Jonathan Pryce Doubles Down: Two Emmy Nods for 'The Crown' and 'Slow Horses' Prove His Star Power Is Unstoppable

Jonathan Pryce: A Legend Gets His Due

At 76, Jonathan Pryce is not slowing down. The Welsh actor just scored two Emmy nominations—one for his quietly commanding Prince Philip in The Crown, another for his sly, secret-laden David Cartwright in Slow Horses. It's a career peak that feels less like a twilight and more like a blazing encore.

According to the source text from Screenshot (550).png, Pryce was initially surprised by his own mention of the word “twilight.” In the interview, he admits that phrase was a misstep. “Twilight is not the right word,” he says now, reflecting on his current flow of ambitious work.

The Man Behind the Duke

Pryce’s portrayal of Prince Philip on Netflix’s The Crown began five years ago when the call came to embody Queen Elizabeth’s consort. The actor had lived with the man all his life—first glimpsing the duke in 1953, when Pryce was six and his family was among the first in their Welsh street to own a television.

“He’s been part of my life since the Coronation,” Pryce recalls in the article. But digging into the “whopping reams of background” provided by The Crown’s research department, he discovered a different Philip—vibrant, funny, intelligent, far from the dour stereotype. “It was great to discover all the things I didn’t know about him,” Pryce notes, citing the duke’s polo friends, his joy of life, and his sharp intellect.

Playing opposite Dominic West’s Prince Charles was pure fun. “I loved being horrible to Charles,” Pryce says with a laugh, describing how West would protest the verbal jabs. Yet, he wishes they had included more of Philip’s biting, acerbic wit. “We could have gotten a few more gaffes in,” he jokes, referencing the duke’s real-life history of shocking verbal blunders.

The Grandfather Role

In both The Crown and Slow Horses, Pryce excels as a mentor figure. On The Crown, his older, wiser Philip has time for grandchildren William and Harry, played by Ed McVey and Luther Ford. Pryce notes a poignant parallel: Philip saw himself in his grandchildren, wanting to correct the difficulties he had with Charles.

“There’s not a lot of acting required when you’re a 76-year-old actor talking to someone in their first job,” he says, referencing a chess scene at Eton where Philip guides William. Similarly, in Slow Horses, his David Cartwright guides Jack Lowden’s River Cartwright. Pryce sums it up: “I give good grandfather these days.”

A Career Built on Stage and Screen

Pryce’s journey to these Emmy nods began with RADA in the 1970s, alongside Alan Rickman and Juliet Stevenson. His breakout came in Trevor Griffiths’ Comedians, directed by Richard Eyre. The play transferred to Broadway, but tragedy struck: Pryce’s father, who ran a corner shop in Wales, was attacked with a hammer and died just before the premiere. Pryce channeled that grief two years later into a landmark Hamlet, also directed by Eyre.

That one-two punch—Comedians and Hamlet—catapulted his career. He went on to star in iconic films like Brazil, The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, Evita, and Tomorrow Never Dies. On stage, his performance as the Engineer in Miss Saigon at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane became legendary.

Along the way, acting sage Lee Strasberg gave him the best advice: “You do it. It’s your job.” Pryce holds onto that simplicity.

Collaborations and New Projects

Pryce speaks warmly of his The Crown co-star Imelda Staunton, who played Queen Elizabeth. “She’s incredible,” he says, noting her focused approach versus his looser style. He has tickets to see her in Hello, Dolly! at the London Palladium.

On Slow Horses, he relishes playing a character with a secret—one that might blurt out top-secret knowledge if dementia takes hold. That role also connects to his ambassadorship with the Alzheimer’s Society, a commitment he takes seriously.

Pryce recently shot The Thursday Murder Club for Netflix, playing the husband of Helen Mirren’s former spy. The project includes a jiving dance number to a Cat Stevens song, a nod to his own love of the artist since 1972. “There’s a little bit of dancing,” he says, proving he’s far from retirement.

Still Burning Bright

Pryce’s two Emmy nominations are more than a milestone—they’re proof that great actors only get better with time. From his early Welsh television set to the global stage, he remains as ambitious as ever. “I’m still as ambitious to get things right,” he insists. And with these nominations, the world agrees.

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