The 'Doctor Who' alum along with John Lithgow is cast on royal drama 'The Crown', while the 'Once Upon a Time' actor joins Baz Luhrmann's hip-hop drama 'The Get Down'.
- Jun 19, 2015
AceShowbiz - As Netflix keeps expanding its original contents, casting news comes from two upcoming series, "The Crown" and "The Get Down". Matt Smith has landed one of the lead roles on the former drama about Queen Elizabeth II and the prime ministers who shaped Britain's post-war destiny.
The "Doctor Who" alum will play Philip Mountbatten, Duke of Edinburgh, on the royal drama. He is joined by Claire Foy who will star as the Queen, and John Lithgow who will portray Sir Winston Churchill.
Based on Peter Morgan's play "The Audience" which starred Helen Mirren, the series tells the inside story of two of the most famous addresses in the world - Buckingham Palace and 10 Downing Street - and the intrigues, love lives and machinations behind the great events that shaped the second half of the 20th century.
It is written by Morgan and has Stephen Daldry, Philip Martin and Julian Jarrold on board as directors. Daldry, Martin and Morgan will also serve as executive producers along with Andy Harries, Suzanne Mackie, Tanya Seghatchian, Robert Fox and Matthew Byam Shaw.
As for "The Get Down", the hip-hop drama created by Baz Luhrmann has added Giancarlo Esposito to the cast. The Emmy-nominated actor will play Pastor Ramon Cruz, the charismatic head of the local Pentecostal church who attracts a flock of followers with his fiery sermons and firm, steady leadership. He is the father of Mylene Cruz (Herizen F. Guardiola), whose dreams of disco stardom often put her at odds with her dad.
Luhrmann says in an announcement, "Continuing the high quality of our acting company in 'The Get Down', we're very pleased to announce that Giancarlo Esposito will be joining us in the role of Pastor Ramon Cruz Giancarlo has played such a variety of roles and he's a tremendous asset to our production."
The former "Breaking Bad" star joins Jaden Smith, Mamoudou Athie, Shameik Moore, Justice Smith, Skylan Brooks, Tremaine Brown Jr. and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II in the cast. Luhrmann will direct the first two episodes of the 13-episode drama.
