Jonathan Pryce: Netflix's The Crown casts its final Prince Philip

After playing kings, a Pope, a cardinal - and The High Sparrow in Game of Thrones - actor Jonathan Pryce is adding a prince to his repertoire of high-ranking roles, taking over as Prince Philip in Netflix's The Crown.

The Welsh actor was nominated for an Oscar earlier this year for his role in The Two Popes, also for Netflix.

He will now star opposite Imelda Staunton's Queen Elizabeth II in the final two seasons of the royal drama, which is expected to cover the 1990s and early 2000s.

"The positive experience I had making The Two Popes has given me the confidence to tackle the daunting prospect of playing Prince Philip," said Pryce via The Crown's official Twitter page.

The 73-year-old made his name on stage, winning the first of his two Tony Awards in 1977 for The Comedians, and an Olivier Award in 1980 for Hamlet.

He has said playing Hamlet helped him process the violent death of his own father, a grocer, who had been attacked with a hammer. He died when Pryce was about to open The Comedians on Broadway, meaning he was unable to come home for the funeral.

His Hamlet is regarded as one of the greatest modern interpretations, and he also earned acclaim as Shakespeare's King Lear 30 years later.

Pryce moved into film with roles in Brazil, Evita, Tomorrow Never Dies and Pirates of the Caribbean. His first Oscar nomination arrived this January for playing Pope Francis in The Two Popes.

He has said he also based The High Sparrow on the pontiff, while his other TV roles have included Cardinal Wolsey in the BBC adaptation of Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall.