The Crown season 5 casts Jonny Lee Miller as Prime Minister John Major
25 June 2021, 14:00 | Updated: 25 June 2021, 14:03
Trainspotting actor Jonny Lee Miller will play former Prime Minister John Major in season 5 of The Crown.
Jonny Lee Miller is set to play Sir John Major in the new series of The Crown.
The 48-year-old actor - who was previously married to Angelina Jolie - has been hired by Netflix to take on the role of the former Conservative Prime Minister.
The makers of The Crown shared the news on their official Twitter account, simply writing: “Jonny Lee Miller will play John Major in the fifth season of The Crown.”
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Fans were shocked by the casting, with one replying: “A major part of the excitement also comes from the casting as opposed to to the storylines, which is quite unusual in itself.
“Jonny Lee Miller as John Major though, just announced. I mean, Sir John must be smiling today.”
Another added: “Didn't see that coming..”
Insiders have since told The Sun: “It may seem like an unlikely casting as the two men couldn't be more different, but the creators of the Crown aren't interested in an actor playing a version of themselves.
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“It was a similar idea to when Sex Education star Gillian Anderson was cast as Margaret Thatcher in the last series of The Crown, a decision which surprised fans of the show at the time.
“But at 48, Jonny is actually the perfect age to play Sir John, who became PM at the age of 47 after Maggie was removed from power.”
John Major led the country from November 1990 to May 1997.
He also served as Chancellor of the Exchequer and Foreign Secretary under Margaret Thatcher from 1987 to 1990.
Meanwhile, actor Jonny made a name for himself in the 1996 movie Trainspotting, where he played Sickboy and starred alongside Ewan McGregor, 50.
He also married Angelina Jolie in 1988 but they separated 18 months later and divorced in 2000.
His other film credits include The Flying Scotsman (2006), Endgame (2009) and T2 Trainspotting (2017).
TV fans might also recognise hum from BBC’s Emma as well as CBS crime drama Elementary, where he played Sherlock Holmes.
