October, it was reported that 51-year-old West could replace O'Connor as the Prince of Wales, starring alongside Elizabeth Debicki, who will replace Emma Corrin as Princess Diana.
When asked by GQ if he would compare notes with his replacement, O'Connor laughed at the suggestion, replying: "But if Dominic West came to me asking me for advice, I'd laugh him off. I'd be like, 'Dom! You're Dominic West!'"
Season 5 of the show will see West and Debicki depict the breakdown of Charles and Diana's marriage, as he admits his affair with Camilla Parker Bowles, and their subsequent divorce in 1996.
While there is no known air date, Deadline reports that season 5 of "The Crown" will begin filming in June 2021.