Claire Foy

Claire Elizabeth Foy (born 16 April 1984) is a British actress. She is best known for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II in the Netflix series The Crown (2016–2017, 2020, 2022–2023), for which she received various accolades such as a Golden Globe and two Primetime Emmy Awards.

Foy made her screen debut in the pilot episode of the supernatural comedy series Being Human (2008). Following her professional stage debut at the Royal National Theatre, she played the title role in the BBC One miniseries Little Dorrit (2008) and made her film debut in the American fantasy drama Season of the Witch (2011). Following leading roles in the television series The Promise (2011) and Crossbones (2014), Foy earned praise for portraying the ill-fated queen Anne Boleyn in the BBC miniseries Wolf Hall (2015), receiving a BAFTA Nomination.

In 2018 she starred in Steven Soderbergh's psychological thriller Unsane and portrayed Janet Shearon, wife of astronaut Neil Armstrong, in Damien Chazelle's biopic First Man. For the latter, she received Best Supporting Actress nominations from the Golden Globes and the BAFTAs. She has since portrayed Margaret Campbell, Duchess of Argyll in the Amazon Prime series A Very British Scandal (2021), and starred in the drama films Women Talking (2022) and All of Us Strangers (2023). The last of these earned her another BAFTA nomination.

Early life and education Claire Elizabeth Foy She has an older brother and an older sister. The family later moved to Longwick, Buckinghamshire, Foy is of Irish descent. before studying drama and screen studies at Liverpool John Moores University, initially intending to become a cinematographer.

Career 2008–2015: Theatre work and Wolf Hall While at the Oxford School of Drama, Foy appeared in the plays Top Girls, Watership Down, Easy Virtue, and Touched. After appearing in small roles on television, she made her professional stage debut in DNA (part of a triptych of plays including The Miracle and Baby Girl), directed by Paul Miller at the Royal National Theatre.

Foy's screen debut was as Julia Beckett in the pilot episode of the supernatural comedy series Being Human (2008). Foy starred as the title character Amy Dorrit in the 2008 BBC series Little Dorrit, for which she was nominated for an RTS Award. She went on to appear in the television serial Going Postal (2010), based on the novel by Terry Pratchett. Foy also starred in the 2010 BBC revival of Upstairs Downstairs as Lady Persephone, In 2011, she made her feature film debut opposite Nicolas Cage in the American fantasy adventure film Season of the Witch. The same year she appeared alongside Benedict Cumberbatch in the British drama film Wreckers.

Foy played one of the lead roles, Helen Giniver, in the 2010 television film adaptation of Sarah Waters's novel The Night Watch. Foy returned to the stage in February 2013 as Lady Macbeth, alongside James McAvoy in the title role, in Macbeth at the Trafalgar Studios. In 2015, Foy played the English queen Anne Boleyn in the six-part drama serial Wolf Hall. Her performance was met with critical praise Foy was subsequently nominated for the 2016 British Academy Television Award for Best Actress. She appears in the sequel series The Mirror and the Light via archive footage.

2016–2019: The Crown and film roles

In 2016 Foy portrayed Queen Elizabeth II in Peter Morgan's Netflix biographical drama series The Crown. Her performance earned her the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama, the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series twice, and the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. She was also nominated for the BAFTA TV Award for Best Actress. In 2017, she reprised the role in the second season, before the role passed to actress Olivia Colman, who from the third season portrayed the Queen in middle age.

In 2017 Foy starred as Diana Cavendish in the biographical drama film Breathe. In 2018, Foy starred in Steven Soderbergh's psychological thriller Unsane, portrayed the vigilante Lisbeth Salander in the action-thriller The Girl in the Spider's Web, and played Janet Shearon, wife of American astronaut Neil Armstrong, in Damien Chazelle's biopic First Man. For the latter, she was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture, the Critics' Choice Award for Best Supporting Actress, and the British Academy Film Award for Best Supporting Actress.

2020–present In 2020 Foy reprised the role of the young Queen Elizabeth II in the eighth episode of The Crowns fourth season. Her performance earned her the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series. In 2021, Foy starred as Margaret Campbell, Duchess of Argyll in the BBC production A Very British Scandal. That year she played Emily Richardson-Wain, wife of artist Louis Wain, in The Electrical Life of Louis Wain. Following a bidding war, the project landed at HBO for development in February 2022.

Foy played Salome, an American Mennonite living in an isolated colony, in the drama film Women Talking (2022), for which she won the Satellite Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. In November 2022, Foy reprised her role of the young Queen Elizabeth in the season five premiere of The Crown. Foy reprised the character again in the final episode of season six. Her performance earned her another nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series. Foy also appeared in the 2023 drama film All of Us Strangers, for which she was nominated for another BAFTA for Best Supporting Actress.

Foy portrayed writer Helen Macdonald in the biographical drama film H Is for Hawk, which premiered at the 52nd Telluride Film Festival in August 2025. For the film, Foy was honoured by Zurich Film Festival with a Golden Eye Award in September 2025. She played Polly Thompson in The Magic Faraway Tree, a 2026 film adaptation of Enid Blyton's book series. Foy and Richard E. Grant led the black comedy period film Savage House, which released in June 2026.

In October 2025 Deadline announced that Foy was cast in Ink, an upcoming film adaptation of James Graham's 2017 play of the same name, directed by Danny Boyle.

Personal life Foy married actor Stephen Campbell Moore in 2014. They have one daughter. Foy and Moore announced their separation in February 2018.

In 2021 Foy was targeted by a stalker who sent her more than 1,000 emails in a single month and appeared at her home. The individual pleaded guilty in November 2022 and received a suspended sentence pending repatriation to the United States.

In February 2026 Foy disclosed that she had contracted stomach parasites during a trip to Morocco and had unknowingly lived with them for five years. She also stated that she has an autoimmune condition.

Acting credits

Film Year Title Role Notes Ref. 2011 Season of the Witch Anna Wreckers Dawn 2014 Vampire Academy Sonya Karp Rosewater Paola Gourley 2015 The Lady in the Van Lois 2017 Breathe Diana Cavendish 2018 Unsane Sawyer Valentini My Son Joan Richmond 2022 Women Talking Salome Savage House Lady Savage

Television Year Title Role NotesRef. 2008 Being Human Julia Beckett Episode: "Pilot" Little Dorrit Amy Dorrit 2010 Terry Pratchett's Going Postal Adora Belle Dearheart 2 episodes Pulse Hannah Carter Television film 2010–2012 Upstairs Downstairs Lady Persephone TowynMain cast 2011 Erin Matthews Helen GiniverTelevision film 2012 Hacks Kate Loy White Heat Charlotte Main cast 2014 Crossbones Kate Balfour The Great War: The People's Story Helen Bentwich Frankenstein and the Vampyre: A Dark and Stormy Night Narrator Voice; Television film 2015 Wolf Hall Anne Boleyn Main cast 2016–2017,2020, 2022–2023 Queen Elizabeth II Main cast (Seasons 1–2)Guest role (Seasons 4–6) 2021 A Very British Scandal Margaret Campbell, Duchess of Argyll Main cast; Miniseries 2024 Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light Anne Boleyn Episode: "Wreckage"; Archive footage Marnie Main role

Theatre

Awards and nominations