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Olivia Colman - Colman got her start on British sitcoms, and has since captivated audiences (and won an Oscar) as Queen Anne in 'The Favourite.' But she's now also famously played Queen Elizabeth II on the third season of 'The Crown.'

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Claire Foy - First though, it was Claire Foy who played Queen Elizabeth II in the first two seasons of 'The Crown. She also played Anne Boleyn in 'Wolf Hall.'

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Matt Smith - Famous for playing the eleventh incarnation of the Doctor in 'Doctor Who,' Matt Smith also played Prince Philip in the first two seasons of 'The Crown.' Tobias Menzies took on the role in the third season.

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Jenna Coleman - Matt Smith's 'Doctor Who' co-star Jenna Coleman has since played Queen Victoria in the series 'Victoria.'

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Kirsten Dunst - Sofia Coppola did something different with 'Marie Antoinette,' with Kirsten Dunst playing the young carefree queen.

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Jason Schwartzman - Jason Schwartzman starred alongside Dunst as Louis XVI.

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Saoirse Ronan - Saoirse Ronan was a treat as the titular monarch in 'Mary, Queen of Scots.'

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Ian McKellen - Ian McKellen was incredibly intriguing as the tyrannical King Richard III in the film of the same name.

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Helen Mirren - Helen Mirren won an Oscar for her role as Queen Elizabeth II in the 'The Queen.' She also won a Tony Award for the same role in the 2013 play 'The Audience.'

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Laurence Olivier - Laurence Olivier directed, co-wrote, and starred as the titular character in 'Henry V.'

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Anthony Hopkins - For his feature-length debut, Hopkins played the role of Richard the Lionheart in 'The Lion in Winter.' Not a bad start for the Hollywood legend.

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Jonathan Rhys Meyers - Meyers was a breath of fresh air as Henry VIII in 'The Tudors' TV series.

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Cate Blanchett - 'Elizabeth' was a breakout role for Cate Blanchett, and the film introduced the actress to an international audience.

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Judi Dench - Dench has played a royal on more than one occasion. She played Queen Victoria in 'Mrs. Brown,' and Queen Elizabeth I in 'Shakespeare in Love.'

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Emily Blunt - After breaking out in 'The Devil Wears Prada,' Blunt starred as Queen Victoria in 'The Young Victoria.'

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Richard Harris - Richard Harris was the macho lead of 'Camelot,' in which he played King Arthur.

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Kenneth Branagh - Kenneth Branagh is a Shakespeare enthusiast. He adapted, directed, and starred in 'Henry V,' playing the titular king, of course.

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Ciarán Hinds - The versatile actor (right) played King Herod in 'The Nativity Story.'

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Alec Guinness -

Alec Guinness starred as King Charles in 'Cromwell.'

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Nigel Hawthorne - The esteemed actor was nominated for an Oscar after his performance in 'The Madness of King George.'

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Robert Shaw -

Shaw was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar back in 1967 for his performance as King Henry VIII in 'A Man for All Seasons.'

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Tim Pigott-Smith - For one of his final film roles, the late Tim Pigott-Smith starred as Prince Charles in the TV film 'King Charles III.' Here he is taking on the same role on stage.

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William Russell - William Russell was impressive as King Herod in 'The Star of Bethlehem,' a silent film from 1912.

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Colin Firth - Firth won an Oscar for his performance as King George VI in 'The King's Speech.'

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Jeremy Irons -

The formidable actor played King Henry IV across two TV movies: 'Henry IV, Part I' and 'Part II.'

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Benedict Cumberbatch - Cumberbatch played the role of Richard III in 'The Hollow Crown.' The actor is actually distantly related to the monarch.

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Ben Whishaw - Ben Whishaw was the titular star of 'Richard II,' a TV film in the 'Hollow Crown' series. 

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Kelsey Grammer - In the 'Killing Jesus' TV film, Kelsey Grammer played King Herod.

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Damian Lewis -

Lewis received an Emmy and Golden Globe nomination for his turn as King Henry VIII in 'Wolf Hall.'

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Anne-Marie Duff -

Anne-Marie Duff was amazing as Queen Elizabeth I in the TV drama 'The Virgin Queen.'

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Sarah Gadon -

The Canadian actress played a young Princess Elizabeth in 'A Royal Night Out.'

See also: Queen Elizabeth II's life in photos.

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