Netflix Denies Reports The Crown is Struggling to Cast Jeffrey Epstein’s Former Pal Prince Andrew

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Netflix is denying reports that The Crown is “struggling” to cast an actor to play Prince Andrew on Season 5 of the hit series about the British royal family.

Over the weekend, The Sun published an article noting that the show’s production company, Left Bank Pictures, posted an advertisement for the role of Prince Andrew on the casting website Spotlight.

A “casting source” was quoted as saying, “Prince Andrew is one of the most unpopular members of the royal family, and wannabe stars aren’t exactly queuing up to play him. It’s not the sexiest role and is unlikely to set a Hollywood career alight.”

However, a representative for The Crown said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, “There is absolutely no struggle to cast any role for season 5 of The Crown, and it is normal practice for productions to advertising in Spotlight.”

Prince Andrew stepped away from his royal duties in 2019 following a disastrous interview with BBC Newsnight in which he struggled to explain his ties to convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

The disgraced royal was played by actor Tom Byrne on Season 4 of The Crown, which was set in the ’80s, but the role was fairly limited. The character is expected to be displayed more prominently on the show’s fifth season, which will likely be set in the ’90s.

The role of Prince Andrew remains one of the only high-profile Season 5 characters that has yet to be cast. The rest of the current lineup includes Imelda Staunton as Queen Elizabeth II, Jonathan Pryce as Prince Philip, Lesley Manville as Princess Margaret, Dominic West as Prince Charles, and Elizabeth Debicki as Princess Diana.