Claire Foy is arguably most recognized for her portrayal of a young Queen Elizabeth II in Netflix’s The Crown. For two seasons, the British actress portrayed the based-on-true-life events of how England’s great Queen came to power. While The Crown was a great stepping stone for the actress, Foy has starred in many other series and films. In 2017, she starred alongside Andrew Garfield in the biopic entitled Breathe, which followed a couple’s young love and their struggle with the disease polio. 2018 was a great year for the actress, with three films released, including a thriller titled Unsane, the biopic on Neil Armstrong, First Man, and the action film The Girl in the Spider’s Web.
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7 The Girl in the Spider’s Web
Columbia Pictures
The Girl in the Spider’s Web is an action-thriller that is based on a novel by the same name. Foy stars as Lisbeth Salander in this soft reboot of the famous Millennium books series by Steig Larsson. The film itself received mixed reviews and was considered a box office flop, though Foy’s performance was highly praised. The movie follows Lisbeth as she battles against a mysterious organization called the Spiders, which threatens world dominance.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
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MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
6 My Son
STXfilms
In the 2021 thriller My Son, Foy plays Joan Richmond, a mother whose son has been kidnapped. Edmond Murray (played by James McAvoy) is out driving when he receives a call from his ex-wife Joan in hysterics over their missing son. Edmond ends up assaulting Joan’s new partner Frank, which leads to a turn of events in his son’s kidnapping. While this film stars Foy in a lead spot, her screen time is minimal. That said, when she is on-screen, she portrays the grieving, worried mother well.
5 Unsane
Regency Enterprises
Foy takes insanity to a new level in the 2018 thriller Unsane. Her character, Sawyer, is involuntarily committed to a mental institution where she has to confront her greatest fear — men. Prior to accidentally committing herself, she had a run-in with a stalker, which leaves her relationship with men shaky. She makes an appointment at the institution and signs a 24-hour hold without realizing it. Once there, the institution keeps her there as part of their moneymaking scheme. When she comes in counter with her stalker at the institution, she is forced to confront her fears, whether or not they are real.
4 First Man
Universal Pictures
First Man is a biopic based on astronaut Neil Armstrong’s iconic moon landing. The film looks at his life and the legendary mission that leads him to become the first man to walk on the moon. In the movie, Foy plays Armstrong’s wife, Janet, with Armstrong played by Ryan Gosling. The underrated film looks at the events of the couple’s life including the death of their daughter, relocation to NASA, and the space mission itself.
3 Breathe
Participant Media
Breathe is a touching and heartwarming film based on the true love story of Robin and Diana Cavendish. Andrew Garfield and Foy star as the young couple as the pair battle Robin’s (Garfield) polio diagnosis. When diagnosed at only 28, the young couple, with the help of her brothers and an inventor, takes Robin’s few months to live and turns it into an adventure together. Robin is able to leave the hospital and the pair seeks a full and passionate life together raising their son and spreading awareness of the disease.
2 A Very British Scandal
BBC
Foy’s most recent performance comes in the form of a three-episode miniseries that aired in 2021 on Prime Video, A Very British Scandal. The show is based on real-life events of the Duke and Duchess Argyll and their nasty divorce in the 1960s. Foy stars alongside Paul Bettany as the pair plays out the events surrounding Margaret and Ian Campbell’s iconic divorce. Full of slander and accusations, the infamous divorce became notorious when Ian shared private and intimate details of his ex-wife to the media.
1 The Crown (Seasons 1-2)
Netflix
Netflix’s original TV series The Crown is arguably one of its best and most awarded shows. In seasons one and two, Foy plays a young then-Princess Elizabeth and her early days as the Queen of England. The series first aired in 2016 and followed Queen Elizabeth II’s reign. To date, the series has won 21 Emmys, including two wins of three nominations for Foy’s portrayal of the great Queen.
