Lesley Manville and David Morrissey have joined the cast of 'Sherwood'.
Lesley Manville
The 65-year-old actress and David, 57 - who previously starred in the drama 'Holding On' - have both signed up to appear in ‘Sherwood’, which tells the story of a community dealing with the impact of the 1980s miners' strike.
Reflecting on the differences between the upcoming drama and Lesley's role in 'The Crown', an insider told The Sun newspaper's Bizarre TV column: “The two roles couldn’t be further apart.
"One is set in high society, the other among a working-class community.
"Lesley has played quite a few posh parts recently and Princess Margaret is just the latest.
"So it’s easy to forget that she started her career making gritty movies with acclaimed director Mike Leigh.
"Although 'The Crown' is a high-calibre production from Netflix, 'Sherwood' is also one of the most anticipated dramas of the year.”
The new series is written by Nottingham-born screenwriter James Graham, who wrote ITV drama ‘Quiz’, about the ‘Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?’ coughing scandal with Major Charles Ingram. He also penned Channel 4 drama Brexit: An Uncivil War, which saw Benedict Cumberbatch play Dominic Cummings, the Prime Minister's former adviser.
Meanwhile, Lesley is set to play the role of Princess Margaret in 'The Crown'.
The actress - who is replacing Helena Bonham Carter in the role - previously revealed she has been rewatching the show in preparation for her part.
She said: “I’m now rewatching 'The Crown' because, ultimately, yes I’ll read the books, yes I’ll listen to Margaret talking, yes I’ll look at endless footage of her.
"But at the end of the day, I have to look at what Vanessa [Kirby] did, look at what Helena has done, and pick up the baton of those two great actresses and carry on being that Margaret."