Fans learned of Olivia Colman's casting as The Crown's next Queen Elizabeth on Thursday, but Claire Foy says she's known for "a long time."
ET's Carly Steel spoke with the 33-year-old actress at the 2017 BAFTA Britannia Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, on Friday, where she opened up about relinquishing her crown.
"[I've known about Colman's casting for] months. It was really cruel," Foy confessed. "I've known for a really long time and I've been excited for a really long time. We've spoken and I just think she's the most extraordinary actress and she's also an incredibly wonderful human being, so i just think it's great. It's amazing."
"I just can't wait to see what she does with it," she raved. "The part's not mine -- it never was -- it goes on and lives on. So, I just can't think of anyone better."
Before Colman graces the screen as the next Elizabeth, season two of the series will hit Netflix in December with Foy at the helm -- though she says fans should expect some "hard moments."
"It wasn't bittersweet really. Knowing that we were only going to do two series just meant that we enjoyed every single moment," she said of saying goodbye to the character. "That was the beauty of it, that we never took it for granted. You can look forward to a lot of Matt Smith in this series, there's a lot of Philip, which is amazing. It's such an incredibly story and he's brilliant [but] there's some hard moments. It's not as romantic and cheerful as the first series, unfortunately."
As for whether Foy has any tips for Colman, she says the veteran actress "doesn't need any advice from me."
"She's had the most incredible career, and that's the thing, it's everyone's own experience," she said of playing the 91-year-old monarch. "I think Helen Mirren probably had a completely different experience. The part's been done before. And Kristin Scott Thomas, and all the other people who played her in different incarnations. I just think it's not anything for me to advise. It's not mine anymore. It's hers!"
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Photo: Getty Images
Foy is instead looking forward to her next roles. The actress, who was honored with British Actress of the Year at the Britannia Awards on Thursday, debuted a dark pixie cut for her role as Janet Armstrong in First Man. Foy will star alongside Ryan Gosling in the movie based on Neil Armstrong, and directed by Damien Chazelle.
The newly brunette beauty will also star as Lysbeth Sander in The Girl in the Spider’s Web.
"It's just going to be a huge challenge to take on something that big. Physically it's going to be a challenge and mentally it's going to be a challenge," Foy admitted. "Talk to me in six months if I come out the other side!"
See more on The Crown in the video below.