British Actresses You Should Know: Claire Foy

If you’ve been watching the lavish new Netflix series The Crown, you have no doubt become familiar with BAFTA nominated actress Claire Foy. Her portrayal of a young Queen Elizabeth, distinctive accent and all, has put this English rose in the spotlight recently. However, Ms. Foy has graced our screens plenty of times before and should look familiar for more than her turn as England’s current monarch.

Though she has appeared in a fair number of films set in the present day such as Wreckers with Benedict Cumberbatch, Jon Stewart’s directorial debut, Rosewater and Breathe, a new film set for release in 2017 costarring Andrew Garfield and Hugh Bonneville, Claire seems very at home in the past. Though perhaps not in the clothing which she expressed her dislike for in an interview with Channel 4 in 2011. “Costumes are costumes, to be honest, and by the end of anything, you hate them. I always hate them. I want to burn them all when I'm finished with them, I hate them all so much.” Despite this complaint, well over half the projects she has worked on are period dramas.

Therefore it seems only good and proper to step back in time for a retrospective of Claire Foy’s period pieces so far.

Little Dorrit. In her first starring role and, one of her first acting jobs at that, Claire played Amy Dorrit, a quiet, devoted daughter who cares for her father in debtor’s prison while keeping an eye on her challenging siblings. This 2008 BBC/WGBH Boston production of the Dickens’ novel portrays a classic tale of shifting fortunes, family secrets and unrequited love experienced through one gentle, good-hearted young woman.