Tonight, Who Do You Think You Are? revisits one of its best loved episodes — the story of Claire Foy’s ancestors.
Best known to millions as the young Queen Elizabeth II in The Crown, Foy, 41, takes a break from portraying history to uncover her own.
In the episode, she traces both maternal and paternal lines, uncovering tales of loss, wartime sacrifice, and courtroom drama.
But long before the crown, before BAFTAs and Emmys, and even before Wolf Hall or The Girl in the Spider’s Web, Claire Foy’s big screen debut came in an unexpected project.
She first made her small screen debut in the pilot episode of the supernatural comedy series Being Human in 2008.
She also played the title role in the BBC One miniseries Little Dorrit that same year.
When was Claire Foy’s big break?
Foy’s first major film role was in 2011’s Season of the Witch, opposite Nicolas Cage.
The film wasn’t a critical darling, but Foy was immediately memorable in a way that foreshadowed her impressive career to come.
Then, it wasn’t long before more substantial roles followed. On British television, Foy began to establish herself as a serious dramatic actor, most notably in Upstairs Downstairs and then in Peter Morgan’s The Promise.
But it was her turn as the ill-fated Queen Anne Boleyn in the BBC’s Wolf Hall (2015) that made critics really sit up and take notice.
Claire Foy becomes a star in The Crown
That same year, Foy was cast as the young Queen Elizabeth II in Netflix’s lavish royal epic The Crown.
Her performance was nothing short of transformative and she quickly became a household name in the UK.
She played a monarch who was very familiar to audiences, but managed tocapture her as a young woman, wife, and reluctant ruler, bringing unexpected vulnerability and steel to the role.
At the time, she told the BBC of playing the role: ‘I think that she was an incredible monarch. She united people and she was a massive symbol of continuity and dignity and grace.’
She added: ‘My main feeling is just thinking about her as a mother and a grandmother and a great-grandmother, really, and I’m very honoured to have been a teeny tiny, small part of her story.’
Across two seasons, she navigated post-war Britain, familial betrayals, and political upheaval, earning widespread acclaim and a sweep of major awards, including a Golden Globe, a BAFTA, and an Emmy.
Foy’s performance laid the foundation for The Crown’s ongoing success, and arguably redefined how audiences engage with depictions of modern royalty.
Even after handing the role to Olivia Colman, Foy returned briefly in later seasons, which was a testament to how iconic her version of the Queen had become.
What has Claire Foy been in after The Crown?
Post-Crown, Foy refused to be boxed in.
She surprised many by taking on the role of Lisbeth Salander in The Girl in the Spider’s Web in 2018. It was a bold, unapologetic pivot that helped her from being stuck in people’s minds as just The Queen.
She’s since returned to stage and screen with performances that continue to challenge expectations, from First Man (opposite Ryan Gosling) to the intimate and devastating Women Talking, a role that reconnected her with ensemble storytelling and earned praise for its understated emotional weight.
Through it all, Foy has remained a resolutely private, quietly powerful figure in British acting.
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